Frequently Asked Questions

These are two separate ways to get help. The existing Help button can answer how-to questions for visitors. When you are signed in, it can read your owned trees and circles, real member counts and basic names, and your own invitation statuses. It cannot reveal another account's private data or other members' email addresses. It can propose a private tree or circle, a dated life event, an invitation to an address you supply, or deletion of something that Help itself created. Every write requires its own Confirm button in the chat; typing a request alone makes no change. Confirmations expire after 30 minutes and belong to your signed-in session. Existing AI-chat plan limits still apply. The external-AI access keys described below are separate: they let your own compatible AI tool act through its explicitly granted permissions.

Assistant access lets your own compatible AI tool interact with FamilyRoots to carry out tasks you approve or direct. FamilyRoots does not add a hosted model or a new chatbot for this feature. Your AI uses a revocable key—not your FamilyRoots password—and the site checks your permissions before acting. The AI provider's account requirements, charges, and privacy policies are separate from FamilyRoots.

Sign in, open Account settings, and find “Your AI, under your direction.” Enable Assistant access, name your connection, select one tree you own or can edit, and choose its permissions. If you want to say “of member,” select your own claimed profile in that tree; otherwise use exact person IDs. All five write permissions are initially selected—you can turn any off, or turn all off for read-only access. Create the key and copy it immediately. The secret is shown once and cannot be retrieved later.

Your AI client must support authenticated HTTP tools and keep a separate secret for your connection. Use the FamilyRoots website you signed into as the service address. Its API definition is at /api/agent/openapi.json. Import this definition into a supported tool or action, choose API-key authentication using the Authorization: Bearer header, and put your key only in its secure authentication field. Never paste the key into a chat, instructions, source code, shared document, or URL. Start with a read-only call to GET /api/agent/tree. The API returns only your selected tree's names, IDs, and relationship labels. If your tool cannot make authenticated calls, pasting a link into its chat does not connect it.

If your ChatGPT account supports creating custom GPTs with Actions, create a personal GPT, open its Actions configuration, and import the FamilyRoots OpenAPI URL. Set authentication to API Key with Bearer and enter your member key in the authentication secret field, not in the GPT's instructions. Keep the GPT private (“Only me”); never share or publish a GPT that uses your personal FamilyRoots key. A shared API-key action would act with your permissions. Each member needs their own private setup and own key. Use the Test control for readMySelectedTree first. For writes, the schema includes a requestId in the JSON body because GPT Actions do not support custom request headers. Your AI should generate a task ID and reuse it only for retries of the identical task. ChatGPT may ask for its own confirmation before a write.

OpenAI's Action authentication guide

Do not assume that every chat app accepts an OpenAPI URL. Claude's custom-connector interface expects a remote MCP server; this release provides a bearer-authenticated HTTP API, not an MCP server or OAuth sign-in connector. The OpenAPI URL is not an MCP server URL. An AI coding tool or another client can use this feature if it supports HTTP tools and secure secret configuration. Give it the public API definition and configure your key outside the chat. Never ask it to discover, read, or print unrelated secrets. If your client has no secure authentication method, do not connect it yet.

Claude's connector requirements

Enabled tasks include drafting a person, setting an explicit relationship label, inviting one named person, emailing one named person, and merging two explicitly identified people in the same tree. Ordinary permitted calls run directly. A new person stays hidden as a draft until you accept it in Account settings. Unknown referenced people fail; the AI must not invent relatives. Duplicate names require you to choose exact identities on the site. A changed stored email address also needs confirmation. Bulk email and delete-all requests never run directly: only the tree owner can confirm the exact recipients or people on the site. Delete-all archives people and relationships rather than permanently erasing them. Another member's claimed profile is protected from assistant merges and bulk deletion.

Start with: “Show the names and labels in my selected FamilyRoots tree.” Then try: “Create a draft named Maria, labeled mother of my selected member profile. Do not invent any other people.” Your AI reads the tree to obtain stable IDs, submits the draft with a unique requestId, and reports that it is awaiting your acceptance. Open Account settings, review the proposed person and relationship, and accept or reject. Only acceptance makes Maria visible. For a merge, explicitly specify which profile to keep and which to merge; two matching names alone are not proof that they are the same person.

A key is tied to one selected tree and its enabled actions. Tree reads expose names, stable IDs, and relationship labels—not a directory of emails, photos, private notes, or hidden drafts. Task results can contain details you supplied, including recipient addresses. It cannot use that key to access another tree, create more keys, or manage your account. FamilyRoots rechecks your current edit rights: if you lose access to the selected tree, the key cannot continue using it. Your chosen AI provider receives the data used in these calls, so review that provider's privacy and retention settings before connecting private family information.

The key itself lasts until you revoke it. After 30 days, the site asks you to review the permission. You have a seven-day grace period; if you do not respond, new writes pause. Renew approves another 30 days; Extend adds seven days to the review deadline; Pause writes stops new tasks immediately. Paused keys can still read their selected tree. Revoke blocks both reads and writes and cancels pending drafts or confirmations. A revoked key cannot be renewed—create a new one if you want to reconnect. Revocation cannot unsend an email or undo an already-completed action.

