diff --git a/data_output/DO_NOT_MODIFY.md b/data_output/DO_NOT_MODIFY.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6a3d8efb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/data_output/DO_NOT_MODIFY.md
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+# DO NOT MODIFY!
+
+This directory is managed by automation scripts. All manual changes will be discarded!
+
+Instead, modify the `data/` directory.
+
+Refer to dataset curation and maintenance documentation in the `docs/` directory.
diff --git a/data_output/community/DO_NOT_MODIFY.md b/data_output/community/DO_NOT_MODIFY.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6a3d8efb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/data_output/community/DO_NOT_MODIFY.md
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+# DO NOT MODIFY!
+
+This directory is managed by automation scripts. All manual changes will be discarded!
+
+Instead, modify the `data/` directory.
+
+Refer to dataset curation and maintenance documentation in the `docs/` directory.
diff --git a/data_output/nextstrain/DO_NOT_MODIFY.md b/data_output/nextstrain/DO_NOT_MODIFY.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6a3d8efb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/data_output/nextstrain/DO_NOT_MODIFY.md
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+# DO NOT MODIFY!
+
+This directory is managed by automation scripts. All manual changes will be discarded!
+
+Instead, modify the `data/` directory.
+
+Refer to dataset curation and maintenance documentation in the `docs/` directory.