Overview

A sample sheet is a comma-separated value (*.csv) file format used by Illumina instruments, platforms, and analysis pipelines to store settings and data for sequencing and analysis. The sample sheet uses American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) character encoding.

The system using the sample sheet as input validates the data within the sample sheet based on validation rules. Validation rules differ from section to section. Incorrectly formatted data are considered invalid and causes software to throw an error. Refer to the validation rules for each section for more information on acceptable formatting and allowable values.

A Sample Sheet v2 Template is provided on the Illumina support site. To use a sample sheet, download the template and use a text editor program to alter the sections according to your chosen instrument or analysis. Using a spreadsheet editor can cause errors with sample sheet validation and analysis. Save the sample sheet to a folder accessible by your instrument or analysis software.