> ## 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 NOAA NCEI

> Search the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information climate, ocean, and geophysical archive and import datasets into a project as metadata-first assets — without copying the bytes into Dataerai. Each asset's Download links straight to NCEI's data-access location.

Dataerai can pull datasets from the [NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information](https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/) (NCEI) archive into one of your projects as **metadata-first assets**. The dataset's metadata — title, DOI, type, authors, and coverage start date — is copied into Dataerai so it's searchable and shareable alongside your own data. The **files are not copied**: clicking **Download** on an imported asset links out to NCEI's data-access location for that dataset.

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

Each NCEI dataset imports as a **single asset**. NCEI's holdings are large, format-heterogeneous archives (served as directories of NetCDF, GRIB, or CSV files), so rather than enumerate every file, each dataset becomes one asset whose Download points at the dataset's data-access directory on NCEI.

## Search NOAA NCEI

Open the **Import from NOAA NCEI** page and enter a query, then click **Search**.

* The search is free text over NCEI's archive — for example `sea surface temperature`, `precipitation`, or `bathymetry`.
* Results show **Title**, **Type**, and **Files**, with the dataset ID and coverage start date under each title.
* Use **Per page** (25, 100, 500, or 1000) to trade clicks for latency.

<Note>
  Datasets whose only data access is FTP — or which expose no direct download link — are omitted from results, because the **Download** button can only follow an `http(s)` location. A page can show fewer datasets than the result count for this reason; use **Next** to see more, or refine your search.
</Note>

## Select and import

<Steps>
  <Step title="Select datasets">
    Tick the datasets you want. The header checkbox selects or clears everything on the current page; your selection is kept as you page through results. You can also click a row (or press Space or Enter on it) to toggle it.
  </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, with progress shown on the button. A single **Import result** panel then summarizes how many datasets were imported (and how many new assets were created), plus any that failed and why.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Warning>
  Because imported assets point at NOAA NCEI rather than your own storage, their files are only available while the NCEI dataset is. If you need a durable copy under your control, download the files and [upload them](/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 into a project the same way.
  </Card>

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

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