Thursday, July 9, 2009
Exporting a Tree from Ancestry.com
Several readers have asked me how to export a Family Tree from Ancestry.com. This is relatively easy, but you have to know where to look for the right links to click on.
I uploaded a new "Ancestors of Randy Seaver" Family Tree last week, and over the past several days I have attached some historical records (census records) to persons in the tree. Here is the Family Tree Pedigree View of my tree:
Just above the dark green header, on the right side, is the link for "Tree Settings." Click on that link, and you see your "Tree Info" and over on the right side is a section for "Export your tree" with a light green button for "Export tree." Click on the light green button, and Ancestry will prepare your GEDCOM file for downloading:
When the GEDCOM file has been created from your database, then another light green button that says "Download your GEDCOM file" appears:
Click on the "Download your GEDCOM file" and the box asking if you want to Open or Save your file appears:
If you want to Open the file in your genealogy software, then click on "Open." If you want to save your file to your file folders, click on "Save," and you can open the GEDCOM file later using your genealogy software. You can also Cancel at this point too.
I uploaded a new "Ancestors of Randy Seaver" Family Tree last week, and over the past several days I have attached some historical records (census records) to persons in the tree. Here is the Family Tree Pedigree View of my tree:
Just above the dark green header, on the right side, is the link for "Tree Settings." Click on that link, and you see your "Tree Info" and over on the right side is a section for "Export your tree" with a light green button for "Export tree." Click on the light green button, and Ancestry will prepare your GEDCOM file for downloading:
When the GEDCOM file has been created from your database, then another light green button that says "Download your GEDCOM file" appears:
Click on the "Download your GEDCOM file" and the box asking if you want to Open or Save your file appears:
If you want to Open the file in your genealogy software, then click on "Open." If you want to save your file to your file folders, click on "Save," and you can open the GEDCOM file later using your genealogy software. You can also Cancel at this point too.
Pretty easy, isn't it? You just have to know where to click in the New Look for Family Trees.
Note that back on Screen 2 the user can "Delete your tree" using the link provided under the "Export tree" section. However, Ancestry.com warns that doing this means: "This cannot be undone. It includes deleting all people, photos, stories, etc. in the tree."
I was interested to see if the Source Citations for the Historical Facts I created would appear in the Source Citations in my genealogy software. I thought that they would, but wondered what they would look like. Stay tuned!
Labels: Ancestry.com, genealogy software, My genealogy research
Comments:
Links to this post:
<< Home
This may be a stupid question. In fact, it probably is. Some time ago, when I first tried to export a GEDCOM, I didn't realize you needed specialized software to open it. I know better now, but my problem is that that first time, when I tried to open it with some program already on my computer, I accidentally clicked "Do this for files like this from now on." How do I undo that? I haven't been able to figure it out, but I also haven't tried to export a GEDCOM since, because I've assumed it wouldn't work. If I try while having the proper software, will it automatically download through that? I imagine not, but I have no idea how to fix it.
Hi Randy ...one important thing that wasn't mentioned ...to download a family tree from Ancestry.com online family trees, you must be the owner of that tree. If someone gives you access, even as an editor, only the owner can download it!
Randy,
I have found that the sources are listed but they have lost their links back to the source material. Any media is lost as well. That is the bad news. The good news is that if you export from Family Tree Maker 2009 to Ancestry.com all of that information remains intact.
So it appears that you should be keeping your master and doing your editing on FTM if you want to be working with a synced set of data at home and online.
Post a Comment
I have found that the sources are listed but they have lost their links back to the source material. Any media is lost as well. That is the bad news. The good news is that if you export from Family Tree Maker 2009 to Ancestry.com all of that information remains intact.
So it appears that you should be keeping your master and doing your editing on FTM if you want to be working with a synced set of data at home and online.
Links to this post:
<< Home
