Your DNA test gave you a nice pie chart. Your raw DNA file gives you everything else. Whether you tested with 23andMe, AncestryDNA, MyHeritage, FTDNA or LivingDNA, you can download the underlying genetic data and unlock far deeper, often free, analysis. Here is exactly what it is and what to do with it.
What is raw DNA data?
Your raw DNA data is a plain text file (a .txt or .csv, usually inside a .zip) that your testing company generates. It lists hundreds of thousands of positions in your genome, called SNPs, and which DNA letters you carry at each one. It is the actual data behind your ancestry percentages, and unlike the polished report, it is portable: you own it and can reuse it anywhere.
Why download your raw DNA?
- You own your data. Keep a copy independent of any company.
- Go deeper than the test report. Compare yourself to thousands of ancient and modern populations, not just a handful of broad regions.
- Use free tools. Estimate your ethnicity, generate G25 coordinates, predict your haplogroups and phenotype traits, all without paying again.
- One file, many uses. A single download powers ancestry tools, calculators and detailed reports.
How to download your raw DNA (by company)
It takes a couple of minutes. Pick your company for step-by-step instructions:
Tip: upload the .zip as is, you do not need to unzip it.
What can you do with your raw DNA? (free)
Once you have the file, here is what you can do right here, for free:
- Ethnicity Guesser, estimate your ethnicity, nationality and mixed ancestry.
- Generate your G25 coordinates from your raw file.
- Phenotype Predictor, eye colour, hair and more from your DNA.
- Haplogroup Explorer, your deep paternal and maternal lines.
- Ancestry calculators, compare yourself to ancient and modern populations.
Raw DNA to G25 coordinates
The single most useful thing to do with your raw file is to turn it into G25 (Global25) coordinates, 25 numbers that summarise your genome for ancestry modelling. You can generate them for free, then paste them into our tools, or get precise official coordinates.
What is G25 (Global25), exactly?
Global25 was developed by geneticist Davidski (the Eurogenes blog) as a way to compare genomes on equal footing. Thousands of ancient and modern reference populations, each built from real published DNA samples, are run through a statistical technique called PCA (Principal Component Analysis), which compresses the enormous complexity of human genetic variation down to just 25 numbers per person or population. Your genome, once converted, becomes one point among thousands of others in that same 25-dimensional space.
All of our reports and calculators, from the free tools to the Focus reports to the DNA Mega-Analysis, run on this same G25 system. It is not something we invented, it is the same coordinate system used across the wider genetic genealogy community.
What "precision" actually means: similarity, not a family-tree lookup
This is the part that matters most, and it is worth being explicit about it, everything G25 produces is a measure of statistical similarity, not a literal record of your ancestors. A model works by finding the mix of reference populations that best reproduces your 25 coordinates, and reporting how close that reconstruction gets, mathematically, using a distance measurement. A close distance means your DNA looks like that population's typical genetic signature. It does not mean we found a specific great-great-grandparent, checked a birth record, or traced a name. It is pattern-matching against reference data, nothing more, nothing less, and that is true everywhere on this site, in every report and every calculator.
You will see this distance reported everywhere as a fit quality, roughly:
- GREAT (distance below ~0.02): a very close, statistically strong match.
- GOOD (~0.02-0.03): a solid, reliable match.
- FAIR (~0.03-0.045): a looser match, treat the percentages as indicative rather than precise.
- DISTANT (above ~0.045): the model does not fit well, the underlying percentages are not reliable for this section.
A GREAT fit is not proof, and a DISTANT fit is not necessarily a wrong result, it just means the specific reference populations offered for that particular test are not a close statistical match for your DNA. We show the honest fit quality every time rather than hiding it, so you know how much weight to put on any given number.
Want the full picture?
If you would rather get a complete, interpreted breakdown instead of running tools one by one, our reports take your raw DNA and do it all:
- Advanced Ancestry Report, 2,600+ populations, ancient & modern models, haplogroups, AI interpretation (16€).
- DNA Mega-Analysis, the most complete report, everything in one PDF (25€).
- Raíces, a report built for Latin American ancestry (16€).
Frequently asked questions
What is raw DNA data?
It is the plain text file (.txt/.csv, usually zipped) your test company generates, listing the SNPs in your genome and the letters you carry. It is the raw data behind your ancestry results, and it is yours to download.
Why should I download my raw DNA?
To go beyond your company's report: free ethnicity and ancestry tools, G25 coordinates, haplogroups, traits and deeper reports, all from one file you own.
How do I get my raw DNA from 23andMe or AncestryDNA?
Log in, open your DNA settings, click "Download raw data", confirm, and save the .zip. Use the company buttons above for exact steps.
How do I turn raw DNA into G25 coordinates?
Generate them from your raw file, you can do it for free, then paste them into the ancestry and ethnicity tools.
Is uploading my raw DNA safe?
Free tools run in your browser (no upload). Paid reports process your file automatically and delete it immediately after, never seen by a human.
Does a GREAT fit mean the ancestry is confirmed?
No. Every G25 result measures statistical similarity between your genome and reference populations, not a literal record of ancestors. A GREAT fit means a very close mathematical match, not a confirmed name, date, or specific ancestor.