UCSC Genome Browser Table Browser Tutorial

The UCSC Table Browser is a flexible tool for accessing and exporting data from genome browser tracks. This tutorial introduces the Table Browser interface and demonstrates how to:

Learning materials

Table Browser Overview

A screenshot highlighting the layout and key elements of the Table Browser interface.

Guided Walkthrough

Step-by-step guidance for using the Table Browser to extract data for your analysis.

Interactive Tutorial

An in-browser walkthrough that introduces the Table Browser interface and workflow.

Table Browser Overview

Guided Walkthrough

Step 1: Select Your Assembly

Use the Clade, Genome, and Assembly menus to choose your reference genome.

  • Clade: Major organism group (e.g., Mammal, Vertebrate)
  • Genome: Species (e.g., Human, Mouse)
  • Assembly: Specific genome version (e.g., hg38)

Step 2: Select a Track

Choose the data track you want to work with. The Table Browser will pre-select your most recent track, but you can change it.

  • Tracks are grouped similarly to those on the Genome Browser main page.
  • Use "All Tracks" for comprehensive options.

Step 3: Select the Table

Each track may have one or more associated tables that store the data. Use the Table menu to select the relevant one.

Click the to explore:

  • Table layout
  • Related tables
  • Joinable fields

Use "All Tables" to list all tables for the assembly.

Step 4: Define a Genomic Region

You can limit the output to a specific region or get data genome-wide. Whole-genome output may be unavailable for some tracks due to the large amount of data.

Options include:

  • Entering a position (e.g., chr7:117199645-117356025)
  • Typing a gene name and clicking
  • Using to upload/paste multiple coordinates

Step 5: Select Output Format

Use the Output format dropdown to choose what type of file or fields you want returned.

Options include:

  • All fields from the table
  • Selected fields only
  • File formats like BED, GTF, or custom tracks

Step 6: Submit Your Query

Click to execute your query and view/download results. You can download results by entering a filename in the output filename field before clicking .

You can also click to preview:

  • Record count
  • Base coverage
  • Item size ranges
  • Time to compute

Additional Help