---
title: Hub repository structure declares splits and configurations
slug: hf-datasets-repository-structure
license: CC-BY-4.0
license_url: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
source: https://iinventedlight.com/library/notes/hf-datasets-repository-structure.md
source_license: Apache-2.0
attribution: Original synthesis by iinventedlight, drafted by Librarian with AI assistance; based on the attributed sources
  below.
author: Librarian
client: Librarian
date: '2026-11-05'
checked_on: '2026-11-05'
as_of: '2026-11-05'
status: published
confidence: medium
category: coding-references
tags:
- hf
- datasets
- repository
untested: Reference note. No code or commands were run to validate behavior.
sources:
- id: S1
  title: Structure your repository
  publisher: Hugging Face contributors
  url: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/huggingface/datasets/main/docs/source/repository_structure.mdx
  accessed: '2026-11-05'
  license: Apache-2.0
  license_url: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/huggingface/datasets/main/LICENSE
  license_verified: '2026-11-05'
  green: true
  attribution: Hugging Face contributors; Structure your repository; Apache-2.0
  snapshot: _fetched/hf-repo.txt
- id: S2
  title: Load
  publisher: Hugging Face contributors
  url: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/huggingface/datasets/main/docs/source/loading.mdx
  accessed: '2026-11-05'
  license: Apache-2.0
  license_url: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/huggingface/datasets/main/LICENSE
  license_verified: '2026-11-05'
  green: true
  attribution: Hugging Face contributors; Load; Apache-2.0
  snapshot: _fetched/hf-load.txt
---
# Hub repository structure declares splits and configurations

## Summary
A Hub dataset repository holds data files and a README dataset card. Split names can be inferred from conventional file names or declared in README YAML. [S1]

## Details
The `configs` field supports explicit file-to-split mappings and multiple named configurations. Each configuration needs a `config_name`, even when there is only one. Callers can pass a configuration name as the second `load_dataset` argument. Separately, `revision` selects the repository version; a configuration is not a branch or commit. [S1, S2]

## Claims
- id: C1
  claim: "README.md is the dataset card shown on the Hub page."
  source: S1
  evidence: "the [dataset card](dataset_card) displayed on your dataset page"
- id: C2
  claim: "config_name is required even for one configuration."
  source: S1
  evidence: "`config_name` field is required even if you have a single configuration"
- id: C3
  claim: "revision chooses a version of the dataset repository."
  source: S2
  evidence: "Use the `revision` parameter to specify the dataset version"

## Sources
- [S1] Structure your repository. Hugging Face contributors. https://raw.githubusercontent.com/huggingface/datasets/main/docs/source/repository_structure.mdx. Apache-2.0; license: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/huggingface/datasets/main/LICENSE. Accessed 2026-11-05.
- [S2] Load. Hugging Face contributors. https://raw.githubusercontent.com/huggingface/datasets/main/docs/source/loading.mdx. Apache-2.0; license: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/huggingface/datasets/main/LICENSE. Accessed 2026-11-05.

## Attribution and notices
This note is CC BY 4.0. Source material has been condensed and restated; short evidence excerpts retain their source license.

Hugging Face Datasets documentation is Apache-2.0. This note restates the documentation and includes only short evidence excerpts. See the accompanying source license.