ChEBI 2.0 is here!
We’re excited to announce the release of ChEBI 2.0!
The next generation of the Chemical Entities of Biological Interest database. If you missed the background story and the details of the redevelopment, you can catch up in our earlier blog post here.
What’s Changed:
- The new ChEBI web interface is live at https://www.ebi.ac.uk/chebi/
- Legacy SOAP web services are deprecated — please migrate to our REST APIs
- New ChEBI 2.0 data products (ontology, TSV, SDF, PostgreSQL dump) are available at https://ftp.ebi.ac.uk/pub/databases/chebi
- Submitter accounts have been migrated — you’ll need to reset your password before logging into the new submission portal
Why ChEBI 2.0?
The legacy ChEBI codebase had become increasingly difficult to maintain and update. ChEBI 2.0 has been rebuilt from the ground up with:
- Simplified PostgreSQL schema
- Faster search powered by Elasticsearch + RDKit
- Refreshed public user interface modern infrastructure (Kubernetes, Python, Django, Vue)
Web Interface
You can access the new ChEBI web interface at the same URL: https://www.ebi.ac.uk/chebi/
It offers faster searching, improved chemical structure handling (via RDKit), and new GUI widgets for exploring the ChEBI ontology. If you notice any missing features or issues, please let us know via the contact form on the ChEBI website or by e-mail to chebi-help@ebi.ac.uk
Programmatic Access (APIs)
Old ChEBI’s SOAP web services have now been retired. If you access ChEBI via web services, please use the new REST APIs. You can find out more about new endpoints at API docs
Data Products and Downloads
ChEBI 2.0 provides updated data products at https://ftp.ebi.ac.uk/pub/databases/chebi
Changes include:
- standardised prefixes (including CHEMROF and RO)
- homogenised datatypes
- Ontology, TSVs (without secondary IDs), SDF, and PostgreSQL dump
Submissions Portal
ChEBI 2.0 comes with a completely redesigned submission portal, available at https://www.ebi.ac.uk/chebi/backend/submit/.
Please use this portal for all new data submissions to ChEBI. If you already had a submitter account in the old system, your account has been migrated automatically to the new platform. However, there are some important changes to note:
- Login method: The old system used a username + password. ChEBI 2.0 now uses email + password for login.
- Password reset required: You’ll need to reset your password before you login for the first time. Use the same email address you previously registered with, then set a new password.
- Migrated accounts: All your existing submissions and account data have been preserved in the new portal.
What’s not Changing
- Stable identifiers: ChEBI IDs remain the same and citable.
- Open licence: ChEBI data continues to be available under CC BY 4.0.
- Data continuity: All ChEBI data from the legacy platform has been migrated to the new platform.
Looking Ahead
ChEBI 2.0 is just the beginning. While the new platform is stable, you may notice some missing features that we’re actively working on. This redevelopment was essential: the old infrastructure (VMs, older Java code) had reached its limits. Moving to Kubernetes and modern frameworks ensures a sustainable future for ChEBI and lays the groundwork for major improvements. ChEBI exists for (and because of) its community of researchers, developers, and curators. Your feedback will help make this transition smooth for everyone. If you rely on ChEBI in your work, please use our new platform and get in touch if you need support. You can also subscribe to the chebi-announce mailing list for future updates.
Comments