How to Use Ancestry.com (+ Tour of Features)

[@sm_makai]

This is perfect for those of us who've been looking for an up-do-date guide to Ancestry we can recommend to others - an up-to-date, comprehensive "tour" of the site, complete with printed guide. Thanks so much!

[@AncestryAimee]

You’re welcome!

[@bitchn_betty]

Wow you really cover things fast but you explain an amazing amount of detail. Bravo

[@AncestryAimee]

Thank you!

[@lawrente]

Fantastic video, Aimee! Needed information. ❤

[@AncestryAimee]

Glad it was helpful! Thank you!

[@bakerwannabe4435]

Great video. I’ve been using Ancestry for 20 years and I learned some things today. Thank you

[@AncestryAimee]

Wonderful! So glad to hear that!

[@patranye]

Fantastic job covering all that information!

[@AncestryAimee]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@SwampCat96]

Enjoyed even though I am not a beginner. Wishing the new year brings an answer from Crista.

[@AncestryAimee]

Thanks!

[@dranet47]

Very well done introduction!!

[@AncestryAimee]

Thank you kindly!

[@ThisisFlorie]

Thank you so much for sharing ❤

[@AncestryAimee]

You bet!

[@dwanehoughtaling419]

Thanks for the great video. Very informative. This is making me rethink using Ancestry to build my tree. Do you have a video comparing Ancestry, FamilySearch, MyHeritage, Should I decide to switch to Ancestry, are you a member of Ancestry's Affiliate Program? A couple points not addressed here: What happens if my subscription lapses ? Is the tree locked, deleted or something less draconian? Can I invite someone without an account to view an Ancestry tree? Can I give someone without an account "authority" to edit a tree? Thanks.

[@AncestryAimee]

So glad this has been helpful to you. I'm not part of Ancestry's affiliate program (and not an employee of Ancestry). Great questions! If your subscription lapses, your tree is there and you can view it, but when you click on a source or record, you can't view the image. You can add information manually to the tree even without a subscription. You can invite someone to view your tree and they will have the same limitations - no subscription, they can't view the document images. I'm honestly not positive about the authority to edit without an account. I think it's the same again, they can make changes manually, but not view the images of sources. Thanks for asking these questions, I'll bet others have similar questions.

[@AncestryAimee]

I haven't done a video where I compare those in detail, but this video (kzbin.info/www/bejne/bGqaeqSNpsujf7c) does discuss pricing. FamilySearch is free but the tree you build is a community collaborative effort so others can change the tree and that irritates some folks. My recommendation is add to the tree for free records and then buy a program that syncs with FS to download your information so it stays secure (Rootsmagic works well with FS).

[@TannisBurnett-h4h]

This was a great refresher course for those of us who have been at genealogy for awhile. It's always great to look at my tree with a beginner's mind every so often to clean up, polish, find newly released records, fix errors (especially ones from when I began years ago) and to learn new tips and tricks. Thank you! I love that you add coloured hearts in the suffix field to denote DNA matches. I've got several DNA matches that tested on MyHeritage and FTDNA but not Ancestry and I wanted to have an easy-to-see visible marker on my Ancestry tree for them. Bingo. Thanks for that brilliant idea. I've started adding coloured hearts to those cousins. Question - I notice that you don't extend your hearts beyond your great grandparents - I assume the heart colours correspond with your Ancestry colour dot system (?). Is there a specific reason for not extending to greats grands beyond that? Thanks so much, Aimee.

[@AncestryAimee]

I actually stole that heart idea from Crista Cowan! 😃 I just mark the grandparent lines for simplicity. I further divide dna matches in additional colors but they all are a variety of those and there aren’t alot of choices for emojis. Just the colors of the rainbow basically.

[@TannisBurnett-h4h]

@@AncestryAimee Thanks for stealing the idea from Crista and passing it on. 😁 After I left my comment I started adding more hearts and quickly realized the variety of colours weren't as plentiful as I thought. D'oh! Maybe I'll slide in some other symbols to make up for the lack of emojis. Thanks, Aimee. Cheers, Tannis

[@tammyaingworth7374]

Can’t seem to join Aimee’s crew. Help!

[@AncestryAimee]

If you click this: Join this channel kzbin.info/door/_Xc7ATShOd-8odaTDhO7GAjoin on an internet browser you’ll see the option to select supporting the channel or Aimee’s crew. Please let me know if you have further problems. This handout isn’t available free to the crew now as it is a few months old. You can find it at Etsy, but the livestream library will be available to you and this month’s handout.

[@adrianreyes4702]

Awesome. How do you see the Ethnicity % Round Pie Chart at a glance, on both the phone app, and desktop?

[@AncestryAimee]

On your phone go to dna and origins and scroll down. On the computer it’s the same. The only pie chart they have is by parent. Hope that helps!

[@nanfrostsfashionfocusstyle6250]

I wouldn't pay more for explore. Haven't found it useful yet.

[@AncestryAimee]

Thanks for adding your thoughts!

[@bitchn_betty]

I've been trying to figure out how to add my first husband to my tree even though we didn't have children. He and his family are still important to me and did shape me into the person I am.

[@AncestryAimee]

Go ahead and click and family on the profile page, and add spouse. You will be able to do it.

[@Melissa-tb2sb]

Don't confuse what is with what you want it to be it goes by blood.dna .helix and not who you are or what your made of but what dna is of your past

[@bitchn_betty]

@@Melissa-tb2sb what about adopted children and ancestors. No DNA there just love and family. Just because him and I never had children, and it turns out I can't have children. My second husband and I didn't have children either but his family is still part of mine, just like my first husband. Blood isn't everything.

[@Amanda-cd6dm]

Why does the tree icon at the bottom left handish side have a 0 on it?

[@AncestryAimee]

I don't know what you're referring to - I went back to look but didn't see it - email me a screen shot and I can tell you.

[@ThisisFlorie]

Ancestry is ❤

[@VictoriaReginaAnn]

A lot that I didn’t know.

[@AncestryAimee]

Glad it was helpful!

[@richardpaz1919]

I see you have the family search Icon on your account how did you get that?

[@AncestryAimee]

My account for Ancestry is linked with FamilySearch because I’m a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I wish that they would allow that for everyone and have talked to both FamilySearch and Ancestry about it but it doesn’t look like it’s in the works.

[@richardpaz1919]

@@AncestryAimeeI see thanks for the info !