Metadata is data about data or data that defines or describes other data. Metadata is additional information or documentation about your dataset that will make it easier for others to understand and put your data into context. Datasets on HDX must include certain metadata fields. The following table lists these metadata fields and provides guidance on how to fill them in. Some metadata fields are required for all datasets, and some are only required when you are ready to make the dataset public.

The metadata fields listed above are not exhaustive. They are the most common metadata fields found in agreed metadata standards. You can provide additional metadata as required. A best practice is to include a readme text file as a resource in your dataset that contains additional metadata or links to the metadata. Mention this file in the description field of the dataset so that users are aware of the additional information.

Key

Required for private datasets Required for private datasets Required for public datasets Required for public datasets Required for requestable datasets Required for requestable datasets

Resource Metadata Fields

Required for private datasetsRequired for public datasets  File Type

Use this field to specify the file type of the resource. If left blank, the system will try to deduce from file name. If the resource is a zip file containing a single set of shapefiles, then you may specify ‘ZIPPED SHAPEFILE’ to enable the geo-preview function on the resource.

Example: csv
Metadata field
Guideline for using the field
Required for private datasetsRequired for public datasetsNot required Name This field will be populated with filename of your file by default.
Not required Note Use this field to provide a concise description of the file (e.g. This file is a zip archive containing 10 excel worksheets).

