Title: Data Cleansing Author: Kriko Published: Jun 7, 2023 Last modified: Jul 7, 2026 --- 1. [Home](https://kriko.io/) / 2. [Glossary](https://kriko.io/glossary) / 3. D Letter # Data Cleansing **Data cleansing**, also known as data cleaning, is the process of identifying and correcting inaccurate, incomplete, irrelevant, duplicated or inconsistent information within a database. Invalid or unusable records may also be removed where necessary. During this process, duplicate information may be merged or deleted, incorrectly formatted values may be corrected and missing fields may be completed using appropriate methods. The primary purpose of data cleansing is to **improve data quality** and ensure that the information used in analysis is accurate, consistent and reliable. The term “dirty data” does not refer only to records that are deleted from a database. It includes all inaccurate, incomplete, outdated, duplicated or improperly formatted information. Companies, organisations and brands that manage large datasets frequently perform data cleansing activities. Automated tools and algorithms can be used to identify problematic records, correct common inconsistencies and detect duplicate data. These tools can process large volumes of information more efficiently and provide significant time savings. Incorrect customer details, empty fields, invalid values, inconsistent formats and duplicate records can negatively affect the accuracy and reliability of a database. By carrying out data cleansing activities, organisations can reduce these problems and create more dependable datasets. A typical **data cleansing process** may include the following stages: **Data Analysis:** The dataset is examined to identify errors, missing values, inconsistencies and duplicate records. **Correction:** Incorrect values, spelling errors and formatting problems are corrected. **Missing Data Management:** Missing values may be completed using reliable sources, estimated through suitable methods or left empty depending on the intended use of the data. **Removal of Unnecessary Data:** Invalid, irrelevant or duplicated records that do not provide analytical value are removed from the dataset. **Standardisation:** Dates, addresses, telephone numbers, currencies and other data types are converted into consistent formats. The cleansed data should then be validated and reviewed through quality control procedures to confirm that the changes have been applied correctly. This helps prevent inaccurate information from affecting analysis, reporting and decision-making processes. Cloud-based data platforms and data preparation, integration and ETL services provided by vendors such as AWS can also be used to automate and scale **data cleansing operations**. ## Discover it in the dictionary ### MLOps MLOps is a collection of practices and processes used to develop, deploy, monitor and manage machine learning models in a sustainable manner. The term… ### Google Caffeine Google Caffeine is the next-generation web indexing infrastructure that Google announced in 2009 and completed in 2010. This system was developed to help Google… ### Doorway Pages Doorway pages are low-quality pages created to gain visibility in search engines for specific queries, while offering little real value to users and mainly… ### Client-side Errors: 4xx 4xx status codes are the group of HTTP status codes that represent client-side error responses. When a user tries to access a web page… ### Hybrid Cloud Hybrid cloud technology is an IT infrastructure model that enables storage and computing resources to be delivered across both on-premises and off-premises environments. Under… ### Information Architecture Information architecture refers to the organization of content in a website, mobile application, intranet, e-commerce platform or any physical or digital information system so… ### HTTPS (HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure) HTTPS stands for HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure. It is the secure version of HTTP and is used to encrypt data communication between a user… ### Permanently Redirect – 301 A 301 redirect is an HTTP status code that indicates a URL has permanently moved to another URL. It is used to permanently redirect… ### Open Graph Open Graph, commonly abbreviated as OG, is a metadata protocol used to define how web pages appear on social media platforms and messaging applications.… ## Track the digital heartbeat with Kriko Subscribe to receive curated insights, news, and ideas shaping the digital landscape. By checking this box, you acknowledge and accept our [privacy policy](https://kriko.io/privacy-policy).