How to Create a Family Tree Online: Discover your ancestry and connect with your past by creating a family tree online. Learn the best methods and resources.

Getting Started with Your Digital Family History

Creating a family tree online is a fantastic way to explore your heritage, connect with relatives, and preserve your family’s story for future generations. It may seem daunting at first, but with the right approach and resources, it can be a rewarding and enjoyable process.

Choosing the Right Platform

The first step in creating your online family tree is selecting a platform. Numerous websites and software programs offer family tree building tools, each with its own features, pricing, and user interface. Popular options include Ancestry.co.uk, MyHeritage, Findmypast, and FamilySearch. Consider the following when making your choice:

• Subscription costs: Some platforms require paid subscriptions for access to records and advanced features.
• Database size: A larger database means more potential matches for your ancestors.
• User-friendliness: Choose a platform that is easy to navigate and understand.
• Collaboration features: If you plan to collaborate with other family members, ensure the platform supports this.
• DNA integration: Some platforms allow you to link your DNA test results to your tree, providing further insights.

FamilySearch is free and collaborative, allowing multiple users to contribute to a single profile. Ancestry and MyHeritage have expansive record collections, but require subscriptions for full access. Findmypast is particularly strong for UK and Irish records.

Gathering Information

Before you start building your tree, gather as much information as possible. This might include:

• Talking to family members: Interview older relatives to collect stories, dates, and names.
• Searching through old documents: Look for birth certificates, marriage licenses, death certificates, census records, wills, and photographs.
• Organising your findings: Keep your documents and notes organised to avoid confusion later on.

Every little piece of information is helpful, even if it seems insignificant at first. Even handwritten letters can contain clues.

Building Your Tree

Once you have chosen a platform and gathered some initial information, you can begin building your tree.

• Start with yourself: Add your own information first, then work backwards, adding your parents, grandparents, and so on.
• Be accurate: Double-check all dates, names, and locations to avoid errors.
• Use sources: Attach sources (e.g., birth certificates) to each person in your tree to support your claims.
• Add photos and stories: Enrich your tree by adding photos and stories about your ancestors.

Expanding Your Research

As you build your tree, you will likely encounter gaps in your knowledge. Here are some strategies for expanding your research:

• Search online databases: Use the platform’s search tools to look for records related to your ancestors.
• Explore census records: Census records can provide valuable information about your ancestors’ lives, including their address, occupation, and family members.
• Look at parish records: Parish records (e.g., baptism, marriage, and burial records) can be a valuable source of information, especially for ancestors who lived before civil registration began.
• Consider DNA testing: DNA testing can help you identify distant relatives and learn more about your ethnic origins.

Collaborating with Others

One of the great things about building a family tree online is the ability to collaborate with other family members.

• Invite family members to view and contribute to your tree.
• Share information and documents with each other.
• Work together to solve research challenges.

Collaborating can make the process more enjoyable and efficient, and it can help you uncover new information about your family history.

Protecting Your Privacy

Remember to be mindful of privacy concerns when building your family tree online.

• Be careful about sharing sensitive information about living individuals.
• Consider using privacy settings to restrict access to certain parts of your tree.
• Respect the wishes of family members who do not want their information included in your tree.

Doing so ensures you have permission to share and protects their information.

Staying Organised

Genealogy can easily become overwhelming, so keeping yourself organised from the outset will prevent future headaches.

• Use a consistent naming convention for your files.
• Keep your notes and sources in a central location.
• Regularly back up your online tree to prevent data loss.

By following these tips, you can create a comprehensive and accurate family tree online that will be a valuable resource for generations to come.

FAQ:

Q: Which is the best family tree website for UK records?

A: Findmypast and Ancestry.co.uk both have very good UK record collections.

Q: Is it safe to put my family tree online?

A: Most platforms have privacy settings, allowing you to control who can see your tree. Be careful about sharing sensitive information about living people.

Q: How can DNA testing help me with my family tree?

A: DNA testing can help you find distant relatives and confirm relationships in your tree.

external_links:

• https://www.ancestry.co.uk: A popular subscription-based genealogy website with extensive record collections.
• https://www.familysearch.org: A free, collaborative genealogy website run by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.