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How to Download Your Raw DNA Data

Step-by-step instructions for exporting your raw ATCG text file from AncestryDNA, 23andMe, and MyHeritage.

Your raw DNA data is a text file containing hundreds of thousands of lines of code representing the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) detected by the microarray chip. Downloading it allows you to upload it to third-party databases.

AncestryDNA Download Steps

  1. Log into your Ancestry account and navigate to the DNA tab.
  2. Click on Settings in the top right corner.
  3. Scroll to the bottom of the page to the Download Raw DNA Data section.
  4. Enter your password and check the disclaimer box. Ancestry will send an email with a secure link.
  5. Click the link in your email to download the .txt or .zip file.

23andMe Download Steps

  1. Log in and click your profile icon, then select Browse Raw Data.
  2. Click the Download tab in the upper navigation bar.
  3. Submit the request. 23andMe will send a confirmation email when the file is ready.

Common Mistakes

Never open the raw data file in a program like Microsoft Word or Excel before uploading it to another site. These programs can corrupt the file formatting. Leave the file in its original .txt or .zip state.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Is it safe to store on my computer? Treat this file like your social security number. It contains sensitive biological data. Store it in a password-protected, encrypted folder if possible.

Next Step: Use our DNA Privacy Scrubber to anonymize the file headers before uploading elsewhere.

Related Reading: Best Tests, Health Risks, Ancestry, Privacy Home, Tools, BRCA Limits, Raw Data Risks, Y-DNA vs mtDNA, FDA Rules, Ethnicity Estimates, Counseling, Law Enforcement, cM Calc, Data Scrubber, Traits Reliability, Rel Prob, DB Overlap, SNP Lookup, Timeline, Endogamy.