AncestryDNA No Tree No Response

[@joemartin3342]

This channel, has provided the most help, the best methods, and clearest understanding of DNA cousin matching on Ancestry, of all the Genealogy Channels.

[@michaeltew4492]

she's the best!

[@loveandacademics]

I agree! This was so good!

[@GenealogyTV]

Thank you

[@alisoncooper1421]

Connie is my Genealogy guru. I like the way she simplicuses the complexities.

[@dragonflylady8031]

Thanks Connie. Your ability to convey how to research, build-out a tree and utilize Ancestry's tools just amazes me. Although, I have been doing genealogy for years (way before DNA), I learn so much from you. Thank you.

[@GenealogyTV]

Wow, thank you!

[@larryhb1]

Very nice logical way to research those unknown cousins. I continue to be amazed at how much information can be gathered by figuring out where distant DNA matched cousins belong on my tree. Even though I have done the traditional research needed to build a detailed family tree, it is always good to look for and to find DNA matches which support it.

[@julieaskew2576]

Game changer video, thank you, Connie. You show sensible, logical ways to research, which I can totally understand unlike others who rabbit on or don't stick to the point. Fantastic. Thanks again xxx

[@richardwilliams232]

Great tip for using custom tree tags to find floating trees! Thanks!

[@Kimbee-opal60]

YES!!! Pro Tools is worth every penny!!! Game changer! Thank you Connie!

[@matttolmanaz]

Two great takeaways. One I already knew but needed to see the visualization and that was of Great Grandparents = 2nd Cousin, The next was using the floating tree in the way you have to connect DNA matches. I've been using the shared matches but not in the same way. Thank you Thank you Thank you.

[@GenealogyTV]

You’re welcome Matt. Rock on!

[@bevleeming6703]

That's a clever trick your DNA match to them as a floater. Handy for future reference. Thanks

[@VanessaKittredge]

Connie thank you so much for the beginner/intermediate friendly tutorials lately! It’s really filling in the blanks with my skills. I haven’t felt confident enough to join your academy but these super clear breakdowns are bringing me up to speed so I can join and maybe keep up!!😅thank you, great video.

[@GenealogyTV]

There are people of all skill levels at the academy, just FYI.

[@myobacctsgirl]

Thank you - new to DNA and this explains a lot. Mum now passed in her 80's was adopted at birth. All half siblings adopted. Only close living DNA match not replying 😢 This will help me fill out my tree with more accuracy.

[@godisloveireland]

Great idea about adding dna matches as floaters and then researching them. I have lots of dna trees that are not my main tree, i need to get rid of them and add people to my main tree that the dna is attached to

[@tifflovesmetal]

You are a genius! I’m trying to figure out the truth about my orphaned great grandmother’s tree and I’m just coming across so many DNA matches with no tree, and everyone I contact is as in the dark as I am. I think that floater tree will really amp up my game. Thank you!

[@GenealogyGrandmother]

WOW! Will need to watch again! WOW!

[@loripeterson5403]

I love how the floating tree was integrated into this episode. I have seen other episodes containing floating trees; however, I need repetition after repetition...such an amazing episode! Do you tool around yourself to find out these little gems or does someone at Ancestry give you help aids? Either way, superb!

[@GenealogyTV]

Ancestry does not provide me any help. They’re my ideas.

[@lawrente]

Ooo, I love this. Great strategy! Thanks for showing us how to do this.

[@GenealogyTV]

You're so welcome!

[@Elke_KB]

I have multiple kits on one tree. I add a tag indicating if the DNA match is to me or my sister (interesting seeing at the 3-5 ggp regions, how our dna verge off to different branches). I love the tags and comments. My favourite custom is DO NOT COPY and CONFLICTS TO RESOLVE. I also have custom tags for Tree Owner matches that have not DNA tested. There are a lot of people who build there family tree and have not tested.

[@GenealogyTV]

I love your tree tag ideas.

[@pfk2066]

Hi Connie, This is the video I needed! I’ve been trying to figure out how to work with a floating tree with a DNA cousin in the 2nd - 3rd cousin range, has a 3 person tree, and no response to my message. I’m going to play in my tree and see what I can come up with! Thanks so much Connie!

