23andMe raw data: the complete guide to reading and analyzing it

The complete guide · Updated June 2026

What is 23andMe raw data?

When 23andMe processes your sample, it doesn't sequence your entire genome. Instead it uses a genotyping chip to read roughly 600,000+ specific positions in your DNA called SNPs — single-nucleotide polymorphisms, the spots where one letter of the genetic code commonly varies between people. Your raw data is the complete table of every one of those markers: a plain text file you can download and analyze yourself.

The reports you see inside your 23andMe account interpret only a small, curated subset of those markers. The raw file contains all of them — which is why understanding 23andMe raw data lets you go much further than the standard reports. It is not a whole-genome sequence (that's a separate, far larger and more expensive test), but for looking up established variants, 600,000+ markers is plenty.

How to download your 23andMe raw data

The download is done on the 23andMe website, not the mobile app. In short: log in on a computer, open Settings, find the 23andMe Data section, click Download Raw Data, verify your identity, and 23andMe will email you a link to a .txt file (sometimes inside a .zip).

For the full walkthrough with screenshots of each step, see our dedicated guide: How to download your 23andMe raw data.

What's inside the 23andMe raw data file

Open the file in any text editor and you'll see a short header followed by one tab-separated row per marker. Each row has four columns:

• rsid — the reference ID for the marker (e.g. rs429358)
• chromosome — which chromosome the marker sits on (1–22, X, Y, or MT)
• position — the exact coordinate of that marker on the chromosome
• genotype — the two letters you inherited at that spot, one from each parent (e.g. AG)

A single line might read rs429358 19 44908684 TC. On its own that's unreadable — the meaning lives in what's known about each rsid. To read 23andMe raw data in any useful way, you need a tool or reference that translates those genotypes into plain-language findings.

How to interpret 23andMe raw data

There are three broad ways to interpret 23andMe raw data. You can look up individual markers by hand using public databases like SNPedia or ClinVar — accurate but slow. You can upload the file to a third-party web tool that generates a report — fast, but it means sending your genome to someone else's servers. Or you can analyze it on your own device, so the file never leaves your phone.

Each route has real trade-offs in cost, depth, and privacy. For a side-by-side comparison of the main options, see the best tools to interpret 23andMe raw data.

What 23andMe raw data can reveal about your health

Because the raw file covers so many markers, tools can check variants the standard reports skip — across disease risk, carrier status for inherited conditions, pharmacogenomics (how you metabolize certain medications), and everyday traits. The value depends entirely on how well-studied a given marker is, and on remembering that most common conditions are shaped by hundreds of genes plus lifestyle, not a single SNP.

For a fuller picture of which health signals are meaningful and which are noise, see what 23andMe raw data reveals about your health.

Specific markers people look up

A handful of variants drive most raw-data searches. Each deserves its own context, so we've covered them in depth:

• MTHFR — variants linked to folate metabolism, and why the results are often over-interpreted. See MTHFR in your 23andMe raw data.
• APOE4 — the marker associated with Alzheimer's risk, and why finding it in raw data calls for real caution. See APOE4 in your 23andMe raw data.
• BRCA — breast and ovarian cancer variants, and the serious limits of relying on a genotyping chip for them. See BRCA in your 23andMe raw data.
• Hemochromatosis — the HFE iron-overload variants and what carrier status actually means. See hemochromatosis in your 23andMe raw data.
• Blood type — how to estimate your ABO and Rh type from raw markers. See finding your blood type in 23andMe raw data.

Accuracy and limitations of 23andMe raw data

This is the most important section to read. 23andMe raw data is generated for research and educational purposes — it is not clinically validated and is not a diagnostic test. Genotyping chips have known error rates, and a notable share of individual "risk" markers flagged in raw data turn out to be false positives when checked with a proper clinical method.

A few specific caveats:

• The chip reads only the exact positions it was designed for — it can miss many disease-relevant variants entirely, so a "normal" result is not an all-clear.
• Single markers are weak predictors for most common conditions, which are polygenic and shaped heavily by environment and lifestyle.
• Raw genotype calls can contain occasional errors that no consumer tool can catch.

Treat anything you find as a starting point for conversation, not a conclusion. If you see a result that worries you — particularly around a serious condition like cancer risk or a degenerative disease — do not act on it. Confirm it with proper clinical-grade testing and discuss it with a doctor or a certified genetic counselor before drawing any conclusions.

Privacy and the safe way to analyze your raw data

Most 23andMe interpretation tools ask you to upload your raw file to their servers. That means handing your genetic data — the one piece of information about you that can never be changed or revoked — to another company, subject to its policies, its security, and whatever happens to it if the company is breached or sold. Uploading your genome is a one-way decision, and it's worth pausing before you make it.

There is a safer path: analyze the file on your own device, so it never leaves your phone.

Frequently asked questions

What can my 23andMe raw data tell me?

It can let tools look up well-studied genetic markers across health risk, carrier status, medication response, and traits — far more than the standard 23andMe reports. It cannot diagnose anything, and it misses variants the chip wasn't designed to read, so treat results as educational, not definitive.

Is 23andMe raw data accurate?

It's accurate enough for ancestry and many traits, but it is not clinically validated. Genotyping chips have known error rates, and individual health-risk markers can be false positives. Any serious finding should be confirmed with clinical-grade testing and a healthcare professional.

Is it free to analyze 23andMe raw data?

Downloading your own raw data is free, and some tools interpret it at no cost while others charge. You can also analyze it on-device with an app like Quanome instead of paying a site to process and store your genome.

Is it safe to analyze my 23andMe raw data?

It depends on the method. Uploading your raw file to a third-party server exposes your genetic data to that company's policies and security. The safest approach is to analyze the file on your own device, where it never leaves your phone.