This section sets out the benefits of data standards and their application to the spatial and non-spatial datasets generated and held by HERS. Subjects covered include: an introduction to the importance of metadata and FAIR Data Principles; an overview of key general standards of greatest relevance to HERs, such as Dublin Core, UK GEMINI, INSPIRE and MEDIN; and discussion of historic environment-specific data standards, such as MIDAS Heritage and FISH. The requirements placed on HERs by the General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018 are also considered.