[@GenealogyTV]

My pleasure.

[@tinatieden8499]

WONDERFUL help with this one !! I forgot about your floating trees. I had different trees trying to figure out stuff. EXCELLENT Help !

[@GenealogyTV]

Wonderful!

[@Margaret-emuu]

This has been the most helpful explanation of what I need to do for connecting people on my tree. THANKS SO MUCH Connie!!! ❤

[@GenealogyTV]

You are so welcome!

[@Hereisone.]

There’s always something to be learned from you, Connie. I don’t know where I would be in my research without your videos. Thank you.

[@GenealogyTV]

Thank you.

[@pamelastrand569]

You happened to pick a topic that intrigues me!!! As a "sidetrip", lately I've been going through my new DNA matches daily, although I haven't found links!!! Even the Common Ancestor that Ancestry gives is not on their tree. I know- formulated through Thru Lines! I always support things through material evidence.(Records) I'll have to try this!!! Thanks!!!

[@sforman2911]

This was super helpful. I actually made a little bit of progress on my DNA project with this. Thank you!

[@GenealogyTV]

Awesome. Keep going.

[@mmosher5285]

This is the first I’ve heard of Lucid Chart, I cannot wait to use it!!

[@Paul_Sheila]

Again, another terrific video!! This video alone is worth my subscription! You’re a genius! I cannot wait to start playing in my own tree!!!

[@GenealogyTV]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@CarinRuff]

This is absolutely amazing! Thank you!

[@GenealogyTV]

Thanks

[@miketrink2111]

Brilliant methodology!! I’m going to try to incorporate this into my own research!!

[@beblount]

Awesome Video!!! I was doing a variation of this but this video takes it to a whole new level! Thanks!!

[@GenealogyTV]

Glad it was helpful!

[@mattpotter8725]

I do love your demonstration of adding floating people for your DNA matches to your main tree (I do get why you'd do this) but I'm very wary of adding things that i want to have a play around with, connect up to the main tree without any or at least minimal evidence, so basically a hunch, to see if the cM amounts to other known people in the tree check out, because this will feed into the hints engine pushing out hints to other people. This is why until i have enough evidence to be confident to connect them to i have a private non searchable Experimental DNA tree for me to play around with without affecting possible unreliable information to other researchers who come across my tree. I used to do what you do here but it got me into a lot of trouble. I've also never had an occurrence of linking a match up to the tree in the way you did here (although i have built out many branches of the tree I'm interested in to go as far down to the present day as possible with the hope of doing this). My cluster groups of mystery DNA matches are always quite distant and even with trees don't match to anyone in my tree or any surnames that are familiar to me. I do love the Pro Tools, one thing you didn't mention was that if you have say a 3 month subscription you can add the Pro Tools add on for a month at a time so you can dip in and out.

[@GenealogyTV]

Yes you do want to verify relationships with records too.

[@kjco]

THANK YOU! I have been trying to figure this out by listing surnames in common when I find potential clusters. Now I have one more tool!

[@pepperspot805]

Great advice, as always. Would you go back and change L R from a floater tag since you have attached him?

[@GenealogyTV]

Once I verify him with records, yes. I would then remove the floater tag.

[@jenniferrobinson3650]

Thank you 😀… I’ve been following your instructions and practising it on my tree 😊

[@GenealogyTV]

Wonderful!

[@JudesBricks-ef5lv]

Fantastic video. Very clearly explained

[@GenealogyTV]

Glad it was helpful!

[@helenhall3686]

This was a fantastic video, I really learned a lot , thank you !

[@GenealogyTV]

Great to hear!

[@mlspencer25]

This is very good, addressing an area that gets me regularly frustrated. However, I would love to hear about what to do with those DNA "Cousins" on Ancestry that you KNOW are hooked up to you through an ancestor you KNOW is incorrect but many people just keep adding to their tree over and over. How can those DNA "Cousins" still be there? Are they really related through DNA or just misinformed trees?

[@carlacrazymom]

huge help! thank you so much

[@GenealogyTV]

Glad it helped!

[@vinniegiordano3243]

A wish list item I have with Ancestry is that I would love them to be able to allow us to attach more than one person to an ancestor. For example, I have several cousins related to a great aunt. However, I can only attach one of my matches to that great-aunt. It just provides greater, clearer visual strength to a match if I could link more than one person to an individual.

