The Open Data pages point you to local datasets and tools for publishing your own data in consistent formats. If you're looking for open metrics data published nationally, see our reporting section which exposes that data in reports and formats suitable for you to use locally.
Our standard lists, also known as taxonomies or vocabularies, give terms by which the different components of local government are described. Use these terms in your open data to make it consistent with data coming from other sources.
Schemas describe the structure of data to be shared. Schemas may be expressed in different formatting languages such as Comma Separated Values (CSV) for spreadsheets, JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) or Extensible Markup Language (XML) for more complicated structures. Pick a schema for guidance, a machine-readable definition and to see who’s using it.
We keep a register of local datasets that we have read from inventories or that councils have recorded with us. We show which datasets conform to the schemas we reference. You can use the box below to search for a local dataset. You may also try searching data.gov.uk.
URIs are identifiers for precise things (eg local authorities, services, areas). Used by computer programs, URIs provide machine-readable data and allow those programs to link to associated data. The URI lookup tool lets you find identifiers from common URI sets used in local government.
Open Referral UK (ORUK) is a standardised way of maintaining information about services to populate service directories. Adopting ORUK enables local authorities to maintain their service directories in a much more efficient manner, saving money and staff time, whilst also providing better quality information to residents about the services that are available to them.
The ORUK website has guidance and tools for organisations who are interested in adopting the standard, as well as case studies from those who have already done so.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) published a Transparency Code in 2014 (revised in 2015 and again in 2025) that sets out mandated data sets that local authorities are required to publish openly. The LGA offers guidance on meeting the requirements of the code, with accompanying schemas that suggest structures for the data.
Validator - for checking that CSV spreadsheet data matches the structure of a schema
Aggregator - for combining different CSV datasets conforming to the same schema
Natural neighbourhoods - for defining your own geographical areas and referencing other people’s
Find my area - for looking up areas (local authorities, parliamentary constituencies, wards etc) for given postcodes or UPRNs