Every write needs a unique requestId in its JSON body, or an Idempotency-Key header for HTTP clients. The same ID with the same request returns its saved result without executing again. Reusing it for a different task fails. If a delivery is uncertain, the API will not resend automatically; check activity and confirm what happened before directing a fresh task. Safety limits are 60 assistant writes per member per minute, 30 email recipients per member per 24 hours, 100 pending tasks per member, and 10 unrevoked keys. These are API safeguards, not new paid plans. Existing member-credit and plan rules still apply.

Open Account settings to view recent activity, approve or reject drafts and confirmations, review each key's tree and permissions, and pause or revoke it. A 401 means the bearer key is missing, invalid, or revoked; 403 means paused access, a disabled permission, or lost tree rights; 402 means existing member credits are exhausted; 404 means a referenced person is not in the selected tree; 409 means a confirmation, ambiguous identity, changed snapshot, or request-ID conflict; 429 means a safety limit; 502 means delivery could not be confirmed and must not be retried automatically. GET /api/agent/health is public and checks that the service responds; it does not test your key. Pending site confirmations expire after seven days. If you lose your key, revoke it and create a replacement.

Start by adding yourself first! When you create a tree and add yourself as the first person, you automatically become the 'Main Person' that the tree centers around. From there, add your closest relatives: your parents, siblings, spouse/partner, and children. This creates the core structure of your tree, and you can branch out from there to grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.

The Main Person is who the tree focuses on by default when you or anyone else opens it. The first person you add becomes the Main Person automatically. You can change this anytime by clicking on any family member and tapping 'Set as Main'. This is helpful if you're building a tree centered around a grandparent or another relative.

We recommend this order: 1) Add yourself first, 2) Add your parents, 3) Add your siblings, 4) Add your spouse/partner and children, 5) Add grandparents, 6) Branch out to aunts, uncles, and cousins. This builds a strong foundation and makes it easier to add relationships correctly.

After adding family members, click on any person in the tree, then tap 'Add Relationship'. Choose the relationship type (Parent, Child, Spouse, or Sibling) and select the other person. For example, to connect yourself to your mother: click on yourself, add relationship, select 'Parent', and choose your mother.

Yes! Click on any family member in the tree and tap 'Set as Focus'. The tree will recenter to show that person's connections. This is temporary - the tree will return to the Main Person next time you open it. To permanently change the center point, use 'Set as Main' instead.

For the best experience, we recommend viewing your family tree on a desktop computer or tablet with a larger screen. The tree visualization works on phones, but larger screens give you more space to see multiple generations and navigate your family connections. On tablets and desktops, you can also use zoom controls and drag to pan around the tree more easily.

Most family tree platforms are built around dead ancestors and historical records. FamilyRoots is built for your living family. We're the only platform where family members can claim their own profiles, collaborate in real time, connect across separate trees, and actually stay in touch. Other platforms treat your family like a research project. We treat it like a living network. Visit our Comparison page for a full side-by-side breakdown.

Ancestry charges $20-$50/month and focuses on DNA testing, ethnicity estimates, and searching historical records from the 1800s. FamilyRoots starts free, costs a fraction of the price, and focuses on what Ancestry ignores: connecting the family members who are alive right now. We offer profile claiming, real-time collaboration, cross-tree connections, QR code sharing for reunions, gift registries, custom merchandise, and privacy controls that actually put your family in charge of their own data. If you want to research great-great-grandparents, use Ancestry. If you want to build a living, breathing family network, use FamilyRoots. Many families use both.

MyHeritage ($11-$25/month) offers DNA testing, photo animation, and historical record searches, similar to Ancestry. FamilyRoots doesn't compete on DNA or old records. Instead, we offer things neither MyHeritage nor Ancestry has: profile claiming so family members own their own data, a deadman switch so your trees survive you, QR codes for instant family reunion connections, cross-tree linking when families merge, custodianship for managing deceased relatives' profiles, and gift registries tied directly to your tree. We're complementary, not a replacement, for historical research tools.

FamilySearch is free and has incredible historical records, and FamilyRoots connects directly to FamilySearch so you can search records and import ancestors without leaving the app. But FamilySearch's tree is one giant shared tree where anyone can edit anyone, which leads to conflicts and errors. FamilyRoots gives each family their own private tree with clear ownership, role-based permissions, and the ability to connect trees when families want to share. You get the benefits of connection without losing control. Plus, when you import from FamilySearch, our smart conflict detection finds duplicates automatically and lets you merge, keep, or skip each one — preserving every relationship and transferring all linked data.

Several things are unique to FamilyRoots: (1) Profile claiming, where family members take ownership of their own entry and keep it up to date themselves. (2) Cross-tree connections, where separate families can link their trees when they discover shared members. (3) QR code profiles for instant in-person connections at reunions. (4) A deadman switch that transfers your trees to a chosen heir if something happens to you. (5) Custodianship requests so relatives can care for a deceased member's profile. (6) Gift registries built right into the tree for birthdays, weddings, and holidays. (7) Custom merchandise: print your actual tree, uploaded images, QR codes, and custom text on blankets, mugs, shirts, and more. No other platform offers this combination.

