diff --git a/corrlib/__init__.py b/corrlib/__init__.py
index 91b07f4..d9aff5f 100644
--- a/corrlib/__init__.py
+++ b/corrlib/__init__.py
@@ -21,3 +21,4 @@ from .initialization import *
 from .meas_io import *
 from .find import *
 from .version import __version__
+from .config import *
diff --git a/corrlib/find.py b/corrlib/find.py
index 3e73240..6aa795c 100644
--- a/corrlib/find.py
+++ b/corrlib/find.py
@@ -5,7 +5,8 @@ import json
 import pandas as pd
 import numpy as np
 from .input.implementations import codes
-from .tools import k2m, get_file
+from .tools import k2m
+from .tracker import get_file
 # this will implement the search functionality
 
 
diff --git a/corrlib/main.py b/corrlib/main.py
index fc7663f..90e786f 100644
--- a/corrlib/main.py
+++ b/corrlib/main.py
@@ -5,7 +5,8 @@ import os
 from .git_tools import move_submodule
 import shutil
 from .find import _project_lookup_by_id
-from .tools import list2str, str2list, get_file
+from .tools import list2str, str2list
+from .tracker import get_file
 from typing import Union
 
 
diff --git a/corrlib/meas_io.py b/corrlib/meas_io.py
index 7122ca0..594e668 100644
--- a/corrlib/meas_io.py
+++ b/corrlib/meas_io.py
@@ -7,7 +7,8 @@ import json
 from typing import Union
 from pyerrors import Obs, Corr, dump_object, load_object
 from hashlib import sha256
-from .tools import cached, get_file
+from .tools import cached
+from .tracker import get_file
 import shutil
 
 
diff --git a/corrlib/tracker.py b/corrlib/tracker.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7230386
--- /dev/null
+++ b/corrlib/tracker.py
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+import os
+from configparser import ConfigParser
+from .trackers import datalad as dl
+
+
+def get_tracker(path):
+    config_path = os.path.join(path, '.corrlib')
+    config = ConfigParser()
+    if os.path.exists(config_path):
+        config.read(config_path)
+    tracker = config.get('core', 'tracker', fallback='datalad')
+    return tracker
+
+
+def get_file(path, file):
+    tracker = get_tracker(path)
+    if tracker == 'datalad':
+        dl.get_file(path, file)
+    else:
+        raise ValueError(f"Tracker {tracker} is not supported.")
+    return
+
diff --git a/corrlib/trackers/datalad.py b/corrlib/trackers/datalad.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5d3deaa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/corrlib/trackers/datalad.py
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+import datalad.api as dl
+import os
+
+
+def get_file(path, file):
+    if file == "backlogger.db":
+        print("Downloading database...")
+    else:
+        print("Downloading data...")
+    dl.get(os.path.join(path, file), dataset=path)
+    print("> downloaded file")
\ No newline at end of file