[@mattpotter8725]

Surely if you link the DNA match to your tree you can see in your tree that they are all through a certain line and if you create a group and add all matches you've linked to that group you can then know they are all related to a certain line at a glance. Maybe I'm missing something, but I don't see what benefit there is by linking a DNA match to someone who isn't that person.

[@BonnieDragonKat]

Okay this was worth the time is sitting and watching just like all the rest of the videos. I have a mystery match in my tree up until a week ago we could only guess it who the person was. One of my first cousins actually identified the person for me. But I decided to test Connie's method on this particular person. So what I did was I sat down and I went page front page to this person's matches in relation to me and I looked specifically for matches that were solid according to the DNA tool. (Like niece, etc) And work to connect them in my tree sometimes I had to add the person and go from there and pray that hence would populate. A lot of times they would. But so far I've actually added a good 15 people to my tree and connected people based on what Connie's demonstrating here.

[@GenealogyTV]

Just remember to go back and verify with records if you can.

[@BonnieDragonKat]

@@GenealogyTV Yep been doing that as I've been adding people :-)

[@varon52]

Astonishing! Thank you!!!!

[@GenealogyTV]

Glad you liked it!

[@cheratrulock4831]

This was incredibly helpful!

[@GenealogyTV]

I'm so glad!

[@rod5390]

This is awesome! and lots of useful tips here. It does appear that LR's parents are related to each other haha

[@mattpotter8725]

I commented on a previous video you made and Pro Tools and i do love it, it is a game changer, however I'm now swamped in data!!! This isn't necessarily a bad thing, more data is always better than less but the amount of data i now have it's almost too much!!! I now need new techniques to analyse the data i have (it's good I'm a data analyst, but even with the experience i have in the field it is still a lot).

[@GenealogyTV]

Yes filter to the BEST data.

[@wardebert8341]

Hi Connie, this was really useful. I've added a tag for "Floating Tree" but as I started to open some of my floating trees in Family Tree Maker I noticed that one big one actually isn't floating, but connects on my maternal side, whereas my DNA matches on which I based it are paternal. To avoid confusion I think I'll need tags at least indicating the maternal/paternal side (my parents are unrelated per Ancestry DNA). I'm thinking I'll name each floating tree and make a custom tag with that name. Also, thanks for the videos about cleaning up trees and gathering supporting records. I made a spreadsheet for my verifications with columns for birth, parentage, marriage, death, and "other", the last so far used for immigration-related records. Rows are people in Ahnentafel order. Weak records are highlighted in red, these mainly being family records at present, but would include DAR/SAR applications (in which I have found occasional errors). I also enter in red notes about failed searches so I don't look again. In the cells of this table are codes that indicate the specific facts established, e.g. a record may give birth date but no location, or it may list the father, but not the mother's maiden name. Other codes, the cell may contain many separated by commas, indicate format, source, repository, and whether I've attached it on Ancestry.

[@GenealogyTV]

Sounds like a great plan.

[@carlacrazymom]

dang i wish i had known this months ago. i have been doing this a different way that is much much more time consuming. again...thank you so much.

[@GenealogyTV]

My pleasure.

[@alvree01]

This was very helpful! Especially how to add a mystery DNA match as a floater tree. I have a DNA match at 716 cm which is quite high that I have not been able to figure out how exactly we connect. However I do know it is on my maternal grandfather’s side. I match also to his daughter who I have been in communication with but she doesn’t know how we connect either.

[@terranceof2007]

Thanks so much for this advice I kinda thought of plugging in potential ancestors to see if thru lines picks it up but don’t think it will work

[@Bellas1717]

I was given an Ancestry DNA, I wouldn’t use it if I was looking myself. Slow to get DNA results, no post tracking, clunky website, annoying notifications, and pay AUD30 a month for the rest of the information, including which parent is which?

[@terranceof2007]

Such valuable information so hard especially with Afro American dna genealogy think I understand I have to isolate some of them matches and build a tree for them hoping it will all connect somehow

[@michaelfreeman4823]

Hi Connie. I'm an Academy member, and was wondering if you have created a video discussing how to visualize shared match clusters using Lucid Chart?

