> ## 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 OpenNeuro

> Search OpenNeuro for BIDS neuroimaging datasets and import them into a project as metadata-first assets — without copying the bytes into Dataerai. Each file streams straight from OpenNeuro over HTTPS.

Dataerai can pull neuroimaging data from [OpenNeuro](https://openneuro.org), the free, open platform for sharing BIDS-formatted datasets, into one of your projects as **metadata-first assets**. The dataset's metadata — title, description, authors, publication 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 streams that file (a NIfTI scan, a `.tsv` table, the dataset README, etc.) directly from OpenNeuro's host over HTTPS.

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

One OpenNeuro **dataset** (an accession such as `ds000001` or `ds003097`) imports as a **collection of assets — one asset per file** in the dataset, grouped under a collection named for the dataset and nested to mirror the dataset's BIDS folder structure. Each asset's file (e.g. `sub-01/anat/sub-01_T1w.nii.gz`) downloads straight from OpenNeuro. A dataset with no publicly downloadable files instead imports as a single asset that links out to the dataset's [OpenNeuro landing page](https://openneuro.org).

## Search OpenNeuro

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

* The search is free text and matches the dataset **name** — try `face`, `memory`, or `resting state`.
* Results show **Title**, **Type**, and the dataset accession and publication date under each title.
* Use **Per page** to trade clicks for a longer page, and **Next** to page through the most-recent matching datasets.

## Select and import

<Steps>
  <Step title="Select datasets">
    Tick the datasets 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 datasets were imported (and how many assets were created), plus any that failed and why.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  A single dataset can contain many files across deeply-nested subject and session folders, so importing one dataset can create many assets. Very large datasets import a capped subset of their files; the rest remain available directly on OpenNeuro (via the [OpenNeuro CLI](https://docs.openneuro.org), DataLad, or the S3 mirror).
</Note>

<Warning>
  Because imported assets point at OpenNeuro rather than your own storage, their files are only available while the OpenNeuro objects are. If you need a durable copy under your control, download the file 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 datasets alongside your own data.
  </Card>

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