The process in which an operator uses a keyboard or other device to input data directly into a system. The term is sometimes misapplied to the process of data capture, where the input of data to the system is not the prime objective of the related activity.

Direct data entry (DDE) is an online process in which data is entered into a system and written into its online files. The data may be entered by an operator at a keyboard (this is the usual meaning) or by a data capture device.