[@GenealogyTV]

Not yet. Not a bad idea.

[@GenealogyTV]

I do have one for Lucid Chart if I recall.

[@Alan-lv9rw]

I’m American, originally from NYC. I traced my family to 1730 and it was 100% English. But my Ancestry results came back 100% Irish. I guess the DNA goes back 500 or 1,000 years, much longer than the 300 years that I know about.

[@KimberlyGreen]

This where you need to understand the nuances of DNA and why it's called an ethnicity "estimate", not fact. The first thing to understand is that autosomal DNA results are only useful to about 6 generations. By your 5th gg-parents you share less than 1% with them. Assuming 25 years per generation, 6 generations out is ~ 150 years. For anyone related to you from the 1730s, they don't share any more DNA with you than what would be considered the background noise of the entire human population. Secondly, ethnicity estimates work like this: Each DNA testing org (Ancestry, My Heritage, etc) uses what's called are "reference panel". Those panels are based on genetic studies of people from the regions they represent, but also are influenced by the number of users they've tested and and the genealogical records attached to their users trees. Let's say you have 100 users with DNA tests. Each of them have traced their ancestors back to Ireland. And the DNA of those 100 people resemble other people from Ireland according to the genetic studies. The reference panel for the company will effectively say "If we get someone else who tests and their DNA is similar to these 100 people, then we *estimate* that the new person has Irish ethnicity too." It's a bit like the phrase "If it walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it must be a duck." But what if the 101st person can trace their ancestors back to England instead, and yet the DNA still matches some things in common with the Irish folks. Now you've got a swan that could be mistaken for a duck at a distance. When that happens the reference panel calculations have to be adjusted because now there's some variance between what was expected and what the new data is revealing. THAT is why every so often you see Ancestry update their ethnicity estimates ... because they are rebalancing their data and updating their references. That's also why it's a big deal for a testing org like Ancestry to have large numbers of DNA results. The more results that they can group together, the more likely that their estimates are accurate and need less tweeking. So, in your case, you probably have a lot in common with Irish people, but your DNA is an outlier from what is expected. When it comes time to update their reference panels, your DNA will factor into revising the estimates. Of course, if your DNA is the only aberation, then it might not have a noticable impact.

[@Alan-lv9rw]

@@KimberlyGreen Thank you.

[@mattpotter8725]

Great video Connie, however you don't get all those filters without certain subscriptions, some you get for free but others you don't anymore (and I'm not just taking about the Pro Tools feature that you do mention at the end of the video).

[@GenealogyTV]

Thanks for the info!

[@007revher]

Right I can't see the tree if the DNA matches if one doesn't have a subscription.

[@mattpotter8725]

@@007revher I don't think it's if they don't have a subscription I think it depends if you do. My subscription ended about a month ago. When I had the subscription I could see trees, now, without one I can't. Before they put everything behind a paywall you could see the basic tree as presented on the match page, but couldn't click through to see it, now you can't even see that, which I think hurts them, before I might be intrigued by what I see in matches, new matches especially which might make me sign up again. Now there's none of that. I don't know who made this decision but it's basically shooting themselves in the foot.

[@TheAngelin2000]

I don't understand, why do people get a DNA test and keep it private? if one is looking for someone, it is easier that they can't find one. remember, a DNA match means families. I had distant relatives that found me and then I tracked them on the tree and found my close relative. like my grandma and grandpa's father and mother. my great grandparent's names I never knew. so please tell your roller, to put your so we can find you.

[@6kids3cats]

people want to KNOW and potentially learn from you. However, they want to be stealthy and never contribute. UGH. My pet peeve.

[@evelynbayna8824]

I hate private trees. Especially when they have taken my info and then can't share their tree.😢

[@mjgoldie1]

Another great video!! Thanks so much. Just a quick thought/suggestion for Ancestry. I understand the privacy issues for living people showing as private on all family trees. However, its been so frustrating in trying to match up dna cousins (where other strategies have not helped). I had a suggestion that I would love to hear feedback about. I believe there is an option,, when doing a dna test, on whether to share it publicly or not. If they say yes, then why can't those people also show up on family trees. How great would that be if you looked up an ancestor's tree and found some of these dna matches on there!! Ancestry can still leave all other living people as private. Again, since they're already giving permission to share their name to their dna matches, why not show up in a tree if the account that's signed in is a dna match. Maybe I'm grasping at straws, but this would be so helpful.