Ancestry costs $20-$50/month. MyHeritage costs $11-$25/month. FamilySearch is free but limited in collaboration. FamilyRoots starts free with your first 20 family members, and after that you buy member packs: 10 credits for $7.99, 25 for $14.99, or 50 for $24.99. Credits never expire, so you pay only when you grow. Active users earn rewards: 20% off for adding 5+ members in a month, and a free 10-pack when you hit 100 members. Optional subscriptions starting at $4.99/mo unlock voice notes, video attachments, expanded media uploads, and advanced features. No surprise charges, no annual lock-ins. See our Pricing page for details.

Absolutely, and many families do. Use Ancestry or FamilySearch for researching ancestors and historical records. Use FamilyRoots to manage the living side of your family: collaboration, privacy, profile ownership, event tracking, gift registries, and staying connected. FamilyRoots already integrates with FamilySearch — you can search historical records and import entire family branches directly from FamilyRoots without switching platforms.

Visit our Comparison page for a complete side-by-side feature matrix covering Tree Building, Collaboration, Privacy & Security, Connections, AI & Technology, and Pricing. You can also click 'Compare to Ancestry' from our home page.

On every other family tree platform, the tree owner enters everyone's information and it stays that way unless they update it. FamilyRoots is different. Family members can claim their own profiles and keep their own information current: their photo, bio, contact details, career, and more. The tree owner still controls the tree structure and relationships, but each person is responsible for their own data. This means your family tree stays accurate without one person doing all the work.

This is one of the most common ways to get started, and FamilyRoots handles it smoothly. Here's how it works step by step: (1) You create your tree and add everyone with just their names — no need for photos, bios, or contact info yet. (2) You share an invite link or QR code with each person to join FamilyRoots. (3) When they sign up and open your tree, they find the card you created for them and request to 'claim' it. (4) You approve the claim, and now that person owns their own card. They can add their photo, bio, contact details, education, career, and anything else — without you doing the work. (5) You still control the tree structure and relationships. They only control their personal information. There are no merge conflicts because the roles are clear: you own the tree, they own their data. If the same person is in multiple trees, Profile Sync keeps their information consistent everywhere automatically. It's like building the skeleton of your family tree and letting each person fill in their own details.

If someone who claimed their profile decides they no longer want to be part of your tree, they can disassociate themselves. But here's the key protection for you as the tree owner: when they leave, only their personal data (photo, bio, contact info) is removed. The original entry you created — their name and all the relationships you set up — stays on your tree exactly as it was. Your tree structure is never broken. Plus, you'll always know who left: their member card will show a 'Left' badge with their name and the date they disassociated. This way you know exactly who it was, even after their personal details are gone. If you want to reach out and invite them back, you still have their name as a starting point. They can always re-claim the profile later if they change their mind.

On other platforms, if the account holder passes away or becomes inactive, the tree is essentially frozen or lost. FamilyRoots lets you designate an heir who will automatically inherit all your trees after a period of inactivity (6 to 24 months, you choose). You'll get a reminder email with 30 days to respond before anything happens. This guarantees your family history is never lost.

Most platforms keep every tree completely isolated. FamilyRoots lets separate family trees connect when they discover shared members. When your daughter marries and her in-laws have their own tree, you can link the trees together and see the full extended family across both. Smart Matching can even detect shared members automatically. Each family keeps full control of their own tree while seeing how the families connect.

Every FamilyRoots user gets a personal QR code that links to their profile. At a family reunion, instead of exchanging phone numbers or emails, relatives scan each other's QR codes to instantly connect on the platform. Print them on name tags, display them on your phone, or include them on reunion invitations. Each person adds their own branch, and the tree grows as a team effort. Get yours at My QR Code.

When a family member passes away, their profile still needs care. A direct relative (parent, child, spouse, or sibling) can request custodianship of a deceased member's profile. After a 30-day approval window, the custodian can update memorial information, death dates, and biographical details. If the tree owner doesn't respond within 30 days, the request is auto-approved so profiles are never left unmanaged.

Yes. FamilyRoots is the only family tree platform that lets you put your actual tree on merchandise: mugs, t-shirts, hoodies, posters, blankets, and more. Your tree is printed exactly as it appears on screen and shipped directly to you through our print partner. But it goes beyond just tree prints — you can mix and match up to four different elements on any product: your tree or group visualization, a QR code, your own uploaded image, and custom text. Visit the Merchandise page to see options.

Every product in our shop lets you independently toggle up to four print elements: (1) Your tree or group visualization, printed exactly as it looks on screen. (2) A QR code linking to your site signup, your profile, or a tree invite. (3) Your own uploaded image — a saved tree export, a family photo, a logo, or any artwork up to 10MB. (4) Custom text up to 100 characters, like your family name, a motto, reunion date, or team slogan. You can use any combination: all four, just one, or anything in between. Each element has its own placement controls so you decide where everything goes on the product. The preview updates in real time as you customize.

Absolutely. When customizing any product, toggle on 'Custom Image' and upload any image file up to 10MB (JPG, PNG, GIF, or WebP). This is great for adding a family crest, a reunion photo, your organization's logo, or even a saved screenshot of your tree. Your image appears on the product preview instantly so you can see exactly how it will look before ordering.

