FamilySearch Guide: How to Find Your Ancestors for Free

FamilySearch is the world’s largest free genealogy platform, hosting billions of historical records and the global shared Family Tree. It lets anyone discover their roots, preserve family stories, and connect with living relatives at no cost.

Here is your beginner-friendly guide to using this powerful tool to trace your family history.

What is FamilySearch?

Think of FamilySearch as a giant, global puzzle. Instead of everyone building their own separate family tree, millions of users work together on one massive, shared tree. When you add your known ancestors, you might connect with distant cousins who have already added photos and documents.

3 Steps to Start Your Family Tree

• Create an Account: Visit the FamilySearch Sign-in page to make a free account.
• Add Your Parents: Start by entering the names, dates, and places you know about yourself, your parents, and your grandparents.
• Follow the Hints: FamilySearch will automatically search its databases for your ancestors and display blue icons. These are "Record Hints" (like old census records or birth certificates) that you can attach to an ancestor's profile to prove their information is correct.

Search Billions of Records

If the shared tree does not have your ancestor, you can search manually.

• Historical Records: You can search by name, date, and location to find original documents like marriage licenses and passenger lists.
• Full-Text Search: FamilySearch uses advanced AI tools to read handwritten historical records. This makes it easy to search old documents for specific keywords.

Preserve Family Memories

FamilySearch is not just for names and dates. The Memories tab lets you upload old photographs, scanned letters, and audio stories to your ancestor's profile. These special items become a permanent digital time capsule for your whole family to enjoy.

Why You Should Use It

The best part about FamilySearch is the price: it is $0. It is sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but it is 100% free for everyone, regardless of background or religious beliefs. It gives you the perfect jumping-off point to discover where you come from.