[@LanceHall]

If you don't have a tree that guarantees someone will eventuality message you about your lineage. I know because I contact tree-less DNA matches and ask if they connect to certain lines. Adding a tree to at least grandparents means you won't be bothered (as much).

[@GenealogyTV]

They may not have ever gotten the message. Many people turn off the notification feature.

[@exdus235]

Hello Connie, Completely off topic but something I have been for a long time meaning to share with you: Do you know of Letetia (Tish) Henley Kirk? 🤔 For many years Tish was Elvis' private nurse. I believe that HENLEY is a name from your tree? You will find a lengthy KZbin interview with Tish on the site called Those Elvis Girls. Except for the annoying smoke alarm beeping, the interview is very sweet. Is Tish possibly a relative of yours? I hope so. 🤗 I am a huge 'fan' of yours and a huge, huge, lifelong fan of Elvis. 😎

[@GenealogyTV]

No relation that I’m aware of.

[@conniekessinger472]

I still don't have the update to my DNA matches so I don't have the filter by location. Any way to work around that?

[@catherinejalbert8440]

I have some of my cousins matches that match on both sides of my family when I get the cousin relationships. Those are to the closest cousin match.

[@LoriElskerMusik29]

Interesting. This could be my google map? I have identified 100's and 100's

[@GramGram6]

If Ancestry can tell me what side ( mom or dad ) a match is from, why can’t they tell us what side of the DNA match we match? Because I’m sure that DNA match is being told this match is from your mom or dad side. That be really useful with people little or no trees and you can focus on just their one parent, not make their whole tree out.

[@MerryLucious]

I have a first cousin DNA match with no tree, no response, and NO NAME on their account. I can't even begin to guess where they fit into my tree. There are times when it can be really frustrating.

[@grcleve7053]

Have you tried triangulation to identify which side of your family they are on? This has worked for me and discovered and helped some who had been adopted out find their family. 😁

[@007revher]

If you have pro tools that might help you figure it out.

[@aaronag7876]

I get scared each time I see an email from Ancestry DNA saying they have a match, because in April I was matched with 100% father son DNA match and I never knew I had a son who was 28 years old.... So there are plus sides and negative sides. The match was a positive for us, but caused issues with other family members lol

[@GenealogyTV]

Yes. Sometimes DNA can result in surprises.

[@aaronag7876]

@@GenealogyTV certainly was a big surprise but pleased my new son found me, as he was adopted and I never knew he existed

[@exdus235]

​@@aaronag7876 🤗

[@MissSilencedogood]

I have a problem with thrulines they had my sister as my half sister. So many times I wished this was true but alas she is my full sissy. I wish they would fixed these errors we all seem to have as it is making people add FALSE information that thrulines provides. They need a HUGE FONT that says it by member submission but the lines should be proofed before adding to your own tree. All these member mistakes is screwing up our thrulines.

[@katniss4670]

You leave them alone , not everyone wants to be found by random cousins . DNA is not important, family that you grew up with and have shared memories with is .

[@heart2soul200]

This is kind of a backwards comment. You KNOW when you're taking a DNA test you're submitting your personal DNA that is open to anyone to observe. I cannot imagine that it's important enough that someone wants to know their DNA Matches but didn't want others to know their identity or tasks offense when someone asks questions. I cannot imagine not knowing answers to a life long mystery that one distant cousin may Answer but I'm not going to step on any toes by looking any further into it. If you submit DNA, you open yourself up to questions, to people researching your family. If you don't want to be bothered, do not submit your dna. Respectively.

[@susannayeakel5447]

Have you gotten your Ancestry DNA update this year. I haven't, my mom hasn't, and my sister hasn't. I am beginning to wonder if the updates have been canceled this year. They have been changing so many things this year, it's confusing me.

[@GenealogyTV]

I checked about a week ago and no they had not arrived.

