Ancestry Guide
Explore and document your family history with powerful genealogy research tools, interactive family trees, and collaborative features.
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Getting Started with Ancestry Research
1
Creating Your Account
- Navigate to the login page
- Create a new account or use social login
- Verify your email address
- Access the Ancestry app from your dashboard
2
Starting Your Research
Begin with what you know and work backwards:
- Start with yourself: Add your own information
- Add immediate family: Parents, siblings, spouse, children
- Gather information: Birth dates, locations, occupations
- Collect documents: Birth certificates, marriage records, photos
- Interview relatives: Record family stories and memories
3
Interface Overview
Family Tree View
Visual representation of family relationships
Person Details
Individual profiles with biographical information
Document Library
Organized storage for family documents and photos
Timeline View
Chronological family history visualization
Building Family Trees
Create comprehensive visual representations of your family history.
1
Adding Family Members
- Click "Add Person" in the family tree
- Select relationship type (parent, child, spouse, sibling)
- Enter basic information:
- Full name (including maiden names)
- Birth date and location
- Death date and location (if applicable)
- Occupation or profession
- Save the person to your tree
- Add additional details as you research
2
Person Profile Information
Basic Information
- Full name and nicknames
- Birth and death dates
- Birth and death locations
- Gender
Life Details
- Occupation and career
- Education
- Military service
- Religious affiliation
Family Information
- Parents and siblings
- Spouses and marriages
- Children
- Extended family connections
Additional Notes
- Personal stories
- Physical descriptions
- Character traits
- Research notes
3
Tree Navigation and Views
- Pedigree View: Traditional ancestor chart format
- Family View: Focus on immediate family units
- Descendant View: Show children and grandchildren
- Fan Chart: Circular representation of ancestors
- Timeline View: Chronological family events
Discover new information about your ancestors using built-in research capabilities.
Research Strategies
1
Start with Known Information
- Work backwards from yourself
- Verify information with multiple sources
- Focus on one family line at a time
- Document sources for all information
2
Use Available Records
- Vital Records: Birth, marriage, death certificates
- Census Records: Population counts with family details
- Immigration Records: Passenger lists and naturalization
- Military Records: Service records and pension files
- Religious Records: Baptisms, confirmations, burials
- Land Records: Property ownership and transfers
Research Tips by Time Period
1940-Present
- Social Security records
- Modern vital records
- Obituaries and newspapers
- Living relatives interviews
1900-1940
- Census records (every 10 years)
- World War I and II records
- Immigration records
- City directories
1850-1900
- Census records with more detail
- Land records and deeds
- Civil War records
- Railroad employment records
Before 1850
- Church records
- Probate and court records
- Tax records
- Family Bibles and letters
Document Management
Organize and preserve your family documents, photos, and research materials.
1
Uploading Documents
- Navigate to the person's profile
- Click "Add Document" or "Add Photo"
- Choose file from your device
- Add document details:
- Document type (birth certificate, photo, etc.)
- Date of document
- Location or source
- Transcription (if applicable)
- Description or notes
- Tag relevant family members
- Save to document library
2
Document Types
Official Records
- Birth certificates
- Marriage licenses
- Death certificates
- Divorce decrees
Family Photos
- Portrait photographs
- Group family photos
- Event pictures
- Historical images
Historical Documents
- Census records
- Immigration papers
- Military records
- Land deeds
Personal Items
- Letters and correspondence
- Diary entries
- Newspaper clippings
- Personal artifacts
3
Organizing Your Collection
- Folders: Group documents by family branch or type
- Tags: Label documents with relevant keywords
- Search: Find documents quickly using search function
- Timeline: View documents chronologically
- Backup: Export important documents regularly
Collaboration Features
Work with family members and other researchers to expand your family tree.
1
Sharing Your Tree
- Navigate to tree settings
- Choose sharing options:
- Private: Only you can view
- Family Only: Share with invited family members
- Public: Visible to all users (with privacy controls)
- Send invitations to family members
- Set permission levels (view only, edit, admin)
2
Collaborative Features
Family Contributions
Multiple family members can add information
Comments & Notes
Discuss research findings and family stories
Document Sharing
Share photos and documents with family
Change Tracking
See who made changes and when
Data Import/Export
Manage your genealogy data with standard file formats.
1
Exporting Your Data
- Go to "Export Data" in settings
- Choose export format:
- GEDCOM: Standard genealogy format
- PDF: Printable family tree charts
- CSV: Spreadsheet format for analysis
- JSON: Data backup format
- Select data to include (people, documents, photos)
- Download the exported file
2
Importing Data
- Prepare your data file (GEDCOM or CSV)
- Click "Import Data"
- Upload your file
- Review and map data fields
- Choose merge or create new tree option
- Confirm import and review results
Privacy & Security
Protect your family information with comprehensive privacy controls.
1
Privacy Settings
- Living Persons: Automatically private for people born within 100 years
- Sensitive Information: Hide specific details (SSN, addresses)
- Photo Privacy: Control who can view family photos
- Contact Information: Limit access to personal details
Security Best Practices
- ✅ Use strong, unique passwords
- ✅ Enable two-factor authentication
- ✅ Be cautious sharing sensitive information
- ✅ Regularly backup your data
- ✅ Review privacy settings periodically
- ✅ Only share with trusted family members
Research Best Practices
- Document all sources for your information
- Verify facts with multiple sources
- Start with what you know for certain
- Interview older family members
- Organize documents and photos systematically
- Backup your research regularly
- Share findings with family members
- Join genealogy societies for support
Start Your Family History Journey!
Begin exploring your ancestry and preserving your family's story.