What Is a Data Manifest? The Metadata-Only Inventory Buyers Bid On
A data manifest is a metadata-only inventory: the systems you run, the years of history in each, and rough record counts. It describes your archive the way a contents page describes a book — and it is the only document buyers need to make an initial bid.
SellMyDataForAI.com helps U.S. companies with 20+ employees license their operating records — email, chat, CRM and project data — to AI labs and training-data buyers. Owners keep ownership of their data; valuation starts with a metadata-only manifest, and no raw data is shared to get an estimate.
What goes in a manifest?
Industry and team size, each system (email, chat, CRM, support, accounting, project files), years of history per system, approximate volumes, and notes on rights status and exclusions.
An honest manifest also states what is not included — client-confidential material awaiting consent, systems under platform restrictions, personal data that will be de-identified. Buyers trust manifests that name their exclusions; diligence finds them anyway.
What never goes in a manifest?
Raw records, customer names, employee personal data, file contents, credentials or access of any kind. If anyone asks for those at the manifest stage, they are not running this process.
After a manifest draws bids, the next step is a small redacted sample under a mutual NDA — chosen by you, checked by you — so a buyer can verify quality before a license is drafted. Full delivery happens only under a signed license.
Who builds the manifest?
You describe your systems on the qualifier interview; the manifest is drafted from that description and you approve it before it is shown to any buyer.
Because no exports are involved, building a manifest is measured in days, not in an IT project. It also stays yours: if no offer is acceptable, you walk away with the manifest and owe nothing.
What does a manifest actually look like?
One page: company profile (industry, staff band, years trading), then a row per system — name, years of history, rough record count, rights status, exclusions. Nothing else.
| System | Years | Rough count | Rights status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016–2026 | ~410,000 messages | Company records; personal data de-identified at delivery | |
| Slack | 2018–2026 | ~260,000 messages | Company records; employee notices reviewed |
| CRM | 2015–2026 | ~18,500 deals | Company records; customer identifiers de-identified |
| Support | 2017–2026 | ~96,000 tickets | Resolutions included; requester details de-identified |
| QuickBooks | 2014–2026 | 12 years of ledgers | Company records |
Illustrative composite example — the shape of a manifest for a mid-size services company, not a real client and not a completed deal. Your manifest is drafted from your interview answers and approved by you before any buyer sees it.
Do you qualify? The 90-second fit check
The introduction service on this site is built for U.S. companies with 20 or more employees, 3 or more years in business, and records in 5 or more systems — such as email, chat (Slack or Teams), shared files, a CRM, support tickets, project tools, or accounting software. Individual buyers set their own floors, which may be higher (for example 30+ or 50+ staff) or lower for specific industries, and each buyer’s own floor controls for its program.
Fit floor (published): 20+ full-time staff · 3+ years of records · 5+ data sources (email, Slack/Teams, Drive/SharePoint, CRM, support, QuickBooks, calls, code, project files). The interactive checker loads here; if it does not, the interview itself runs the same check in seven minutes.
Book the 7-minute interviewNo files are uploaded in this check. Nothing is sent to find out.
Questions owners ask first
Is this a sale or a license?
A license. You keep ownership of your records and keep using them in your business. A buyer pays for the right to use a de-identified copy for AI training, on terms — length, exclusivity, permitted use — that you approve before anything is signed.
Do I have to send my data to get an estimate?
No. The estimate and the first call use only what you describe: systems, years and rough counts. Buyers bid on a metadata-only manifest. Full data moves only after you sign a license directly with a buyer, and personal data is de-identified before transfer.
What does it cost me?
$0 upfront. There is no retainer and no listing fee. We are paid a success fee only if a deal closes — the terms are stated in writing before any submission is made.