Tag: Ancestry

Sources and resources

Ancestry Tags, Notes and Comments

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If you have a family tree on Ancestry you may find Tags, Notes and Comments features useful in planning and documenting your research.

What are Tags, Notes and Comments?

Tags, Notes and Comments are placed on the profiles of individuals in your family tree. Tags appear under the individual’s name at the top of the profile and are added by clicking on the pencil icon. Notes and Comments can be accessed under the Tools menu. If you have activated the Research Tools toolbar, you can access them from the menu that appears under the individual’s name on their profile.

Tags (white oval shapes), pencil icon next to them. Research Tools toolbar under the Tags.
Tools Menu in top right corner of a profile, opens the screen on the right.

Using Tags

Tags are basically labels that are placed on a profile to identify a characteristic of that person or highlight an aspect of your research into that person. Tags are useful visual indicators of information that you judge important.

For example, if you add a ‘Direct Ancestor’ tag to all the profiles on your direct line, as you navigate around your tree you can instantly see if the individual you are viewing is a direct ancestor.

You can also use a Tag as a filter when you search your tree and call up everyone in your tree with that tag. For example, I add a Custom Tag (see below) ‘Convict’, to the profiles of individuals in my tree that came to Australia as convicts.

When I want to research my convicts, I can bring up a list of all of them using that Tag. This list cannot be printed, but you can create and save an image, as I have done below.

List of people with my Custom Tag, ‘Convict’ (first 5 only, I have a lot of convicts!)

Other Tags that I find useful

I add the ‘DNA Match’ Tag to anyone in my tree who is a DNA match. Then I add the ‘Common DNA Ancestor’ Tag to the ancestor or ancestral couple who we are both descended from.

I also add the ‘DNA Connection’ Tag to each profile along the line from that match to our shared ancestor. This helps me trace the line of our connection. It also provides information for other DNA matches if they access my tree to determine how they may be related to me.

I use my Ancestry tree as a research tool. This means that there are individuals and information in the tree for which I do not yet have sufficient evidence. If other researchers want to copy individuals or information from my tree they should verify the information themselves. However, I like to be helpful and draw their attention to anything that is not yet verified or where I have doubts.

If the questionable information is about a particular event, I can put a statement or TBC in the description field of that event. However, if the entire individual is questionable then I can add the ‘Unverified’ Tag to the profile. This also helps my own research as it reminds me where the evidence is insufficient.

Standard Tags and Custom Tags

Standard Tags are those defined by Ancestry and are available for use on all family trees. Custom Tags are those that you define for a particular tree. If you want to use them on other trees, you need to define them for each one. (Ancestry Help article)

Searching a tree by Tags

You can search your tree for everyone with a particular Tag or a combination of multiple Tags. (See above Ancestry Help article for instructions)

Using Notes and Comments

Ancestry suggests that you use Notes and Comments to record information, stories, tasks and thoughts. They could also be used to plan your research and list research questions, hypotheses and research tasks.

Privacy

Notes are private and Comments are public. Only you and anyone that you invite to your tree as Editor can see your Notes.

If your tree is public, then anyone can see the Comments (except on profiles of living people). That means you can add draft conclusions or thoughts to your Notes without worrying who might see or copy them. You might prefer to do that, rather than adding unverified information to a profile.

Printing

While you can print both Notes and Comments when you print a profile from your tree, only the Notes are included if you download your tree as a GEDCOM file.

I ran a test on one of my trees with Notes and Comments, then imported the file into Legacy family tree. The Notes were successfully incorporated into the Notes section of the individual but the Comments were not. Similarly, Tags were not included when I downloaded the tree from Ancestry.

The fact that Notes can be printed with a profile and are included when you download a copy of your tree makes them a good tool for documenting your research.

However, the downside is that Notes can only be attached to a single individual and I believe that research should be planned at the family level or higher. If you were able to compile all the Notes for a family group that would help, but unfortunately you cannot.

In my view, Notes and Comments are useful tools, but they are not a decent alternative to a research plan.

More information

For more of my articles on documenting your family history, go to the Document page.

For more of my articles about analysing sources, go to the Analyse page.

For more of my articles and information about using DNA in family history, head to my DNA in family history page.