Yes. Toggle on 'Custom Text' in the product customizer and type up to 100 characters. Popular uses include family names ('The Johnson Family'), reunion details ('Smith Reunion 2026'), team mottos, or meaningful dates. The text appears on your product preview in real time. You can combine custom text with any of the other print elements — tree print, QR code, or uploaded image.

FamilyRoots lets you create wishlists tied directly to family members and occasions: birthdays, weddings, baby showers, graduations, holidays. Add items from any online store with links and prices. Family members can see what's needed and mark items as purchased to avoid duplicates. It's built into the tree, so everyone in the family has access without needing a separate app or website.

FamilyRoots has three-tier privacy visibility (Full Access, Extended Family View, Limited) that controls how much information different family members can see. Immediate family always has full access. Tree owners can set defaults and override visibility for individual members. Family members who claim their profiles can also control their own visibility. No other platform gives this level of granular control to both the tree owner and the individual family members.

Absolutely. FamilyRoots isn't just for families. Sororities, fraternities, churches, sports clubs, professional groups, and friend circles can use FamilyRoots to map out every member and every connection in their organization. Think of it as a private, invitation-only network where every relationship has real meaning: Big/Little, Coach/Player, Pastor/Elder, Mentor/Mentee. No public followers, no strangers, just the people who actually matter to your group.

Imagine your entire sorority: every chapter, every pledge class, every Big/Little pair, all in one private network. When you create a fraternity/sorority tree, the relationship structure is laid out upfront: Big/Little mentor pairs, Pledge Class, Chapter President, Officer, Faculty Advisor, Active Member, and Alumni. Each member gets tagged with their class year (Class of 2024 through 2030), pledge status, or honorary designation. Chapters can connect through cross-tree links so the bigger picture takes shape across campuses. Every member claims their own profile, keeps their info updated after graduation, and stays connected for life. No more lost contact lists or outdated spreadsheets.

A church can map its entire congregation with meaningful roles defined upfront: Pastor/Leader, Elder/Deacon, Ministry Leader/Member, Teacher/Student, Worship Leader, Volunteer, and Mentor/Mentee. Each relationship can be tagged with a ministry assignment: Youth Ministry, Worship Team, Sunday School, Bible Study, Choir, or Outreach. See who leads which ministry, who mentors whom, and how your community is truly connected. Members can share QR codes for easy profile connections. The tree owner controls visibility with three-tier privacy settings, so you decide who sees what level of detail.

Build your entire roster with roles defined from the start: Head Coach, Assistant Coach, Captain, Player, Trainer/Physio, Manager/Staff, Teammate, and Alumni. Tag each member with their status: Starter, Reserve, Varsity, JV, Injured Reserve, or Retired. Need something specific like 'Water Boy' or 'Team Parent'? Add your own roles during creation. A youth league can create trees for every season and connect them, so you can trace a player's journey from little league to varsity. Coaches manage the roster, players claim their profiles and keep their own information current, and alumni stay connected long after their playing days.

Map your professional relationships the way they actually work: Manager/Direct Report, Colleague, Mentor/Mentee, Client, Business Partner, Intern/Supervisor. Tag each connection with their department: Engineering, Design, Marketing, Sales, Operations, HR, Finance, or Executive. Unlike LinkedIn where connections are shallow and public, FamilyRoots lets you build a private network where every connection is labeled with what it really means. Startup teams, consulting firms, mentorship programs, and mastermind groups can use it to visualize how their professional world is structured. You own your network, and it's nobody else's business.

Map an entire school community with built-in roles: Teacher/Student, Principal, Dean, Counselor, Classmate, Tutor/Tutee, Club Advisor, Team Captain, and Lab Partner. Tag members with class year (Freshman through Senior, Graduate), Faculty, Staff, or Honor Roll. Create sub-groups for individual classes, departments, clubs, or graduating years. Students claim their profiles and keep them updated after graduation, creating a lasting alumni network. Use it for a single classroom, an entire school, or a whole district with nested sub-groups.

You are the common thread across every tree you belong to. Your family tree, your sorority, your church, your professional network, they're all separate and private, but you're the anchor in each one. Open your dashboard and you see everything: every group, every role, every connection. Nobody else sees this combined view. It's your personal map of every meaningful relationship in your life, and you own it completely.

Social media groups are flat: everyone is just a "member" with no structure. FamilyRoots defines the structure before you even add the first person. In a sorority tree, you're not just a member — you're someone's Big, someone's Little, Class of 2027, a Chapter President. In a church, you're not just in the group — you're a Deacon tagged to Youth Ministry who mentors three young leaders. In a sports team, you're a Varsity Starter, not just another name on a list. These labeled connections with qualifier tags create a living map of how your organization actually works. Plus it's completely private. No ads, no algorithms, no strangers. Just your people.

Yes, and this is where FamilyRoots really shines for organizations. Each chapter, branch, or local group builds their own tree independently. Then they can connect through shared members or cross-tree links when they discover people in common. A sorority with multiple chapter trees, each with their own Big/Little lines and pledge classes, can start linking them together as members transfer or connect across campuses. Each chapter keeps full control of their own tree while being able to see how they link to others.

