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Create your first sample

Create the item

  1. Click Samples in the top menu.
  2. Click Add an item. A dialog opens.
  3. Type an ID for the sample, for example 2026-01-15-LFP-01. Or tick generate automatically and datalab picks one for you.
  4. Leave Type as sample. The other choice here is cell.
  5. Check Date Created. It defaults to now. Change it if you made the sample earlier.
  6. Type a Name. This is a short description, such as "LiFePO4, ball-milled 2 h".
  7. Click Submit.

datalab creates the item and adds it to the samples table. Click its row to open it.

The dialog has some optional fields. You can skip them for now and fill them in later.

Field What it does
Insert into collection Adds the new item to one or more collections.
Copy from existing sample Starts the new item as a copy of an old one. Useful for a series of similar samples.
Share with groups Lets members of a group see the item. See Permissions.
Additional creators Adds colleagues as co-owners. They can then edit the item too.

Rules for item IDs

An item ID:

  • can contain letters, numbers, dashes (-) and underscores (_),
  • cannot start or end with a dash or underscore,
  • is between 1 and 40 characters long,
  • must not already be in use on your instance.

You cannot change an item ID later

Choose it with care. If you get it wrong, create a new item with the right ID and delete the old one.

Agree a naming scheme with your group

You will type and read item IDs all day. Agree a scheme early, before the instance fills up. Many groups use your initials plus a number, such as jb-042, or date first, such as 2026-01-15-LFP-01. Instruments that send files to datalab automatically also rely on the ID. See Attach files.

Item IDs and refcodes

Every item has two identifiers. People mix them up, so it is worth learning the difference now.

Item ID Refcode
Chosen by You, or generated for you The server
Can be changed No No
Format Anything that follows the rules above Your prefix, a colon, six capital letters
Unique Within your instance Across all instances
Example 2026-01-15-LFP-01 grey:ABCDEF
Best for Everyday use, labels, file names Permanent links, papers, other systems

The refcode prefix is set by your administrator and is different on every instance. This means two instances will not hand out the same refcode.

You can open any item by its refcode at https://<your instance>/items/<refcode>. This link keeps working even if the item is moved into a different collection or renamed.

Fill in the details

Open your new sample. The Sample Information panel shows these fields. Click on a field to edit it.

Name
A short, readable description. It appears in tables and search results.
Date Created
When the sample was made.
Refcode
Read-only. Assigned by the server.
Location
Where the sample is kept, such as "Glovebox 2". datalab suggests locations that have been used before.
Status
Where the sample is in its life: active, planned, completed, failed, disposed or other.
Collections
The collections this item belongs to.
Creators
The people who own this item. Creators can edit it.
Description
Free-form notes. You can format text, add tables and insert images. You can also mention another item by typing @ followed by its ID. This creates a clickable link.

Below that, Substance Information holds the chemical formula. Synthesis Information records what the sample was made from. You will use that in Link items together.

Remember to press Save (or Ctrl+S) when you are done.