A data dictionary generation system automatically populates and updates a data dictionary for listings offering shared data. A data dictionary includes metadata describing the shared data, including the individual objects, such as the individual tables, schemas, views, and functions. The shared data and each individual data object may be described in the data dictionary by a set of data fields that corresponds to the shared dataset or the object type of the individual object. The data dictionary can be presented to data consumers along with the description of the listing to provide data consumers with a comprehensive description of the shared data provided by a listing, including a high-level summary of the shared data and description of each individual object included in the shared data. The data dictionary allows data consumers to understand the contents of the shared data and how to use the shared data.