How to get your raw DNA data file

Download paths for the major testing providers. The file is yours; the company is storing a copy.

Overview

If you have done a consumer DNA test, the raw data file Varia needs is already sitting in your account. Most testing providers make it available for download but bury it under several clicks. This guide walks through the exact path for the major providers. The file is yours; the testing company is just storing a copy.

If you have not done a DNA test yet, the bottom of this page covers your options. Already have a file? Preview a sample Varia report with the founder's disclosed profile.

Accuracy note

DNA testing companies update their account interfaces regularly. The exact menu wording or click order may differ from what is described below if a provider has shipped a redesign since this guide was last verified. If a step looks wrong, look for a similarly-named link nearby (usually "Settings," "Privacy and data," or "Your data"), and email support@variagenome.com with the corrected path so we can update this page for the next reader.

23andMe

  1. Go to 23andme.com and sign in.
  2. Click your profile name in the top right corner.
  3. Select Settings.
  4. Scroll down to 23andMe Data and click View.
  5. Scroll to the Download Raw Data section and click Submit request.
  6. Confirm your password and your date of birth.
  7. 23andMe will email you a download link. Delivery typically takes a few hours, occasionally up to 24 hours.
  8. Click the link in the email. Download the .zip file.
  9. Either upload the .zip directly to Varia, or unzip it first; Varia accepts both.

The file looks like genome_Firstname_Lastname_v5_Full_YYYYMMDDHHMMSS.zip.

AncestryDNA

  1. Go to ancestry.com and sign in.
  2. Click DNA in the top navigation.
  3. Click DNA Results Summary (or your kit name).
  4. Click Settings in the upper right.
  5. In the Actions section, click Download Raw DNA Data.
  6. Enter your password and click Continue.
  7. Ancestry will email a confirmation link. Open the email and click Confirm Data Download.
  8. Return to the same Settings page. The Download Raw DNA Data link will now show a Download DNA Raw Data button. Click it and save the .zip.
  9. Upload the .zip directly to Varia, or extract the .txt inside and upload that.

MyHeritage

  1. Go to myheritage.com and sign in.
  2. Hover over DNA in the top navigation and click Manage DNA kits.
  3. Find your kit in the list. Click the three-dot menu on the right side of the row.
  4. Click Download raw DNA data.
  5. Click Continue through the warning screen.
  6. MyHeritage will email a confirmation link. Open the email and click the link.
  7. Return to the kits page, click the three-dot menu again, and click Download raw DNA data. The download button will now be active.
  8. Save the .zip and upload it to Varia.

Nebula Genomics, Dante Labs, Sequencing.com, and other WGS providers

Most consumer genomics tools either reject Whole Genome Sequencing data outright or require uploading a multi-gigabyte BAM or CRAM alignment file to a server through a time-limited cloud-link, with multi-hour server-side processing latency. Varia accepts your variants-only VCF directly, processes it inside your browser, and returns the scan in seconds. WGS is a first-class input here, not an edge case.

If you have whole-genome sequencing from a clinical or direct-to-consumer WGS provider, your file is usually a .vcf or .vcf.gz. Most providers offer a direct download link from your account dashboard.

Two notes specific to WGS files:

  • Varia accepts both bgzipped (.vcf.gz) and uncompressed (.vcf) files. Either works.
  • If your provider delivered a "variants-only" VCF (which is typical for clinical WGS), Varia handles the reference inference for positions not in your file. The /the-genome page explains how this works.

If you have access to a research-grade WGS file from a sequencing project, the same applies.

What if I haven't done a DNA test yet?

Three reasonable options, in order of price:

  • 23andMe Health + Ancestry ($199 retail, frequently $99 on sale): chip-based test, ~600K to 900K positions, covers everything Varia analyzes. Lowest barrier to entry.
  • AncestryDNA ($99 retail, frequently $59 on sale): chip-based test, similar coverage. No health report from Ancestry itself, but the raw file works in Varia identically.
  • Whole Genome Sequencing (Nebula, Dante, Sequencing.com, $200 to $400 typical range; clinical-grade WGS through a provider runs higher): captures common variants, rare variants, structural variants, and positions Varia does not currently report but may report in future database updates. Most future-proof option.

If you are weighing the choice, your Varia rescans are always free, so you can re-read your existing file against future database updates without additional cost. Switching from a chip test to WGS later is a one-time decision (re-running your new file through the free scan) rather than a recurring purchase.

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