How do I publish data?

Step 1: Register with IATI

To publish data, follow the instructions in How to register with IATI to register your organisation.

You will be asked to enter a unique identifier for your organisation when registering.

Note that publishing IATI data is separate from IATI membership. It isn't necessary to become a member to publish your data, and registering to publish is free.

Step 2: Prepare your data for initial publication

There are several publishing tools and services available to help organisations prepare their IATI data.

The two most common publishing approaches are described below.

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Situation A: You have a small number of activities to report and prefer using an online tool instead of working with XML files.

Recommendation: Use IATI Publisher or a similar third-party online tool. These tools provide a simple web interface where you can enter your data. They automatically generate and host your IATI XML files, so you don’t need to manage the technical details yourself.

How to prepare and publish data: Enter your organisation and activity details directly into the tool’s web forms. When you're ready, the tool will create your IATI data file and publish it, linking it to your organisation’s IATI Registry account. If you're using a third-party tool, follow its specific instructions for publishing.

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Situation B: You are a government department, multilateral organisation, or large non-profit, and need an automated way to publish data from internal systems.

Recommendation: develop an internal process to generate IATI data files directly from your existing systems.

How to prepare and publish data: Refer to Creating your own data files for guidance on what your files should include and how to check them before publishing. To publish, your organisation will need to store your IATI XML files in a publicly accessible online location, that you can link to from the IATI Registry.

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If neither situation applies to your organisation and you're unsure how to publish data, please contact us for support.

Step 3: Keep your data updated

Each organisation is responsible for keeping its information accurate and up to date. When updating your data, consider the following:

• Publish cumulatively: Each time you update your data, include both new and previously published information. This lets you correct or update existing records.
• Use unique activity identifiers: Each activity must have a unique IATI identifier. Don’t include information on the same activity in multiple data files.
• Never delete data: Once published, data must remain available. You may correct errors or merge activities if needed. Refer to our data removal policy if you need to remove sensitive information.

Read here about how to make your data more useful.