We support eight tree types, each with its own built-in relationship structure:

• Family Tree — Parent/Child, Spouse/Partner, Sibling, Co-Parent. Qualifiers: Biological, Step, Adopted, Foster, Half, In-Law.
• Church / Faith Group — Pastor/Leader, Elder/Deacon, Ministry Leader/Member, Teacher/Student, Worship Leader, Volunteer, Mentor/Mentee. Tags: Youth Ministry, Worship Team, Sunday School, Bible Study, Choir, Outreach.
• Sports Team — Head Coach/Player, Assistant Coach, Captain, Player, Trainer/Physio, Manager/Staff, Teammate, Alumni. Tags: Starter, Reserve, Varsity, JV, Injured Reserve, Retired.
• Fraternity / Sorority — Big/Little (mentor pairs), Pledge Class, Chapter President, Officer, Faculty Advisor, Active Member, Alumni. Tags: Class of 2024–2030, Active, Pledge, Honorary.
• Friend Circle — Best Friend, Close Friend, Friend, Roommate, Neighbor, Acquaintance. Tags: School, Work, Neighborhood, Online, Childhood, Mutual Friends.
• Professional Network — Manager/Direct Report, Colleague, Mentor/Mentee, Client, Business Partner, Intern/Supervisor. Tags: Engineering, Design, Marketing, Sales, Finance, HR, Executive.
• School — Teacher/Student, Principal, Dean, Counselor, Classmate, Tutor/Tutee, Club Advisor, Team Captain, Lab Partner. Tags: Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, Senior, Graduate, Faculty, Staff, Honor Roll.
• Custom Group — The catch-all. Starts with Leader, Co-Leader, Member, Teacher/Student, Mentor/Mentee, Connected. But you can replace or add any roles you need. Perfect for book clubs, bands, study groups, neighborhood watches, or anything else that doesn't fit the above.

Every type also lets you add your own custom roles on top of the defaults during creation.

When you create a new tree, we show you the full relationship structure upfront before you even name it. You'll see every role people can have: Coach and Player for sports, Big and Little for fraternities, Teacher and Student for church groups, and so on. If something's missing, there's an input right there to add your own. Type in 'Referee', 'Team Mom', 'Drum Major', whatever fits your group. These custom roles get saved to your tree and show up whenever you connect members later. You see the complete picture before you start building.

That's what Custom Group is for. It's the catch-all for anything that doesn't fit Family, Church, Sports, Fraternity, Friends, or Professional. You can name it anything (Book Club, Dance Crew, Neighborhood Watch, Study Group, HOA, Band), define your own roles from scratch (like Organizer, Participant, Sponsor, Instructor), and tag members however you want (Founding Member, New, Inactive, Honorary). There's no limit on what you can create. If you can describe the relationships between people, FamilyRoots can map it.

Qualifier tags add extra context to a relationship. They answer 'what kind?' or 'which group?' For example, on a sports team you might mark someone as a Player and tag them 'Varsity' or 'JV'. In a fraternity, you'd tag members with their graduation year like 'Class of 2028'. In a church, you'd tag someone's ministry: 'Youth Ministry' or 'Worship Team'. In a professional network, it's the department: 'Engineering' or 'Marketing'. For friend circles, it's how you met: 'School', 'Work', or 'Childhood'. Tags are optional but help you organize and understand your group at a glance.

Yes. Every tree type lets you add custom roles on top of the defaults. If you're building a sports team and need 'Water Boy', 'Team Parent', or 'Statistician', just type it in during creation. These custom roles are saved to that specific tree and show up alongside the built-in ones whenever you connect members. You get the convenience of a pre-built structure with the flexibility to customize it for your exact situation.

Yes! Each tree type has its own unique visual layout so you can instantly tell what kind of group you're looking at. Family trees use the classic hierarchical tree shape. Friend circles arrange members in a ring. Churches use a radial starburst with leadership at the center. Sports teams use a grid formation. Fraternities and sororities use a sweeping arc chain. Professional networks use a web-style graph. Each type also has its own accent colors and connection line styles.

Yes. Your credit balance works for any tree type. Your first 20 members are free across all your trees combined, whether those members are family, sorority sisters, church members, or teammates. When you need more, credit packs can be used for any tree. One account, one balance, unlimited possibilities.

Spreadsheets go stale the moment someone graduates, moves, or changes roles. Social media groups are public, noisy, and treat everyone the same. FamilyRoots defines your organization's structure upfront — every role, every position, every qualifier — and then members fill in the map. Members own their own profiles, connections are labeled with real meaning (Coach/Player, not just 'member'), qualifier tags add context (Varsity, Class of 2028, Youth Ministry), leadership roles are visible, and the whole history is preserved. When a new pledge, player, or member joins, they see exactly where they fit. When an alumni comes back, their legacy is still there. It's the difference between a contact list and a real network.

Sub-groups let you create smaller groups inside a larger one, building a natural hierarchy. Think of it like folders inside folders. A school tree can have sub-groups for 'Class of 2025', 'Class of 2026', and 'History Department'. A church can have 'Youth Ministry', 'Worship Team', and 'Bible Study' as sub-groups. A sports club can split into 'Varsity', 'JV', and 'Alumni'. Each sub-group has its own members, its own visualization, and its own page — but it's all connected under the parent group. You can navigate between them with a single click.

