Demo: An overview of the Ensembl Data Platform

Ensembl is a genome browser that allows you to access genome annotation from both vertebrate and non-vertebrate organisms. Follow this guide to get an overview of the new Ensembl Data Platform. This demo was last updated in March 2026.

Ensembl

Navigate to [beta.ensembl.org](https://beta.ensembl.org/) to open the homepage. You will find different buttons (Apps) available on the launch bar at the top.

Click on the [[Help]] icon.

This opens an overview of how to get started with the new Ensembl Data Platform.

The first app is the [[Species Selector]] .

You can select your species of interest with the [[Species Selector]]. You may choose multiple species.

The next button is for the [[Genome Browser]] app.

You can use the [[Genome Browser]] to visualise genomic regions, look at genes and transcripts in their genetic context.

Next is the [[Entity Viewer]] app.

Use the [[Entity Viewer]] to get information about specific genomic features, e.g. genes, transcripts, variants. These pages contain a detailed summary on your genomic feature of interest. You can download this data in different formats.

Use [[BLAST]] to find similar sequences across available Ensembl species.

In [[BLAST]], you can query up to 50 nucleotide or protein sequences at once. You can perform your BLAST search on 25 species at a time.

Annotate your own variants using the [[Ensembl VEP]] tool.

The Ensembl Variant Effect Predictor (VEP) allows you to annotate variants to find out their molecular consequences on genes, transcripts and regulatory elements.

Open [[Help & documentation]] to access useful resources on using Ensembl and understanding the available data.

You can find guides and support articles for Ensembl and its different apps and tools here. You can also learn more about what data is available and how Ensembl data is processed.

If you have any queries or comments, you can [[Contact us]] anytime.

Get in touch with the Ensembl Helpdesk via the website contact form or by emailing [helpdesk@ensembl.org](mailto:helpdesk@ensembl.org) directly.

Help us improve the new Ensembl Data Platform by sharing your experience.

You can rate your experience and share any comments you may have with the Ensembl team.