A sequence in FASTA format begins with a single-line description, followed by lines of sequence data. The description line is distinguished from the sequence data by a greater-than (">") symbol in the first column. It is recommended that all lines of text be shorter than 80 characters in length. An example sequence in FASTA format is:

>gi|40254545|ref|NM_019712.2| Mus musculus ring-box 1 (Rbx1), mRNA ATGGCGGCGGCGATGGATGTGGATACCCCCAGCGGCACCAACAGCGGCGCGGGCAAGAAGCGCTTTGAAG TTAAAAAGTGGAATGCAGTGGCCCTCTGGGCCTGGGACATTGTGGTTGATAACTGTGCCATCTGCAGGAA CCACATTATGGATCTTTGTATCGAATGTCAGGCCAACCAGGCGTCAGCTACTTCCGAAGAGTGTACGGTT GCATGGGGAGTCTGCAACCATGCTTTTCATTTCCACTGCATCTCTCGATGGCTCAAAACGAGGCAGGTGT GTCCGTTGGACAACAGAGAGTGGGAGTTCCAGAAGTATGGGCATTAGGAAAGACTTTCCCGCAAGGCGTA CCCATCTGTTACTCGTCTAGTGACTTCCTGTTAATTATACATTAGATAGAACCATGGTCCTTTTTCGTTC CTTTGTTTTTGGAGTTTGGTGTTCCCGCAGCCATATTGTATTTTGTGTCAAATAAAGCCTTTAAGTTGGA GGTGGTTGCTGTTTCATGTATGTGGAGAGTGATCTGAGAAGGAGCCAGAAAGCCAGAAAGGCAGCCTCAA GAAGTGCTCTGTTCTTAAGGAGAACACACTTGGCCCATGGGTTCATCTTCACAAGGTCACGAGGAACCTG TCAGAGTCGGGAGTGCGGGTAACTGGCACCTGGAAACCCCTCCAGCTCTGTCTTCCTTCTGAGATAGCAC CAGGCAGGAATGAGGAAGAACATGGCAGCCTTGGACCAGCCAGGTCTGCTCTGAGTTTTCATCTCATGAT GGAGTCTAAGAACGAGTGACTGGCATCAAGTGGGCACAGGAAGGCTTTGTAAACTCTAAACACTACAGGG TTAGCAGTGACTGTGAATGACATGCAGCAATCTCTAGAACAAAAGTTGACCCAAAAAAATCGTACTGTGT AATCTTGGCTGGCAATAAAGTCATCATAAAGTTCACCTAAACTGATGTTTGGACAGTTTGCATATATGCC TGTAATCCCAGGTACTTGGAAATTAGGTAAAGATCCTTTGAGTCCAGGAGACCTTGTTTCTAAAACAGAA ATTCTAGTTTGGGGTCTTGGGGGCGCTGTAGCTCAGCTGTAAGGCCCCGTGTTCAATTGCTGGCATAAAT TTCAAAAAAAGAAAAAGGTAGAAATTGAATTAGCAAGAGCTTAAGTTTTCTTTAAACATGCTGGCCAGGG CCAGGCAGTGGTGGTGCATGCCTTTAATCCCAACACTTGGGAGCCAGAGGCAGGCAGATTTCTGAGTTTG AGGCCAGCCTACAGAGTGAGTTTCAGGACAACCAGGGCTATATAAAGAAACCCTGTTGCCAAAAAAACAA AAACATGCCGGCCAGGGAAGGAGCGGCCATCCTGATGCTGGTTCAGTGGCTGTATTCTACCGAGACACCG TTTCTGTTGCTGTGGTTTTCATGTAGTTAACAGATCCTACAAAGGTCTTGAAATCCTTCAGGGGAGTTTT CCTTTCTCCGGTGCCACTACTTCAACTGTCTTCTGTTGTCAAGCAGAAAAAGATTGCAAAAATGTGAAAC AATGCTGTCATTCTTGTTTTCAAAGTTAATTTTAATAAAAATATTTATGTTAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGAA

Blank lines are not allowed in the middle of FASTA input.