Dataset Metadata Fields

Metadata field
Guideline for using the field
Required for private datasetsRequired for public datasetsRequired for requestable datasets Title of Dataset Use this field to provide a concise title for your dataset.The keywords in your dataset title are matched to the search terms users enter when looking for data in HDX. Avoid using abbreviations in the title which may not be familiar to all users. Also avoid using words such as current, latest or previous when referring to the time period (e.g Latest 3W) as these terms become misleading as the dataset ages.
Example: Afghanistan – Who does What Where
Not requiredRequired for public datasetsRequired for requestable datasets Description Use this field to provide a detailed description of the dataset. The description should expand on the location, subject matter and time period from the dataset title. For instance, you may specify the sub-national coverage of a dataset or list the indicators that are contained in the dataset. If you make use of an additional metadata file, then mention this fact in the description field. Keep the description to no more than two paragraphs. If the column headers or attributes in the dataset are not easy to interpret, you can define them here or in a separate metadata file that you upload.
Example: This dataset contains Who, What, Where (3W) data for Afghanistan. The operational presence of the various organisations (who) by sector (what) and location (where) at district level is presented. The dataset covers activities carried out in 2021. The 3W for Afghanistan is updated on an annual basis.  Please refer to the readme.txt file for complete metadata.
Required for private datasetsRequired for public datasetsRequired for requestable datasets Dataset contains sub-national data Use this field to indicate whether the dataset contains data that is disaggregated beyond the national level. The field is checked by default. Uncheck it if your data is only at the national level.
Required for private datasetsRequired for public datasetsRequired for requestable datasets Source The source of the data is the entity that has collected or generated the data. The source should not be confused with the organization that has shared the data. Use acronyms rather than full names of the source where possible. In cases where there are multiple sources, list all the sources separated by commas. Enter ‘Multiple Sources’ in this field if the list of sources is very long. Provide the complete list of sources in an additional metadata file.
Example 1: FAO
Example 2: UNICEF
Required for private datasetsRequired for public datasetsRequired for requestable datasets Organisation Use this field to select the organisation under which you are sharing the data. Your selection will be limited to the organisations where you are an administrator or editor. The dataset will appear on the organisation page of the organisation that you select, as long as it is set to public viewing (see ‘Visibility’ below).
Required for private datasetsRequired for public datasetsRequired for requestable datasets Maintainer This field includes the username of the person who added the data. It is generated automatically by the system. However, the field can be edited so that another member of the organization is listed as the maintainer of the data. This selection determines who receives messages from HDX users who have questions or comments about the dataset.This information will not be displayed to users on the website, but is available through the HDX API.
Example: myusername
Not requiredRequired for public datasetsRequired for requestable datasets Date of Dataset Use the Date of Dataset field to specify the date that the data contained in the dataset was collected. Alternatively, use the Date Range field to specify the date range that the data pertains to. You can only specify either the Date of Dataset or the the Date Range, not both.
Example 1: 31/12/2021 (Date of Dataset)
Example 2: 01/01/2021 – 31/12/2021 (Date Range)
Not requiredRequired for public datasetsRequired for requestable datasets Location Use this field to list the location(s) to which your data relates. You can select one or more locations. If your data is more or less global in nature, you may select ‘World’ as the location.
Example: Uganda
Not requiredNot requiredRequired for requestable datasets Field Names Use this field to list at least one field (column) name in your data. You can add one or more field names. Field names can be Humanitarian Exchange Language (HXL) tags.
Example 1: Admin 1 Code
Example 2: #adm1+code
Not requiredNot requiredRequired for requestable datasets File Types Use this field to list the types of the file(s) containing your data. You can add one or more file types.
Example: csv
Not required Number of Rows Use this field to indicate the number of rows in your data.
Example: 100
Required for private datasetsRequired for public datasetsNot required License Use this field to select a license under which you are sharing the data. The full set of licenses can be found here. Select ‘Multiple Licenses’ if your dataset contains data that is licensed under more than one license. In this case, the various licenses should be made explicit in an additional metadata file. Select ‘Other’ to specify terms of use that are not covered in the licenses provided through HDX.
Required for private datasetsRequired for public datasetsNot required Define License Only required if you select ‘Other’ for the license (see above). Use this field to state the terms under which you are sharing the data.
Example: Licensed under  a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. This means that the data can be used only if the source is attributed. The data can not be used for commercial purposes. Any derivative works must be shared under the same license.
Not requiredRequired for public datasetsRequired for requestable datasets Methodology Use this field to select the methodology that best describes the way the data was collected. Select ‘Other‘ if you would like to describe a methodology that is not included in the methodologies listed.
Not requiredRequired for public datasetsRequired for requestable datasets Define Methodology If you select ‘Other’ for the methodology (see above), use this field to describe the methodology that was used to collect the data.
Example: This data was collected as a combination of health ministry records and direct observation.
Not requiredRequired for public datasetsRequired for requestable datasets Update Frequency This metadata field indicates how often you expect your data to be updated and includes values like Every day and Every year as well as the following:
Live – for datasets where updates are continuous and ongoing
As needed – for datasets with an unpredictable, widely varying update frequency
Never – for datasets with data that will never be changed
We recommend you choose the nearest less frequent regular value instead of As needed or Never as this helps with our monitoring of data freshness. For example, if your data will be updated every 1-6 days, pick Every week, or if every 2 to 9 weeks, choose Every three months.
Example 1: Every week
Example 2: Every three months
Not required Caveats/Comments Use this field to provide any other pertinent information about the data. This may be issues affecting the quality of the data or limiting its fitness for use for a particular purpose (e.g. the data from one of the locations in the dataset is an estimate from a previous survey because the location was inaccessible).
Example: The admin level 2 value was used in instances where the data for admin level 3 was unavailable. This happened in 15% of admin level 3 locations, mainly in the south of the country
Not requiredNot requiredRequired for requestable datasets Tags Use this field to provide keywords to help users find your dataset. Limit the number of tags to 4 or 5.  As you type a keyword, you will be provided with a list of tags to choose from.  Add the ‘geodata’ tag if your dataset contains geographic data used in GIS systems.  Please see the full list of approved tags and let us know if you think a new tag is needed.
Example 1: health
Example 2: water sanitation and hygiene-wash

Contacting the HDX team

Contact HDX by sending an email to hdx@un.org. We will get back to you as soon as possible, usually within 24 hours.