About the IPT
The Integrated Publishing Toolkit—commonly referred to as the IPT—is free open-source software developed by GBIF and used by organizations around the world to create and manage repositories for sharing biodiversity datasets.
GBIF currently supports three modes of use for the IPT.
- Self-hosted
Dozens of organizations choose to install and run their own individual instances of the software. Get started if this "IPT classic" approach is what you came expecting. - National/thematic node installations
- Regional cloud-hosted installations
More information
- Latest releases
- Installation methods
- Usage
- Data-hosting centres
- Development
- Translation
- IPT User Manual
The three videos in this showcase are drawn from GBIF's Biodiversity Data Mobilization Course and provide a broad overview of the IPT. The current user interface has been updated, with updated videos expected from early 2024.
National/thematic node IPTs
The GBIF nodes that coordinate GBIF-related activities for a given country or community often host and manage an IPT installation for the use of data publishers within their networks. This approach generally provides publishers with access to more direct and local help desk support from the node, regardless of whether they maintain self-hosted installations or cloud-based ones maintained by the GBIF Secretariat (a service only available to formal GBIF Participants).
Several nodes also function as trusted data-hosting centres for selected publishers outside their own country. Find a GBIF node.
Regional cloud-hosted IPTs
The GBIF Secretariat can establish publisher accounts on hosted IPT instances that rely on shared hardware, software and storage services. While this option provides users with a robust, no-cost solution, GBIF nodes and data hosting centres are likely to provide more hands-on service and assistance with data publishing and quality control aspects. This service offers publishers unable to find another suitable solution an option that provides basic backups and software updates in a format they can easily migrate later to another IPT installation. Learn more.
