gnomancer

Get your raw DNA data

Every major testing company lets you download the raw genotype file they built your results from. It is yours, it is free, and it is the only input gnomancer needs. Here is how to get it from each one, as of November 2026. Menus move; when they do, the official help link under each heading is the source of truth.

AncestryDNA23andMeMyHeritageFamilyTreeDNALivingDNAWhat to do with the file
Do all of this on a computer, not the phone app. Keep the downloaded file somewhere private and backed up; it is the most personal file you own. You do not need to unzip it: gnomancer reads the zip directly.

AncestryDNA

  1. Sign in at ancestry.com on a computer and open the DNA menu, then your DNA results.
  2. Click Settings (the gear icon, top right of your results page).
  3. Find Download DNA data and click Download. Be careful: the Delete test results option sits right next to it.
  4. Re-enter your Ancestry password and confirm. Ancestry emails you a confirmation link; it can take up to an hour.
  5. Open the email, click Confirm data download, then Download DNA raw data. The link in the email expires after 7 days.

You get a zip file named dna-data-YYYY-MM-DD.zip containing AncestryDNA.txt, about 18 MB unzipped with roughly 665,000 lines.

Official help: Ancestry Support: Downloading DNA data

23andMe

  1. Sign in at 23andme.com on a computer, click your name (top right) and choose Settings.
  2. Scroll to 23andMe Data and click View.
  3. Under Raw Data, choose Download Raw Data. Pick the plain raw genotype data, not the "imputed" or "phased" variants if offered.
  4. Confirm the request. 23andMe prepares the file and emails you when it is ready: often within a day, sometimes up to a few weeks for US accounts. You can also view the data on screen at once under Browse Raw Data.
  5. Download the zip when the email arrives.

You get genome_Your_Name_v5_Full_YYYYMMDDhhmmss.zip (the chip version number, v3 to v5, is in the name) containing a tab-separated text file.

Official help: 23andMe Customer Care: Accessing and downloading your raw data

If you are considering deleting your 23andMe account, download the file first. Deletion is permanent and the data goes with it.

MyHeritage

  1. Sign in at myheritage.com on a computer or Android device (downloads do not work on iPhone or iPad).
  2. Hover over the DNA tab and choose Manage DNA kits.
  3. On the right of your kit, click the three dots and choose Download kit.
  4. Follow the prompts; MyHeritage may ask you to confirm by email and enter a two-factor code.
  5. Download the file. The link is valid for 24 hours; if it expires, repeat the steps.

You get a zip containing a CSV named like MyHeritage_raw_dna_data.csv. Only the kit's manager can download it, and kits that were uploaded to MyHeritage from another company cannot be downloaded again: go back to the original company.

Official help: MyHeritage Help: How do I download my raw DNA data file

FamilyTreeDNA

  1. Sign in at familytreedna.com and open your dashboard.
  2. Go to Results & Tools, then Autosomal DNA, then Download Raw Data.
  3. Choose the Build 37 Concatenated Raw Data file. It contains the autosomal and X-chromosome sites in one file. Men who have taken a Y test can also download a separate Y-SNP file; gnomancer does not need it.
  4. Download the file. It is GZIP-compressed (.csv.gz). gnomancer reads it as is; if you want to open it yourself, macOS and Linux unpack it by double-click or gunzip, Windows needs 7-Zip.

Official help: FamilyTreeDNA User Guide: Download Raw Data page

LivingDNA

  1. Sign in at livingdna.com.
  2. In the left sidebar choose Download Raw Data.
  3. Tick the consent box and choose the autosomal (family ancestry) file. mtDNA and Y-DNA files are offered separately; gnomancer needs only the autosomal one.
  4. Download the file.

Official help: LivingDNA Support: Downloading your raw data

What to do with the file

Run gnomancer on it (install instructions):

gnomancer ~/Downloads/dna-data-2026-11-02.zip

gnomancer detects the company and genome build from the file itself, so you never have to tell it which service the file came from. The report lands next to the file in a folder ending in _analysis.

Keep it safe