Post last updated 11 June 2024

Methodology, Sources and resources

Ancestry’s card catalogue – Another way to search Ancestry

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We probably all remember the Ancestry advertisements that told us we could reveal our family history by simply typing in a name. And that is the way we often search family history websites and databases. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. Fortunately, Ancestry’s card catalogue provides another way to search.

Ancestry’s card catalogue

Ancestry organises its records by grouping them into collections. The collections (sometimes referred to as databases) are listed in Ancestry’s Card Catalogue. Instead of typing in a name and asking Ancestry to search all of its records, you can focus your search by first selecting the relevant collection.

The Card Catalogue is found under the Search tab. If you are using the Australian version of Ancestry, when you open the catalogue it will list all the Australian collections by default. You can change than by unticking the filter on the left that says ‘Only records from Australia’.

Note that, if you do that you will see lists of collections from around the world. However, you will only be able to view or search collections if they are included in your Ancestry subscription.

Extract from Ancestry's card catalogue, providing a list of record collections in Australia

The right side of the screen lists all the collections, which are grouped by category. You can sort them by collection title, date updated, date added or record count. On the left side you can filter by record category, location or date.

This is a great place to look if you want to know about the latest additions to Ancestry or get a feel for how extensive their collections are for a particular place, date or record type.

Searching Ancestry’s card catalogue

Choose the most relevant record category from the list of filters on the left side of the screen, based on your research questions. For example, if you want to know when someone arrived in Australia, search the Immigration and Travel collections. Click on that category in the filters list and the list of collections under that category will appear on the right side of the screen.

Alternatively, you can identify relevant collections by searching by a word in the Title or Keyword search bars which are located on the left above the filters.

Convicts example

For example, if I type ‘convict’ into the Title search bar, a list of eighteen collections with that word appear on the right. When I untick the box that says ‘Only records from Australia’ the list expands to 24, as there are convict records held in other countries that may also be relevant to Australia – such as the UK Surgeon Superintendents’ Journals of Convict Ships, 1858-1867.

If I type the same search term into the Keyword search bar, a list of 36 collections appears. If I untick the box that says ‘Only records from Australia’ the list expands to 43.

Searching by title or keyword is a good approach if you are unsure which category holds the records of interest to you.

Choose the collection you want to search from the list on the right side of the screen. Click on the title and that brings up the familiar search screen where you can search by name, date, key word and other fields.

On that same screen, you will sometimes see an option in the top right to browse the collection. This can be a useful alternative to searching for a specific name. You will also usually see a list of related data collections which you can use to expand your search.

In the example where I typed convict in the search bar on the first screen, the list of filters tells me that Ancestry has placed convict records into two categories. Convict Criminal Land & Wills, and Immigration and Travel. This information can also help you expand your search by suggesting you search those categories for other collections about your subject.

More information

For more articles on improving your search techniques, go to the Research page.

Post last updated 11 June 2024

Methodology, Sources and resources

Build an Accurate Ancestry Tree for Better Search Results

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Missing hints on Ancestry? Getting poor search results? The problem might not be the website. It could be your Ancestry tree.

Ancestry’s research tools rely on your tree information. The more accurate your family tree, the better your results. In this post, I’ll show you how to fine-tune your Ancestry tree to unlock better matches, smarter hints, and more relevant discoveries.

Post last updated 21 June 2025

Ancestry has built-in research tools. These tools work better when your tree information is accurate and consistent. They use your tree to improve search results and generate research hints (look for the green leaf symbol).

If you’ve tested your DNA with Ancestry, their tools compare your tree with DNA matches’ trees. This creates more research hints like ThruLines (Ancestry’s tool that suggests family connections).

To get the most out of Ancestry’s research tools, your family tree must be accurate and well-structured. This includes correctly recording names, places, dates, relationships, and statuses so that Ancestry’s built-in tools can deliver better results.

When you improve your Ancestry tree accuracy, it helps the Ancestry tools recognise the information. This improves your search results.

By ‘accurate’ I mean more than just having the right people and relationships. You also need accurate names for people, places, dates and status.