[@007revher]

Do you only tag the record of the first person on the floating tree? Say you add his father..do you also tag this person as a floating tree?

[@irenelowe5248]

Hi Connie, what do you do if your closest unknown DNA match has two people in their tree (themselves and their father (which is a common name)), you have sent them a message and they haven't responded and they have absolutely no shared matches? How do you find the match?? Thanks from Irene in Australia.

[@GenealogyTV]

Sometimes you need to wait for more to test or go to the next best match.

[@Tx2akgrown]

I’m helping a friend work on his tree and he has dna matches that say they are an uncle or half brother but have no tree and won’t respond to messages. I’m struggling with connecting the dots

[@rachelmcculloch5754]

So what happens if they only have my heritage test

[@GenealogyTV]

I've not tried this strategy on MyHeritage, but I'm sure there is a way to do the same.

[@lauriefugate228]

My shared matches page does not look like yours. Is that a premium account?

[@GenealogyTV]

When in the shared matches page, yes that was ProTools.

[@martiphone4884]

Sigh! I have done all of this to try and figure out how a 2nd cousin match to both me and my sister is related. We know it's through our father. Little back info here; my father was an only child. His father, whom he did not know very well did tell him at some point that he had a half sister and gave him two photos of her so he would not date her. Have no idea how old my father was when he was told this or even where he was living (could be two places depending on when he learned about this sister). Long story short, after extensive research, I do not believe this mystery match is this woman or any of her descendants. In working with someone who knows my mystery match (another long story) b/c my mystery match will not communicate with me and removed her tree after I reached out we have learned that the father is not her biological father. Don't know if she knew this before or not. We also believe that my grandfather is not the biological son of either of his parents, but probably the biological son of his mother's sister. No closer to learning who my grandfather's actual birth parents are. I may be able to work through who his biological mother is, maybe; but his father seems to be the bigger mystery/problem and that is who I believe our mystery DNA match is also descended from. Doesn't help that my mystery DNA match won't talk about it, but I can understand that finding out her father wasn't her father is a lot to deal with.

[@sidneyking11]

DNA Grouping Question, finding myself not knowing what group to create and put this individual under because of DNA results. Full sibling to half sibling. example surname "Smith - Johnson" but is related to "Jones - Johnson" but has the last name of Smith and all of their childing surname Smith. I hope I'm not being to vague.

[@jameslangston7642]

how do you find a half sibling

[@sidneyking11]

Is there an easy way to find Floaters in my tree?

[@GenealogyTV]

If you used tree tags the search your tree filtered to that tag.

[@GeraldM_inNC]

I find that Thru-Lines is wrong about half the time.

[@zoenittatoler1084]

When i get leaf in my tree they send me dead people of my family they want send you what living I know some my great grandmother has people are living today don't know who they are I don't know what her maiden name is all i know is Lizzie Tate who was married to Henry Tate she has a daughter Thelma annie Lassier why her name is in Lassier Josephine Lassier has raised her from a baby can you explain why they have eva Stuart and Beatrice Stuart and Joe Stuart why it not in Stewart it looks confusing Thomas Stewart in that name those is Thelma annie Lassier children she has a older son James Matthews his father name is Marshall Matthews George Harris was her husband also is carlye crump

[@zoenittatoler1084]

Now I am get Eva Stewart she was a Harris not Stewart I know what was told to me all my life Thelma annie Harris was married to George Harris something don't sound right here why they keep saying Joe Stewart and Beatrice Stewart I can remember what my mom told me Thomas Stewart has put that name why Thomas Stewart wants to be Stewart let go backwards on Lizzie Tate who was mother of Thelma annie Lassier why her name in Lassier my mom told me Lizzie Tate left her baby why Josephine Lassier has to raise her from a baby so my grandmother has two mother some one say something it not true you really don't know what to believe

[@Tiberius88]

I get DNA matches sent to me almost every second day and have for years. I have yet to find a realistic match. I don't include my 4th cousin's grandfather's uncle in my tree!

[@mountainviewoffgridliving4285]

I am SO stuck on a great grandfather and a GGG geandfather

[@OldSchool-dr5ql]

Yea but you need pro tools.

[@twagoner9]

Pay to see the information. nope.

[@GenealogyTV]

No problem.