Skip to main content

University Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Site Navigation Menu

OpenRefine

A free, open source, powerful tool for working with messy data.

Download OpenRefine

Before downloading, please read the complete installation instructions. 

NOTE: The system requirements are listed at the top of the installation instructions. If your computer does not meet the system requirements, please install the correct version of Java before downloading OpenRefine.

Click here to download OpenRefine. Select the download link for your computer's operating system.

NOTE: OpenRefine runs in a browser, like a web app, but does not require an internet connection to run. It works best with Chrome or Firefox, and automatically runs on your default browser. OpenRefine is unstable when run on Internet Explorer, so it is best to choose another default browser.

When selecting a version to download, keep in mind that this guide includes information relevant to OpenRefine 2.5 and OpenRefine 2.8 and is up-to-date as of August 2018.

Create or Open a Project

  1. Open OpenRefine.
  2. To create a new project, select "Create Project."
  3. Data can be imported from a number of locations and in a number of formats. Select where you would like to get your data from, choose the files, and click "Next."

Window for creating an OpenRefine project with imported data

  1. This screen shows a preview of your data. Before creating the project, change the settings based on the file format (e.g. CSV, TSV, xls, JSON).
    1. For CSV or TSV data, set the character encoding to match the original file, identify how columns are separated, and choose options for  parsing the data.
    2. When you are done, click "Create Project."

Parsing window for imported data in OpenRefine

  1. Once you've created a project, you can return at any time by using the "Open Project" tab on the home screen. Select the "Open Project" tab and choose the project you want to work on from the list.

  1. You are now ready to work with your data.

Language Preference

OpenRefine 2.8 includes a language function which allows you to set a preferred language. To change languages:

  1. Navigate to the "Language Settings" tab.
  2. Select your preferred language from the drop-down.
  3. Click "Change Language".

OpenRegine 2.8 currently supports: English, Deutsch, Español, Français, Hebrew, Italiano, 日本語, Pусский, and 简体中文.

8/17/2018 - Brinna Michael

Subjects: Savvy Researcher