Note: This advice is based on my experience helping genealogists with their Ancestry trees. I don’t claim to know the technical details of how their search tools work.

Start with one section and work systematically through these improvements.

Using Quick Edit

Most of these corrections can be made using the Quick Edit feature (a fast way to update basic information).

screenshot from Ancestry showing the location of the Quick Edit function
The Quick Edit function is in the top right corner of any person’s profile in your family tree

Get Names Right First

Your first priority should be getting names accurate.

A person may use different names during their lifetime, or their name may be spelled differently in different documents. Ancestry’s search engine searches for variations, but you can help by choosing the most relevant name as the primary name.

Use the name held at birth, or the name by which they were most commonly known. Add other names and spelling variations by selecting “Add fact or event”, then “Also known as”.

Here are the key name accuracy rules:

Use birth names as primary names. Married women should be listed under their maiden name. The marriage event will show their married name, and Ancestry will use both names when searching.

Fix spelling errors consistently. Try to avoid spelling inconsistencies within a family. However, if a child is born before marriage they may legitimately have a different surname.

Keep extra information separate. If you want to include words or symbols in the name, put these in the Name Suffix field rather than in the main name fields.

Use Standard Place Names

Once names are accurate, turn your attention to places. Although normal genealogy practice is to document place names as recorded in sources, this may not give you the best research results on Ancestry.

Ancestry prefers standard place names (Ancestry’s preferred format for locations), based on the current name for the place. This reduces spelling mistakes and helps the search tools recognise the name, improving your search results.

The problem is that when you attach a source to your tree, Ancestry automatically uses the place name from that source’s index. Unfortunately, these names aren’t always the same as standard place names. They may even be incorrect due to indexing errors.

Always check the place name after you attach a source. Change it to the standard place name if needed. You can put alternative place names in the description if you like.

Examples

Australian Electoral Rolls: If you attach an Australian Electoral roll as a source for where someone was living, the place name will be automatically recorded as the electoral district (voting area) rather than the actual place name. I always check the entry in the roll and change the place name accordingly.

Find A Grave Records: If you attach a burial record from Find A Grave, the place name usually includes the local government area (council region) because that’s how burials are indexed. This information isn’t part of a standard place name in Australia. It’s extra information rather than incorrect information, so it’s not essential to change it unless you prefer standard place names.

Border changes: Borders change and this changes the name of the place in a source. In England, for example, historic county areas do not match up with current county boundaries. Wikipedia has good explanations of the differences. Example: Essex, the home of my paternal grandfather.

Place name changes: Changes to a place name are common. The FamilySearch Wiki provides some US examples: Pawtuxet was renamed to Cranston and Providence Plantations became Rhode Island.

Dual names: Places may have dual names. In New Zealand, for example, some have English and Maori names.

Finding Standard Place Names:

As you begin typing a place name into any fact, event or search bar in Ancestry, it will suggest standard place names closest to what you’ve typed.

screenshot from Ancestry showing how it auto-suggests standard place names as you type
Ancestry auto-suggestions for standard place names

Why Accurate Dates Matter

Accurate dates improve your search results because they give Ancestry’s tools a timeframe to search for sources.

It helps to always include a date of some sort, even if it’s approximate. Use the standard format suggested by Ancestry. For example, if you type “about 1930”, Ancestry suggests the format “Abt. 1930”.

Avoid entering multiple years in a date field as this triggers an error message.

Date Formats and Living Status

If there’s no death date, a person will be classed as Living. This doesn’t affect your search results, but it will limit the information that other researchers can view about that person in your tree.

Correctly stating a person as male or female, living or deceased, may improve your search results.

Fix Relationship Errors

Getting relationships right is crucial for search success. Accurate relationships between people in your family tree directly impact your results.

Focus on these key connections:

Parent-child relationships – who is the father, who is the mother (this also identifies siblings or half siblings)

Marriage and partnership relationships – who partnered with whom (and which marriage was first, as this helps identify parents)

Correct generational placement – were they the father or the grandfather, for example.

The relationship is created when you add a person to your tree. However, it’s easy to make mistakes such as attaching a child to just one parent, attaching someone to the wrong parents, or adding someone twice.

Ancestry has useful instructions for fixing relationship problems.