Open the tree you want to add a sub-group to. If you're the owner or a co-owner, you'll see a 'Create Sub-group' button below the tree header in the sub-groups bar. Click it, give your sub-group a name, and it's created instantly. The sub-group automatically inherits the same type and privacy settings as the parent. For example, if your parent tree is a sports team, the sub-group will also be a sports team with the same roles and structure available.

Only the owner and co-owners of a tree can create sub-groups. Editors and viewers cannot create them. This keeps the organizational structure under the control of the people who manage the group.

When you're viewing a parent group, all its sub-groups appear in a navigation bar just below the header. Click any sub-group name to jump to it. When you're inside a sub-group, you'll see a breadcrumb link at the top showing the parent group's name — click it to go back up. It works just like navigating folders on your computer.

Yes. On your Dashboard, any tree that is a sub-group shows a small badge with its parent group's name. This makes it easy to tell at a glance which groups are standalone and which are nested under a larger group.

Create your main chapter as the parent tree, then add sub-groups for each pledge class: 'Class of 2025', 'Class of 2026', 'Class of 2027', and so on. You could also create sub-groups by committee or role: 'Executive Board', 'Philanthropy Committee', 'Social Committee'. Each sub-group has its own members and visualization while staying connected to the chapter as a whole. Navigate between them instantly from the parent tree.

Set up your main club as the parent tree, then create sub-groups for each team or division: 'Varsity', 'JV', 'U-16', 'U-14'. Or organize by season: 'Spring 2025', 'Fall 2025'. Coaches and staff can be in the parent group while players are organized into the appropriate sub-groups. Everyone can navigate between the main club and individual teams with one click.

Your main congregation is the parent tree. Create sub-groups for each ministry or program: 'Youth Ministry', 'Worship Team', 'Sunday School', 'Women's Group', 'Men's Group', 'Bible Study'. Each ministry has its own members and structure, but they're all connected under the main church. Leaders can see the full picture from the parent tree and drill into any ministry.

Yes, you can nest sub-groups if your organization needs it. For example, a university could have a 'College of Arts & Sciences' sub-group, which itself has 'History Department' and 'Biology Department' sub-groups inside it. That said, most organizations find one level of nesting is all they need — school → departments, church → ministries, club → teams. Keep it simple so everyone can navigate easily.

Sub-groups are separate trees, so members added to a sub-group count toward your overall member total just like any other tree. Your 20 free member slots and any purchased credits apply across all your trees and sub-groups combined.

Yes. When browsing discoverable community trees, parent groups show a count of how many sub-groups they contain. This helps people understand the size and structure of an organization before joining. Sub-groups themselves follow the same privacy and discoverability rules as any other tree.

Yes! You don't have to plan the hierarchy from the start. Open the tree you want to move, click the menu button (three dots), and select 'Move Under Parent'. You'll see a list of your other trees — pick the one you want as the parent and click 'Move Tree'. For example, if you started with a standalone high school tree and later created a district tree, you can move the high school under the district at any time. You must own or co-own both trees to move one under the other.

Yes. Open the sub-group, click the menu button (three dots), and select 'Detach from Parent'. The tree becomes a completely independent group again — all its members, relationships, and data stay exactly the same. This is useful when a school splits off from a district, a ministry becomes its own organization, or any group needs to stand on its own.

Nothing is lost. Moving a tree under a parent or detaching it from one only changes the organizational link between the two groups. All members, relationships, settings, and history within the tree stay exactly the same. It's like moving a folder on your computer — the contents don't change, just where it sits in the structure.

FamilyRoots is built for this. You can move any tree under a new parent, detach it to stand on its own, or create new parent groups to reorganize from the top down. If a school closes, detach it from the district and it becomes an alumni archive. If two departments merge, create a new parent group and move both under it. Your members' data and history survive every change — nothing is ever lost just because the structure shifts.

Yes! Use the 'Split Tree' option from the tree menu (three dots). You'll see a list of all members — check the ones you want to move into a new, separate tree. Name the new tree, optionally pick a different owner from your collaborators, and confirm. The selected members and their relationships move to the new tree, while everyone else stays in the original. You can also choose to keep the two trees linked after the split.

Relationships between members who all move together are preserved in the new tree. Relationships between someone who stays and someone who moves are removed, since they would span two different trees. All other member data — profiles, life events, education, career history — moves with each member to whichever tree they end up in.

Common reasons include giving different people ownership and control over different parts of a group, separating finances (each tree can have its own billing), restructuring when a group outgrows a single tree, or simply organizing members into more focused groups. For example, a large family tree might split into separate branches managed by different family members, or a church might split its youth ministry into its own tree with its own leadership.

Your first 20 family members are completely free, no credit card needed. After that, you purchase member packs: Starter (10 credits for $7.99), Growth (25 credits for $14.99), or Family (50 credits for $24.99). Each credit lets you add one family member. Credits never expire, so you only buy when you're ready to grow. See our Pricing page for details.

No. Credits never expire. Once you purchase a member pack, those credits are yours to use whenever you want. There's no monthly deadline, no use-it-or-lose-it pressure. Add members at your own pace.

We reward families who are actively building their trees. Add 5 or more family members in a single month and you'll get 20% off your next member pack purchase. Reach the milestone of 100 total members and you'll receive a free Starter Pack (10 credits) as a thank-you for your dedication to preserving your family history.

