# Data manifest template

URL: https://aidataforsale.com/templates/data-manifest-template
Publisher: AI Data For Sale (Marketing Signals Ltd)
Updated: 2026-11-10

A free CSV template for describing a dataset to AI buyers without sharing it: volumes, date ranges, rights basis, personal information and de-identification.

Describe what you hold, field by field, so buyers can judge interest without seeing a single record.

## In short

- A data manifest lists each dataset with its volume, dates, source, rights basis and privacy handling.
- It lets buyers assess interest and price before any sample is shared.
- The same manifest becomes the schedule to your license agreement.

## Downloads

- Download the manifest (CSV): free, unlocked with an email address at https://aidataforsale.com/templates/data-manifest-template

## The fields

| Field | What to enter |
| --- | --- |
| dataset_id | A short unique ID, such as DS-01 |
| name | Plain name: "Support tickets 2017 to 2025" |
| description | One or two sentences on what the data is |
| source_system | Where it lives: Zendesk, Slack, GitHub, file share |
| record_type | Ticket, message, file, recording, commit |
| record_count | Approximate number of records |
| size_gb | Approximate size |
| date_from, date_to | Date range |
| languages | Languages present |
| created_by | Employees, customers, contractors, users |
| rights_basis | Why you can license it: created by staff, terms of service, consent |
| personal_info | What personal information it contains |
| deidentification | Planned method |
| exclusions | What will be removed |
| format | Export format |
| sample_available | Whether a redacted sample can be prepared |
| notes | Anything a buyer should know |

## How to fill it in

Count from system reports rather than exports, so nothing leaves your systems yet. Ranges are fine. Be candid about personal information and restrictions: buyers discount for surprises far more than for known issues.

Read the full guide: [how to build a data manifest](https://aidataforsale.com/learn/how-to-build-a-data-manifest).

## Read next

- [How to build a data manifest](https://aidataforsale.com/learn/how-to-build-a-data-manifest)
- [Data manifest (glossary)](https://aidataforsale.com/glossary/data-manifest)
- [List your data with us](https://aidataforsale.com/list-your-data)

## Questions

### Do I need to export data to fill in a manifest?

No. Use counts and dates from system reports. The point of a manifest is to describe data before anything is moved.

## Sources

- [Gebru et al.: Datasheets for Datasets (Communications of the ACM)](https://arxiv.org/abs/1803.09010)