California Open Data Publisher's Handbook
Documents and ResourcesCA Open Data Portal
  • Introduction
  • ☑️1. Review the Pre-Publishing Checklist
  • 📈2. Prepare Data for Publishing
  • 📙3. Create Metadata and Data Dictionary
  • 🔼4. Upload the Dataset
  • 👍5. Get Final Publishing Approval
  • 🔄6. Update and Maintain the Dataset
  • 📣Feedback & Help
  • Reference
    • The What and Why of Open Data
    • Open Data Portals Managed by State Entities
    • Data Preparation and Formatting Guidance
      • Column Headers and Order
      • Date and Time
      • Text
      • Numeric
      • Addresses
    • Metadata Field Definitions
    • Data Dictionary: What to Include
    • Detailed Steps for Uploading Data to the Portal
    • Email Templates
    • Glossary
    • Acknowledgements
    • Version and Changelog
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On this page
  • 1. Create dataset on the open data portal & add initial metadata
  • 2. Upload data resources
  • 3. If applicable, upload non-data related resources (guides, documentation, etc)
  • 4. Add field definitions to your data
  • 5. Review your dataset metadata
  • 6. Review your resources
  • 7. Share the private dataset with your team for review and approval
  • 8. Make public after approval

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  1. Reference

Detailed Steps for Uploading Data to the Portal

PreviousData Dictionary: What to IncludeNextEmail Templates

Last updated 1 year ago

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Referenced from:

Below are the detailed steps broken up into the following sections:

Experience errors during the upload process?

Reach out to the .

1. Create dataset on the open data portal & add initial metadata

Step
Screenshot

Click on the My Datasets tab

Click the button labeled Add Dataset

Ensure the field License is entered as Other (Public Domain)

Ensure the Visibility is set to Private. This is the default.

Click the button labeled Next: Add Data

2. Upload data resources

Step
Screenshot

After clicking Next Add Data in the previous step, you will see an interface to add files by uploading or linking

Click the button labeled Upload

Select your data file and click Open. Data files must be in an open format like CSV.

Do not enter anything in Format. This will be detected by the system.

If you have another data file to upload, click the button labeled Save & add another. Repeat the steps starting at the top of this section.

If you want to add more non-data resources like documentation, click the button labeled Save & add another and skip to the next section where you'll continue adding non-data files.

If you are done adding data files and have no other files to add in the next section, click the button labeled Finish

3. If applicable, upload non-data related resources (guides, documentation, etc)

Step
Screenshot

If you do not have additional non-data resources to add, you can skip this section

Click the button labeled Upload

Select your non-data file and click Open. If you are providing additional reference documentation, PDF is the best format to provide this in.

Add a Title and Description

Do not enter anything in Format. This will be detected by the system.

If you have another non-data file to upload, click the button labeled Save & add another. Repeat the steps starting at the top of this section.

If you are done adding files, click the button labeled Finish.

4. Add field definitions to your data

Step
Screenshot

After completing your data and non-data resource uploads, you will be taken to a private view of your dataset. You will see the dataset denoted as Private.

Click the button labeled Manage in the upper right

Click the Resources tab

Click on a data resource (e.g. CSV) to which you want to add a data dictionary

Click on the Data Dictionary tab

For each data field, copy information over from the Metadata Template workbook in the Data Dictionary Template sheet:

  • Copy Field Label over to Label

  • Copy Field Definition over to Description

Click the button labeled Save at the bottom

If you have multiple data files, repeat for each data file by clicking on the button labeled All resources at the top. Then select the next file to which you'd like to add data definitions.

5. Review your dataset metadata

Step
Screenshot

From the page listing all of your resources, click View Dataset in the upper right

Review your dataset description for human readability and grammar

Check that your license is specified as Other (Public Domain) at the bottom of the left-most content

Check the accuracy of the other metadata in the Additional Info table at the bottom

If you catch any errors or omissions, click Manage in the upper right, which will take you back to the form entry for metadata

Make changes in the metadata form and click Update Dataset at the bottom

6. Review your resources

Step
Screenshot

From your private dataset page, scroll down to the section labeled Data and Resources

Click on each resource, which will take you to a preview

If you find any errors or omissions or need to re-upload your resource, click Manage in the upper right

Go back to the private dataset page and continue to check each resource until done

7. Share the private dataset with your team for review and approval

All reviewers must have accounts on data.ca.gov to review the private dataset

  1. You can copy the link to your private dataset and send to the reviewers and work with your Data Coordinator on final publishing approval

  2. Reviewers must log in with their accounts to see the private dataset

8. Make public after approval

Step
Screenshot

Click on the My Datasets tab

Click on the dataset in your list you want to make public

Click Manage in the upper right

Set Visibility to Public

Click Update Dataset at the bottom of the page

Your dataset is now public

Enter metadata by copying from the Metadata Template to the relevant fields. . Fields are ordered in the template the same as they are in the interface.

Add a Title and Description. See guidance on and .

If you haven't checked, make sure all reviewers have access to publishing within your organization on the portal. If you need to request access, .

After receiving publishing approval,

contact the open data team
🔼4. Upload the Dataset
open data team at the Department of Technology
Create dataset on the open data portal & add initial metadata
Upload data resources
If applicable, upload non-data related resources (guides, documentation, etc)
Add field definitions to your data
Review your dataset metadata
Review your resources
Share the private dataset with your team for review and approval
Make public after approval
Login to the open data portal
Step 3 in this handbook covers the creation of metadata
login to the open data portal
writing titles
descriptions