While it doesn’t affect search results, you can also describe relationships more specifically, such as adopted, biological, or step. Do this using Edit Relationships under the Edit button in any person’s profile.

Common Questions About Tree Accuracy

Here are the most common questions I hear about tree accuracy:

Q: Why am I not getting good hints on Ancestry?

A: Hints rely on your tree. Inaccurate or missing details, such as names, dates, or relationships, reduce the number and quality of hints.

Q: How do I make my Ancestry tree more accurate?

A: Use standard place names, check dates, avoid spelling errors, and fix incorrect relationships using the Quick Edit and Edit Relationship tools.

Q: What’s the best name format for people in my Ancestry tree?

A: Use the birth name or most commonly known name. Add other names under “Also Known As,” and always list married women by their maiden name.

List of key things to remember to create an accurate Ancestry family tree

Make the Most of Your Ancestry Tree

Ancestry offers powerful tools to support your family history research. But those tools are only as good as the information in your tree.

By taking extra time to ensure names, dates, places, and relationships are accurate, you’ll get better search results and more relevant hints. A well-built tree is a research asset.

Start with one section of your tree and work systematically through these improvements. See what a difference accurate information makes to your research success.

More Information

For more articles on improving your search techniques, go to the Research page.

For more articles researching family history on Ancestry, go to the Research page and the Document 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.

Advice

Observations on downloading an Ancestry family tree

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Like most things in life, downloading your Ancestry family tree is not as simple as might be expected. For it to work well, you need to prepare your tree first and tidy up afterwards.

How to download your Ancestry family tree

Open the family tree that you want to download, then open the Tree Settings. Under the heading Manage Your Tree there is a button labelled Export Tree. Click on the button, wait until it creates the file and you can then download it and save it to your computer.

A few important points:

  • You can only download your own Ancestry family tree and you can only download the entire tree.
  • The file type is a GEDCOM file. Although it is a text file and can be opened in Word or similar programs, it is really only useful if you import it into family history software. I cannot speak for all the software, but for Legacy Family Tree, I have to import the file, not open it.
  • The file you download is a copy. It does not delete or remove your tree from Ancestry.
  • The GEDCOM file does not include all the images that are attached to your tree, but it does include the source citations.

Alternatives to downloading your Ancestry tree

  • If you have Family Tree Maker (FTM) software, you can sync your Ancestry tree with your tree in FTM.
  • You can print profiles of individuals or parts of your family tree from Ancestry to a PDF.
  • You can print the entire family tree using MyCanvas to create a family history book or chart.

Issues that I observed when downloading a tree

These observations are only relevant for Legacy Family Tree software, but similar results may also occur with other software.

While I have not conducted a thorough review of the Ancestry tree that I imported into my family history software, the process does appear to correctly include all the people in a tree, including those with multiple marriages.

The imported file does not automatically select the starting person in the family tree, so you need to reset that after importing it into your software.

In Legacy Family Tree there is a field below births on each person’s profile where you can enter christenings or baptisms. The imported file moved baptism information to the Events/Facts section. I assume this occurred because I have the label in Legacy set to christenings, even though I also place baptisms there. If that is an issue for you, you might need to check that you have this field labelled as baptisms before you import the tree.

The imported file placed AKA names as Notes instead of recording them as Alternative Names.

extract from Notes section of Legacy family tree after downloading an Ancestry family tree
AKA from Ancestry family tree added as a General Note in Legacy, as well as the other unwanted text that appears in each profile.

Where I had put notes in the Description field of a birth death or marriage fact on my Ancestry family tree, the imported file appropriately added these as notes to the relevant BDM entry in Legacy.

Event notes in Legacy family tree after downloading an Ancestry family tree
Notes that I had attached to a birth fact in my Ancestry family tree were appropriately placed as notes to the birth fact in Legacy family tree.

The imported file left extraneous text in the General notes of each person (see the AKA image above).

Place names in the imported file are only as good as the information in the Ancestry tree. Ancestry sometimes adds incorrect place names when sources are attached – for example, for Australian electoral rolls it adds the electoral district instead of the suburb. Place names in an Ancestry family tree should be tidied up before downloading a copy of the tree.