Yes. Your credit balance is tied to your account, not a specific tree. You can create unlimited trees for free and use your credits to add members to any of them. Your total member count across all trees determines when your 20 free slots are used up.

Explorer is free. The optional paid plans are Cultivator at $4.99/month, Heritage at $12.99/month, and Legacy at $24.99/month. Paid plans provide progressively higher limits for features such as AI Chat, FamilySearch imports, group email, AI video, media uploads, and voice or video uploads. Core tree-building features remain available on Explorer. See our Pricing page for the current limits included with each plan.

Nothing changes. Your trees, members, relationships, photos, and everything you've built stays exactly as it is. You just won't be able to add new members beyond your free slots until you purchase more credits. Your family can still view, collaborate on, and interact with existing trees.

Yes. You can cancel your subscription at any time and you'll keep access through the end of your billing period. After that, you'll lose access to paid features like voice notes, video attachments, and expanded upload limits, but all your trees, members, and data remain intact. Existing voice notes and videos you've already uploaded stay accessible.

You can add relationships between any family members without requiring a marriage connection. Simply: 1) Add the other parent as a new family member, 2) Click on that person in the tree, 3) Click 'Add Relationship', 4) Select 'Parent' and choose your child. This creates a parent-child connection without implying any relationship between the parents. Parents of a common child are connected through their individual parent-child relationships, not through a spouse relationship.

Click on any family member to open their details panel, then scroll down to the 'Family Relationships' section. Each relationship shows edit (pencil) and delete (trash) buttons. Click the pencil to change the relationship type (parent, spouse, or sibling), or click the trash to remove the relationship entirely. This gives you full control to fix any mistakes or update your family connections.

Yes! When you add a family member and include their email address, they'll receive an invitation to join FamilyRoots. Once they create an account, they can view and contribute to the shared family tree based on the permissions you've set.

Use our Tree Connections feature. When you discover that a member in your tree also appears in another family's tree (through Smart Matching or manually), you can request to connect the trees. Once both tree owners approve, the trees are linked and you can see how the families connect.

The Merged Tree View combines your family tree with any trees you're connected to, showing them as one unified visualization. Toggle 'Show Connected Trees' in your tree view to see your extended family across multiple trees. This is perfect for seeing how your family connects to your spouse's family or other branches.

When your tree is connected to another tree, you can browse all the members on that tree and hand-pick exactly which ones to import into yours. Instead of importing an entire branch, you see a searchable list with checkboxes. Each person shows their name, photo, and relationship badges (like 'parent of John' or 'spouse of Jane'). Check the people you want, and only those are imported. Already-imported members are marked so you don't accidentally duplicate anyone. This gives you precise control over who joins your tree and what it costs.

Yes! As you check and uncheck members in the import dialog, semi-transparent 'ghost' nodes appear on your tree in real time. These preview nodes show exactly where each person will be placed based on their relationships, with green dashed connection lines. You can see how your tree layout will change before committing to the import. Uncheck someone and their preview node disappears instantly.

Only your own tree members plus imported members count toward your total. When you connect to another tree with 59 members, you don't automatically use credits for all 59. You pick individual people using checkboxes. The import dialog shows a running count of selected members and the cost impact as you make selections. This gives you full control over costs while still seeing the full connected tree for free in the merged view.

Yes! Each tree connection is independent. You might import 3 specific people from one connected tree and 12 from another. The member picker shows all available members for each connection, and you choose individually who to bring in.

Imported members have full features: you can see their gift registries, get notifications about life events, see their location (if shared), and collaborate on their profiles. View-only members from connected trees can be seen in the merged view, but with limited features - no notifications, view-only access to basic info based on privacy settings.

Clone Tree creates a complete duplicate of any tree you own or co-own. All members get new IDs, all relationships are remapped, and all tags are copied. It's perfect for creating variations of a tree — for example, cloning your full family tree and then removing members to create an 'immediate family only' version. Find it in Tree View > More Options (three dots menu) > 'Clone Tree'.

Yes! After you drag nodes to arrange your tree exactly how you want it, a 'Save Layout' button appears in the zoom controls. Click it to save all positions to the database. The next time you open the tree, every member will be in exactly the same spot. If you add new members later, they'll be auto-positioned while your existing layout stays preserved.

Yes! Each family member has a Name History feature that tracks names through life events. You can record birth names, married names, names after divorce, or adoption names. The timeline shows when each name was used.

Open any family member's profile by clicking on them in the tree view. You'll see sections for Education and Career where you can add schools attended, degrees earned, jobs held, and career achievements. This helps preserve your family's professional and educational legacy.

The Relationship Manager is a powerful tool for viewing and editing all relationships in your family tree at once. Access it from your Manage Relationships page. You can see every parent-child, spouse, and sibling connection in a table format, add new relationships, or delete incorrect ones. It shows email addresses next to names to help identify family members, especially when you have people with similar names.

FamilyRoots includes smart validation to catch illogical relationships. For example, the system won't let you add a parent who is younger than their child based on birth dates. When you try to create an impossible relationship, you'll see a clear error message explaining the problem - like 'John (born 1990) cannot be a parent of Mary (born 1980)'. This helps keep your family tree accurate.

