What is metadata?Metadata provides contextual information about your samples, such as:
Best Practices for Metadata Upload
- Collection details (e.g., date, location, method)
- Sample type (e.g., stool, soil, wastewater)
- Experimental variables (e.g., treatment groups, timepoints)
- Demographic details (e.g., age, sex, BMI, clinical data)

- Consistent Identifiers: Ensure your metadata variables are consistent across groups
- Comprehensive Details: Include as much metadata as possible to support robust downstream analyses.
- Regular Updates: Keep your metadata files up-to-date, especially for longitudinal studies.
- Group Wide-Ranging Continuous Variables: if you have a wide-ranging numerical value for metadata (e.g., ages ranging from 0-60), consider grouping them into categories (Age: 0-18years, 19-39 years, 40-60years). Pick relevant ranges according to your study.
Video walkthrough of Metadata import and generating comparative analyses using it
Adding your Metadata

Editing Single-Sample Metadata

Editing Multi-Sample Metadata by Template Batching
When Editing Metadata for multiple samplesFilling up the Metadata CSV Upload Template Form:
At the upload stage, you will be asked to download a Metadata CSV Form for all of your samples. The form is in long format with columns representing your different samples and rows representing your metadata fields. The first two rows needs to stay constant and are not modifiable. From Third row till Fifteenth row represents system metadata fields which are optional fields to fill out if its relevant to your project. Fields that needs to be filled out for custom metadata are- Second Column and Fifteenth row onwards:- Custom Metadata Field Label without any special characters and spaces
- Third Column and Fifteenth row onwards - Custom Metadata Data Type. It can be either “Text” or “Decimal” (Numbers or Numerics)
- Fifteen Column and Onwards - Custom Metadata values for your respective samples

Navigating to the Metadata & Cohorts Menu:
Metadata & Cohorts Menu will allow you to- filter your dashboard view using custom metadata fields you uploaded for your samples
- Add tags to your samples for filtering your dashboard view
- Add Additional Metadata fields for your samples from the dashboard view
- Generate Comparatives by splitting cohorts automatically based on your uploaded metadata and folder structures as well.
