---
title: Data Types reference
meta:
    description: Data types supported by Tinybird
---

# Data types

Data types define how values are stored and processed in a database. They determine what kind of data can be stored in a column (like numbers, text, dates, etc.), how much storage space the data will use, and what operations can be performed on the values. Choosing the right data type is important for both data integrity and query performance.

Each column in a table must have a specified data type that matches the kind of data you plan to store. For example, you would use numeric types for calculations, string types for text, and date/time types for temporal data.

{% snippet title="ingest-types" /%}

{% callout type="caution" %}
The `JSON` data type is in private beta. If you are interested in using this type, contact Tinybird at <support@tinybird.co> or in the [Community Slack](/community).
{% /callout %}