Download your file step by step
The download is free. AncestryDNA changes its menus from time to time: if a label differs, search its help pages for "download raw data".
- Sign in to Ancestry, open the DNA tab, then your DNA results summary.
- Click Settings, at the top right of the DNA page.
- In the Download DNA data section, start the download, enter your password and confirm.
- Ancestry sends a confirmation e-mail: click the link in it, then download the .zip.
What is inside the file
A .zip containing one tab-separated .txt file with five columns: the rs number, the chromosome, the position, then your two alleles in separate columns (for example A and G). A 0 means the chip could not read that position. Files in our sample listed about 680,000 positions.
What our analysis can read in a AncestryDNA file
We checked 25 AncestryDNA files with our reader, counting only which variants were present and keeping no personal data. The typical file (the median) contained 94 of the 118 variants our nutrition reports read, or 80%. The range was 68 to 99: older and newer chip versions read different lists.
| Variant | What it is about | Present in |
|---|---|---|
| MTHFR C677T (rs1801133) | folate use | 25 of 25 files |
| CYP1A2 (rs762551) | caffeine clearance | 24 of 25 files |
| MCM6 / LCT (rs4988235) | lactose digestion in adults | 25 of 25 files |
| FTO (rs9939609) | appetite and weight tendency | 24 of 25 files |
| GC (rs2282679) | vitamin D transport | 25 of 25 files |
| VDR (rs1544410) | vitamin D receptor | 25 of 25 files |
| HFE C282Y (rs1800562) | iron absorption | 24 of 25 files |
| ACTN3 R577X (rs1815739) | muscle power (Sport report) | 25 of 25 files |
All eight variants in the table were present in nearly every AncestryDNA file in our sample.
When a variant is missing from your file, the report says so instead of guessing.
Keep it private
Ancestry lets you delete your DNA results from the same DNA settings page. Download your raw file first if you want to keep a copy: deleting the account does not delete the copy you saved.
Wherever you use your file, keep your own copy in an encrypted folder, do not send it by e-mail and delete copies you no longer need. Our free test reads the file in your browser without sending it to us; for paid reports the file is used to build the report and then deleted, as described in our privacy policy.
What to do next
- Start free: the food-intolerance test runs in your browser and shows how many of the full report's variants your file contains.
- Go further: the reports turn each notable variant into concrete actions, with the references behind them. Compare the reports.
- Understand the basics: our raw DNA data guide covers formats and limits for every provider.