Source citations are also only as good as the citation in Ancestry. Unfortunately, the quality of citations is variable. This is probably the bit that needs the most work before you download your tree, as downloading information without adequate source citations is not very useful.

My tips for fixing source citations

Make sure that all of your sources are attached to the relevant facts in your Ancestry family tree, as sometimes the link does not happen. If you click on a source or a fact, there should be a line linking the two.

The imported citation will only include the text that Ancestry records on the Citation Details tab. It will not include the text from the Ancestry Record tab. The details on the Ancestry Record tab may be essential for tracking down the source, so the omission is quite significant. To overcome this problem, you should edit the source citation to add these details before downloading the tree.

Example citation details tab for an Australian birth record in Ancestry.com
Example citation details tab for an Australian birth record. Note that it does not contain the date or reference number, so the citation will be incomplete.
Example citation details tab for an Australian birth record with date and reference number, on Ancestry.com
Same source, with the date and reference number appearing on the Ancestry Record tab.
Extract of a form from Ancestry.com that allows you to edit a source citation
Click on Edit Citation (not Edit Source!) and add the details from the Ancestry Record tab.
Example citation details tab for an Australian birth record
Same source, after editing it to add the details.

This problem with missing details is not always an issue. For example, citations for census records do tend to include the details on the Citation Details tab (see below).

Example citation details tab for an English census on Ancestry.com
Citation details tab for an English Census citation.

Some citations in my imported files had extraneous information and gobblygook (see below). This appears to occur when the citation has text under the heading Notes in the Ancestry citation tab. I was unable to find a way to remove that text in Ancestry before downloading the tree, so it will have to be deleted from the imported file in my family history software. It appears to be a rare occurrence, but something to look out for.

Example of where Ancestry.com added text on the Citation details tab under the heading Note
Example of where Ancestry added text on the Citation details tab under the heading Note. This ended up in my citation after importing the tree into my family history software (see below).
Extract from Legacy Family Tree illustrating a sample source citation
The resulting citation in my software.

Final tips

Downloading a copy of your Ancestry family tree and saving it on your own computer is highly recommended. However, be aware of these types of issues and resolve them first, so that the resulting file is useful for your research.

Download copies of source images to your computer before downloading your tree. It is a good idea to do this each time you attach an image to your tree, so that it is not such a huge task later.

More information

For more of my articles on source citations and documenting your family history, go to the Document page.

You can also find tips for source citations in the Ancestry Support section of their website, such as this article on Managing Sources.

Post last updated 12 June 2024

Sources and resources

Online databases for family history

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Millions of sources for family history are made available online every day. The providers of these sources often gather them into collections or databases, to help people like us access them. Unfortunately, the ease of accessing databases can fool us into thinking we can use them quickly and not spend time analysing them.

Anyone can place a database of family history sources on the internet, without peer review or quality control. Some repositories have considerable funds to manage their databases, while others are managed by individuals. This means that the quality of databases varies considerably, as does the method by which they make them available.

Context and provenance

The first step with any source is to examine the context and provenance. For an online database this means we ask questions such as: Where is the database hosted? Who created the website? Who created the database? Why did they create it, when and how? Who is the audience? Does the website clearly identify which sources are contained in the database and where they came from?

To find out more about an online database, read any available bios about the creator(s), descriptions of the database, introductions and explanatory notes, and lists of abbreviations. If this information is not available, you will need to be more cautious when using the database as it will be more difficult to assess the reliability of the information.

Sources

Databases contain sources, but each database is unique in content and format. They also change over time, so this analysis may need to be conducted more than once.

Source format

After identifying the types of sources in the database (for example, birth records, baptism records), there are two more critical steps. First you need to establish whether they are complete sources, image extracts of the sources, or information that has been transcribed from the sources.

extract of an index entry from a search result in Ancestry.com
An entry with transcribed information (Ancestry.com)
extract of a search result from Ancestry.com with an image of the source
Entry with image of the source (Ancestry.com)

Originating source

Next you need to determine the sources on which the database is based – I call these the ‘originating sources’. Sources in online databases may be based on original sources (the first version of a source), derivative sources (sources derived from other sources), or a mixture of both.

