AncestryDNA file guide
How to download your AncestryDNA raw DNA data
Sign in to Ancestry and open DNA Settings → Download or delete → Download DNA Data. Save the original raw-data ZIP privately and do not confuse it with a family-tree or account export.
Steps checked against Ancestry on 26 August 2026Download it step by step
- 1
Open DNA Settings
Sign in to Ancestry, open your AncestryDNA results, and go to the DNA settings page for the test whose file you need.
- 2
Find Download or delete
In DNA Settings, open the section labeled Download or delete.
- 3
Choose Download DNA Data
Select Download DNA Data—not a family-tree GEDCOM, account-data archive, printed ethnicity estimate, or PDF.
- 4
Complete the account check
Follow the identity or security confirmation shown in your account. The exact prompt can vary by account and location.
- 5
Keep the original download unchanged
Save the raw-data ZIP in a private location. DNA Layer can accept the original archive, so do not edit, unzip, or resave its genotype table first.
Choose the DNA export, not another Ancestry download
Ancestry accounts can hold family trees, historical records, photos, account data, and DNA results. Only Download DNA Data produces the genotype file DNA Layer can read. A GEDCOM contains genealogy records; a printed result or screenshot contains presentation, not the underlying marker rows.
Protect the copy after it leaves Ancestry
Ancestry’s current FAQ and terms both state that a downloaded copy is no longer protected by Ancestry’s security measures and becomes the user’s responsibility. Store it somewhere private, avoid emailing it casually, and review a service’s retention and secondary-use terms before any upload.
DNA Layer reads the original archive locally in the browser and does not retain it. Read the AncestryDNA and DNA Layer privacy comparisonor use the broader private-analysis checklist.
What DNA Layer can use from the file
The export contains calls from the markers AncestryDNA tested. DNA Layer can match supported calls to curated evidence, show which health areas the file can support, and keep limitations beside each finding. It cannot infer positions that were not tested or turn a consumer array into clinical sequencing.
Important findings can require confirmation before treatment, medication, screening, or reproductive decisions. See how raw DNA interpretation works.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the AncestryDNA raw-data download?
Ancestry’s current FAQ directs users to DNA Settings, then Download or delete, then Download DNA Data. Make sure you have opened the settings for the correct DNA test if your account manages more than one.
Is an AncestryDNA raw file the same as a family-tree export?
No. A family tree normally exports as a GEDCOM file. The DNA export contains machine-readable genotype calls generated from the lab sample. DNA Layer needs the DNA Data export, not the family tree, ethnicity page, or account archive.
Can DNA Layer use the AncestryDNA ZIP directly?
Yes. Keep the raw download in its original form and upload that archive. DNA Layer reads the original locally in the browser, matches supported markers, and does not retain the raw file.
Can an AncestryDNA raw file diagnose a condition?
No. It contains calls for the markers tested by the consumer array, not comprehensive clinical sequencing. Important findings can be false positive or incomplete and may need confirmation through an appropriate clinical laboratory.