> ## 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 the Crystallography Open Database

> Search the Crystallography Open Database (COD) for crystal structures and import them into a project as metadata-first assets — without copying the bytes into Dataerai. Each structure's CIF streams straight from COD.

Dataerai can pull crystal structures from the [Crystallography Open Database](https://www.crystallography.net/cod/) (COD) — the open, public-domain collection of crystal structures of organic, inorganic, metal-organic compounds and minerals — into one of your projects as **metadata-first assets**. The structure's metadata — title, chemical formula, type, publication year, DOI — is copied into Dataerai so it's searchable and shareable alongside your own data. The **file is not copied**: clicking **Download** on an imported asset streams the structure's CIF (Crystallographic Information File) directly from COD's host.

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

One COD structure (a numeric COD id, e.g. `1009000`) imports as **one asset** with exactly **one file** — its CIF. All COD structures are placed in the public domain by their contributors.

## Search the Crystallography Open Database

Open the **Import from Crystallography Open Database** page and enter a search term, then **Search**.

* The search is free text — a mineral name, chemical formula, element, or author. Try `quartz`, `calcite`, or `TiO2`.
* Results show **Title**, **Type**, and **Files**, with the COD id and publication year under each title. The title is the structure's mineral or common name when COD has one, otherwise its chemical formula.
* Use **Per page** (25, 100, 500, or 1000) to trade clicks for a longer page. The page count reflects the full result set, so you can page to the last page directly.

## Select and import

<Steps>
  <Step title="Select structures">
    Tick the structures 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**. Large selections are sent in batches automatically, and a single **Import result** panel summarizes how many structures were imported (and how many new assets were created), plus any that failed and why.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Warning>
  Because imported assets point at COD rather than your own storage, their CIFs are only available while the COD structure is. If you need a durable copy under your control, download the CIF 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 structures alongside your own data.
  </Card>

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