Methods and systems for passively relating data to metadata are disclosed. Associations are created, at a first computer system, that relate data in a first database to metadata in a second database. The associations are syndicated at the computer system to a first software application associated with the data. The syndicating to cause the first software application executing at a second computer system to display a visual clue to a user in a graphical interface associated with the first software application wherein the visual clue is visually associated with a visual representation of the data. Upon detecting a user interaction with the visual clue, cause the first software application to display a first portion of the metadata in the graphical interface.