Open Data publishing for the Victorian public sector

If you work in the Victorian public service (VPS) you can continue to register your metadata on the VPS Data Directory, which will allow you to publish to DataVic where appropriate.

If you are not sure which group your organisation belongs to, contact DataVic for help.

Getting started

Your organisation is responsible for all data and metadata you publish on DataVic. Your organisation is bound by:
- Public Records Act 1973(opens in a new window)
- Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014(opens in a new window)
- Health Records Act 2001(opens in a new window)
- Victorian Protective Data Security Framework(opens in a new window) and Standards(opens in a new window)
- Your organisation's own data governance policies
DataVic does not check your organisation's compliance with these obligations.
If you want to publish data on data.vic.gov.au, you must:
- be an employee of a Victorian public sector organisation
- gain approval from your organisation to publish data on its behalf
- request an account using a government email address (for example, an email ending in .vic.gov.au)
The support team regularly reviews publisher accounts to make sure publishing access remains appropriate.

You do not need an account to view datasets on data.vic.gov.au. All datasets are publicly available.

Metadata definitions and requirements

Term Name	Term Definition	Required Field
Title	A meaningful and descriptive title for the dataset.	Mandatory
URL	The online location of the dataset (This URL is automatically generated based on the title and can be edited if required).	Mandatory
Aliases	If you update the URL after publishing, this field can be used to automatically redirect users.	Optional
Description	Notes on the contents, purpose and structure of the dataset and how it was collected.	Mandatory
Keywords	Significant words, phrases or terms that represent the core topics of the dataset.	Mandatory
Organisation	The organisation responsible for publishing the data.	Mandatory
Visibility	Public: Dataset is available to the public. Private: Dataset is restricted to Organisation/Custodian.	Mandatory
Category	A label used to group similar items together to help organise and find information more easily. (Select from a list)	Manadatory
License	License details giving official permission to use the dataset. (Select from a list)	Mandatory
License - other	Free text option if 'Other (Open)' is selected in the preceeding field, this field should be populated.	Conditional
Custom license link	URL link if 'Other (Open)' is selected in the preceeding field, this field should be populated.	Conditional
Created (Data Asset)	Date the dataset was first created or acquired (not the date of the metadata record was created on DataVic).	Mandatory
Update Frequency	How often the information is updated. (Select from a list)	Mandatory
Full Metadata URL	A link to a complete metadata record, if available.	Optional
Digital Twin Preview	Suitable spatial datasets can be previewed on DataVic using Digital Twin Victoria.	Optional
Personal information	Whether the dataset includes personal or health information as defined by OVIC. (Select from a list)	Mandatory
Data Custodian	The team or individual responsible for managing this dataset.	Optional
Point of Contact	Shared inbox or contact form for questions about content of the dataset.	Mandatory

Add Data

Term Name	Term Definition	Required Field
File	Link: URL of the data's location. Organisations are encouraged to host data in their own environment to maintain full control and avoid duplication. Upload: Manually uploading dataset file.	Mandatory
Name	Name of the data resource.	Mandatory
Description	Useful information explaining the content of the resource.	Optional
Format	The file type of the resource. Datasets must be made available via the web in a machine readable open format.	Mandatory
Release Date	Date the data resource was publicly released.	Optional
Temporal Coverage Start	Start date of time period the data resource covers.	Optional
Temporal Coverage End	End date of time period the data resource covers.	Optional
Data Quality Statement	Description of the quality of the data resource and any disclaimers/ limitations. (Or URL link to a separate data quality statement)	Optional
Attribution Statement	A statement that identifies the source, owner, or organisation responsible for the data, including any attribution or copyright requirements.	Optional

Publishing data

1. Log in with your authenticated account
2. Navigate to My Datasets
3. Click  + Add dataset
4. On the first page you’ll be asked to complete fields to describe your data (the metadata). Information on the metadata can be found above in Metadata Definitions and Requirements.
5. After supplying mandatory fields. Click Next: Add Data
6. Click Link or Upload and select the URL or file you wish to add to the dataset.
  1. Add a description for this file
  2. Add the file extension to the Format field
  3. You can add additional files to the dataset by clicking  Save & add another and repeating the process
7. Click the Finish button
1. Log in with an authenticated account with editor or higher permissions.
2. Navigate to My Organisations
3. Select your organisation
4. Navigate to the relevant dataset.
5. Click the Manage button.
6. Update necessary fields. Click the Update dataset button
1. Log in with an authenticated account with editor or higher permissions.
2. Navigate to My Organisations
3. Select your organisation
4. Navigate to the relevant dataset
5. Click the Manage button
6. Click the + Add new resource button
7. Click Upload and select the file you wish to add to the dataset
  1. Add a description for this file
  2. Add the (likely) 3 letter file extension to the Format field
  3. You can add additional files to the dataset by clicking Save & add another and repeating the process
  4. Click the Add button
1. Log in with an authenticated account with editor or higher permissions
2. Navigate to My Organisations
3. Select your organisation
4. Navigate to the relevant dataset
5. Click the Manage button
6. Click the Resources tab
7. Resources can now be reordered by dragging and dropping into a new position
8. Click the Save order button
Deleting a resource will mean that it is no longer available for use. If you are planning to remove a resource and replace it with an updated version, we recommend overwriting the resource. Updating a resource will mean its unique identifier will not change.
1. Log in with an authenticated account with editor or higher permissions.
2. Navigate to My Organisations
3. Select your organisation
4. Navigate to the relevant dataset
5. Navigate to the relevant resource
6. Click the Edit button
7. Click the Delete button
8. Click the Confirm button

Apply for access

Full name(Required)

Role title(Required)

Organisation(Required)

Must be a Victorian public sector organisation (not Victorian public service)

Email(Required)

Publishing obligations

I am authorised by my organisation to publish open data on DataVic (Required)

I understand my obligations listed below: (Required)

my organisation is responsible for all data and metadata published on DataVic
my organisation is bound by:
- Public Records Act 1973
- Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014
- Health Records Act 2001
- Victorian Protective Data Security Framework and Standards
- the organisation's own data governance policies
DataVic does not check my organisation's compliance with these obligations.

Privacy statement(Required)

The Department of Government Services (DGS) collects your personal information for the purpose of managing DataVic publishing accounts. If you choose not to provide all or part of the information required, we may not be able to contact you or action your request.

If you have any questions about how your personal information will be handled or would like to gain access to your personal information, you can contact DGS at privacy@dgs.vic.gov.au.

We use the services of Drupal to administer this form. The information that you provide is stored on the Microsoft Azure infrastructure in Sydney, Australia.

For more information on our handling of any personal information, please refer to our privacy page.

I have read and understand how Department of Government Services stores information.

Important email

Client learning

Updated 23 June 2026