Information about the originating source(s) may be included with the suggested source citation
A less useful description of the originating sources

Database coverage

Next, examine the coverage of the database. Which places are included, which time periods and are there some categories excluded?

Ryerson Index to death notices and obituaries in Australian newspapers

Do not just rely on the title of the database for this information. For example, a collection called ‘Australian Birth Records Index 1788-1922’ is misleading. Civil registration did not commence until 1856 in New South Wales (and on other dates in the other states), so there cannot possibly be any 1788 birth records in the database. In addition, just because a database title or description says that it includes a particular date range, it does not mean that it actually includes all the sources for that date range. A good quality online repository will provide specific information about the coverage if you make the effort to read the description or explanatory notes.

Extract from a database description on Ancestry.com which clarifies the coverage

Currency of the database

Another thing to check for is whether the repository is updating and adding to the collection. If that is the case, it is worth checking back again later to search the database again.

If the coverage of a database does not meet your needs, always check other repositories for similar collections as they may have a wider coverage.

The database for the Calendar of Prisoners on Ancestry commences 1868, but a similar collection on this site commences 1779

Indexes

Many databases have been indexed and some databases are comprised solely of an index without copies of the actual sources. This is what I was alluding to above when I suggested you check if the database contains information that has been transcribed from the sources.

Some genealogists suggest that an index is just a finding aid, not a source and that it should never be cited. I disagree. If you extract information from it then it is a source and you should cite it. How else are you or another researcher going to track down the originating source if you do not do so? However, I do agree that an index is not the best source and you should always endeavour to track down the originating source and use that.

Information and evidence

Now you can examine the information within the source and the evidence it provides. The approach to doing so is the same as for any other source. Key questions: What information is provided, how is it expressed and how is it formatted? Are there gaps in the information? Are there any explanatory notes, what do the headings mean, do you understand all the terminology and abbreviations? Who were the informants, is the information primary or secondary, what is the quality? Does the information provide direct, indirect or negative evidence?

The key thing to remember for online databases is that this information may not necessarily be visible when you are viewing the source or entry – you may have to go searching elsewhere for it, either within that database, elsewhere on the website or even in another place.

Using the source

There are different ways to extract information from an online database. Usually this involves taking a copy, transcribing the information or attaching the source to your online family tree. There are a few things to watch out for here.

If you are making a copy or transcribing the information, you should also create a source citation and make a copy of the description of the database as these will be helpful for your analysis. If available, it is a good idea to make copies of the cover pages and any explanatory pages.

Check for any copyright or usage conditions that may apply, which will largely be dependent on whether you are planning to publish or just using the information for your own research. If you are transcribing the information, it is a good idea to make an image copy as well, in case you make errors in your transcription.

Do not just examine the entry that came up in your search. Always look at the surrounding entries in the database and you may wish to make copies of those as well. You might find related entries or entries with additional information that will assist you in the interpretation of your entry.

When you find an entry within a database, some sites provide hints to other entries or other databases for a person with the same or similar name. These can be useful research leads but take care to analyse the other entry carefully to establish for yourself whether they are actually the same person.

Browsing

Not all online databases can be searched. With some you need to browse the entries. Browsing can also be useful for searchable databases, because the effectiveness of searching is limited by the search engine and the search criteria that you enter.

Citing online databases

You must cite the source that you used, which means the database. Do not just cite the website where you found the database, as that will not help you or others find it again; nor will it help anyone evaluate the reliability of the information extracted from the database. However, the website does need to be mentioned in the citation.

As our purpose of citing a source includes tracking down the originating sources, information about the originating source(s) needs to be included as well.

Format

Website, name of database, website address, date accessed, description of entry; details to help you find it again; originating source

Example

FamilySearch, “England Bishop’s transcripts,” database (www.FamilySearch.org: accessed 21 Jun 2016), entry for Frances, daughter of Peter & Frances Hawkins; St Nicholas Church, Brighton, Sussex, FHL film no. 1,468,821, page 186, no. 1481; citing West  Sussex Record Office, Chichester, no.: EP II/16/27A-M.

For more of my articles about analysing sources, go to the Analyse page.

Post last updated 5 June 2024