How to make your search for family history sources easier

Searching for family history sources and useful information can feel like looking for a needle in a haystack. You can spend hours or even days searching with nothing to show for it. The good news is that search failures aren’t always about missing records. They’re about search technique.

Here are some proven strategies to help you find family history sources more easily.

This post was originally published in October 2022 and last updated on 10 July 2025

Start Broad, Then Narrow Your Focus

Begin with just a surname or single keyword. This reveals the volume and type of material available before you commit to specific search terms.

Why this works: A broad search informs subsequent searches. It will help you decide how to refine your search further and give you ideas for other search terms.

Refine Your Search

Follow this sequence to maximise your results:

• Add more words or phrases – word order matters, as some search engines prioritise terms in the order you type them
• Apply filters like location, record type, or date range
• Use advanced search options if available
• Narrow to specific databases or collections.

Tip: Avoid exact match searches unless you’re certain about specific dates or spellings.

Conduct Multiple Strategic Searches

Don’t rely on one search attempt. Try these variations:

• All known name variations (Macdonald vs McDonald vs Mac Donald)
• Swap surname and given name positions
• Partial names or wildcards (Thom* finds Thomas, Thomson, Thompson)
• Punctuation variations (O’Brien vs OBrien vs O Brien)
• Dropped middle names or initials.

Tip: Keep a search log. Track which terms and filters you’ve tried. Some websites let you save searches.

Understand Surname Variations and Spelling Changes

If you can’t find a source, the most common explanation is spelling variations. Family history sources can contain transcription errors, phonetic spellings, and regional variations.

Key resources: Carol Baxter’s books Why Can’t I Find My Ancestors Surname and The Madness of Mac Surnames offer expert guidance on tackling these challenges.

Understand How Different Search Engines Work

Websites like Ancestry, FamilySearch, Google, and Trove each use different algorithms that affect:

• Which results appear first
• How closely results must match your terms
• What counts as a valid variation.

Tip: Use advanced search options. Experiment with word order and quotation marks to see how results change.

Browse When Search Fails

Many collections aren’t indexed or are poorly indexed. When keyword searches fail, try manual browsing:

• Look for browsable image sets
• Check if sources are sorted by location, year, event type, or surname
• Use available filters to speed up the process.

Example: FamilySearch allows browsing of digitised microfilm that have not been indexed. It’s slower but I have found many of my family members by this method, particularly amongst their Jamaican databases.

Try FamilySearch’s Full-Text Search

FamilySearch’s Full-Text Search uses AI to search digitised documents that aren’t yet indexed or transcribed. It’s great for finding sources that don’t appear in a traditional search.

How to use it:

• Visit https://www.familysearch.org/en/labs/
• Enter names, locations, or keywords
• Review source results
• Click through to view images and transcriptions
• Download a copy of the source, with a citation.

Tip: The usual tips for searches apply here. Try name variations and variations of location names, or omit the location altogether. Experiment putting the name and location in the Keyword search box instead of the other search boxes. You can also search for occupations.

Note: This Labs feature is still developing and may not be available in all regions. You should also double-check the suggested citation, as I have found that it is not always adequate. See below:

Learn Each Repository’s Unique System

Every genealogical website operates differently. Before searching:

• Read help pages and search guides
• Learn the cataloguing structure
• Check supported search syntax (wildcards, Boolean operators)
• Test advanced search functions.

Tip: Advanced search works differently across platforms. Always check the instructions, even if you’ve used similar features elsewhere.

Essential Search Guides

Soundex: Ancestry’s Soundex guide

Trove: General searching and complex queries

Ancestry: Search and records help

Google: Search tips and search operators

Sources in Other Languages

Many genealogical sources exist in languages other than English. Even English-speaking countries contain foreign-language records (like Latin Catholic registers).

Strategies:

• Search using key genealogical terms (kirche for church in German, filius for son in Latin)
• Use language-specific word lists or glossaries
• Account for alternative alphabets or spelling conventions (ö vs oe)
• Get help from translation tools like Google Translate or Transkribus.

Resource: MyHeritage’s guide to overcoming language barriers offers detailed strategies.

Improve Your Search Techniques to Find More Family History sources

Successful genealogical searching is a skill that you can develop and improve. You need to learn and apply appropriate strategies, and adapt your technique depending on which website you are using. Keeping a log of searches may be time consuming, but it helps you learn from your experiences. Start with just a few of these tips, or just one website, and go from there.

Ready to expand your search even further? Explore these related posts for more tips:

Nine reasons why you can’t find family history sources

How to use source guides and mind mapping

What is a reasonably exhaustive search?

For more articles on improving your search techniques, go to my Research Your Family History page.

For more of my articles about planning your family history, go to my Plan Your Family History page.

About the Author

Danielle Lautrec is a genealogy educator, researcher, and author of The Good Genealogist. With qualifications in history, family history, and historical archaeology, she teaches for the Society of Australian Genealogists.