> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.dataerai.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Import from ClinicalTrials.gov

> Search ClinicalTrials.gov for clinical studies and import them into a project as metadata-first assets — without copying the record into Dataerai. Each study's Download fetches its machine-readable record straight from ClinicalTrials.gov.

Dataerai can pull clinical studies from [ClinicalTrials.gov](https://clinicaltrials.gov/) — the U.S. National Institutes of Health registry of clinical studies — into one of your projects as **metadata-first assets**. The study's metadata — title, brief summary, lead sponsor, start date, status — is copied into Dataerai so it's searchable and shareable alongside your own data. The **record is not copied into your storage**: clicking **Download** on an imported asset fetches the study's machine-readable record directly from ClinicalTrials.gov.

<Note>
  Imported assets are [metadata-first](/data/metadata-first-assets): they describe and link to data that lives on ClinicalTrials.gov. Nothing is stored in your Dataerai allocation, so importing doesn't consume your quota.
</Note>

One ClinicalTrials.gov **study** (an NCT id such as `NCT00000102`) imports as **one asset**. ClinicalTrials.gov is a *registry* — the study **record itself is the data**, not a bundle of files — so the asset's **Download** fetches the study record as a structured JSON file from the public API (`https://clinicaltrials.gov/api/v2/studies/<nctId>?format=json`), served anonymously over HTTPS, rather than opening the human-facing study web page.

## Search ClinicalTrials.gov

Open the **Import from ClinicalTrials.gov** page and enter a search term, then **Search**.

* The search is free text and matches study titles and content — try `diabetes`, `melanoma`, or a sponsor name.
* Results show **Title**, **Type**, and **Status** (a study has no file count to show, so its recruitment status is surfaced instead), with the NCT id and start date under each title.
* Use **Per page** to trade clicks for a longer page; the result count reflects the full match set.

<Note>
  ClinicalTrials.gov pages deeper results with an opaque cursor rather than a numeric offset, so only the first page of results is addressable from the import screen. Narrow your search term to surface the studies you want on page one.
</Note>

## Select and import

<Steps>
  <Step title="Select studies">
    Tick the studies you want — click a row, or press Space or Enter on it, to toggle its checkbox. The header checkbox selects or clears everything on the current page; your selection is kept as you page through results.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose the destination project">
    Paste the UUID of the project that should own the new assets into the **Import into project** field.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Import">
    Click **Import**. A single **Import result** panel summarizes how many studies were imported (and assets created), plus any that failed and why.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  **Download** fetches the study's record as JSON directly from ClinicalTrials.gov's public API — the machine-readable record that *is* the study's data. The bytes are served anonymously over HTTPS and never pass through your Dataerai storage.
</Note>

<Warning>
  Because imported assets point at ClinicalTrials.gov rather than your own storage, their records are only available while the study is. If you need a durable copy under your control, download the record and [upload it](/data/upload) as a regular asset instead.
</Warning>

## Next steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Metadata-first assets" icon="file-plus" href="/data/metadata-first-assets">
    How assets that describe data elsewhere work in Dataerai.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Import from Zenodo" icon="download" href="/data/import-zenodo">
    Pull public records from Zenodo the same metadata-first way.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Organize into collections" icon="folder-tree" href="/organize/collections">
    Group imported studies alongside your own data.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Search & discover" icon="search" href="/discover/search">
    Find imported studies by title, type, and metadata.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>