Email addresses serve as unique identifiers for family members across the entire FamilyRoots network. When you add an email for a family member, the system checks if that email already exists in other trees and warns you - this helps you discover connections you might not have known about! Emails are shown in the Relationship Manager and member dropdowns to help you tell apart people with similar names.

If you add a family member with an email that already exists in another tree, you'll see a warning showing which trees contain that email. This doesn't block you from creating the member - it's just a heads-up that this person may already be tracked elsewhere in the FamilyRoots network. This can help you discover cross-tree connections with other families!

Deleted trees and members are moved to a 'Recently Deleted' area instead of being permanently removed. You have 30 days to restore them if you change your mind. For trees, check the 'Recently Deleted' section at the bottom of your dashboard. For members, look for 'Deleted Members' in the tree settings menu. After 30 days, items are automatically removed for good.

To restore a deleted tree, scroll down to the 'Recently Deleted' section on your dashboard and click the restore button next to the tree you want back. To restore a deleted member, open the tree they belonged to, click the settings menu, and select 'Deleted Members' to see and restore them. You can also permanently delete items from these sections if you're sure you don't need them.

From your Dashboard, click the 'Share' button on your tree and create an invitation link. You can set permission levels: Viewer (can only view), Editor (can add and edit members), or Co-owner (full access including sharing). You can also set expiration dates and usage limits on invitation links.

There are three permission levels: Viewers can see the tree and all member details but cannot make changes. Editors can add new members, edit existing ones, and create relationships. Co-owners have full access including the ability to invite others, manage collaborators, and delete the tree.

Yes, as the tree owner or co-owner, you can remove any collaborator's access at any time. Go to your tree settings and manage collaborators to revoke access.

The easiest way is from inside the tree itself. Open your tree, tap the menu icon (three lines), and choose 'Copy Connection Invite Link'. Share that link with anyone you'd like to invite. When they open it, they'll see your tree name and who owns it — all they need to do is pick their role or relationship and send the request. You'll get a notification to approve it.

An Invite Link (from the Share button) gives someone a specific role in your tree — Viewer, Editor, or Co-owner — so they can see or edit it. A Connection Invite (from the menu) is a relationship request. The person tells you how they're connected to your group (e.g., 'I'm your cousin' or 'I'm a player on the team'), and you approve it. After approval, they get added as a member of the tree with their relationship established.

Yes! The connection invite page automatically adapts to your tree type. If it's a sports team, the person picks from roles like Coach, Player, or Teammate. For a church group, they see options like Pastor, Member, or Volunteer. For a professional network, they choose Manager, Colleague, Mentor, and so on.

Profile claiming lets you take ownership of your own entry in a family tree. Once you claim your profile, you can update your own personal information (name, photo, bio, dates) directly, without needing to ask the tree owner to make changes for you. It's a way to keep your own information accurate and up-to-date.

Open the family tree where you appear, click on your entry to view the member details, and look for the 'Claim This Profile' button. Submit a request with an optional message explaining who you are. The tree owner will review and approve your request.

Once approved, you'll have edit access to your own personal details in that tree - things like your name, photo, bio, birth date, and contact information. You won't be able to add or remove family members or change relationships - that stays with the tree owner and editors.

No, you can only claim your own profile. Only living family members can claim profiles, and each person can only claim one profile. The tree owner reviews all claim requests to verify they're legitimate before approving.

If a tree owner denies your claim, you'll see the status update in the member profile. The owner may include a reason for the denial. You can reach out to the tree owner directly to discuss or clarify your identity.

You'll see pending claims on your Dashboard. Review each request - you can see who's asking to claim which profile and any message they included. Approve legitimate claims so family members can manage their own information, or deny requests that seem incorrect or suspicious.

Profile claims are per-tree, so you do need to claim your profile in each tree separately. However, FamilyRoots has a smart sync built in: when you claim a profile and you already have a claimed profile in another tree, the system automatically detects this and opens a merge dialog. You can review both profiles side-by-side, resolve any differences (like different names, birth dates, or emails), and sync the resolved data to both profiles. After syncing, the merged view will show you as one person across both trees, while your relationships in each tree stay intact.

When you connect two trees, FamilyRoots automatically scans for members who appear in both trees — the same person listed under different entries. These appear as 'Potential Family Connections' on your Dashboard with a match confidence score. If you own both trees, clicking 'Connect' instantly opens a merge dialog where you can resolve any field differences (name, birth year, etc.) and sync both profiles. The system matches by name, birth year, birth place, and gender to catch duplicates even when the details differ slightly.

Cross-tree merging is a sync, not a deletion. Both members stay in their respective trees so all their relationships are preserved. The resolved field values (the ones you pick in the merge dialog) are applied to both profiles, and both get linked to your account. The merged view then automatically shows them as one person. Any linked data like life events, education, and career records are also copied to the primary profile so nothing is lost.

When a family member passes away, their profile may need ongoing management. Custodianship allows a direct relative (parent, child, spouse, or sibling) to request permission to manage that person's profile - updating death dates, memorial information, and keeping their legacy accurate.

Open the profile of the deceased family member and look for the 'Request Custodianship' button. Select your relationship to them and explain why you'd like to be their custodian. The tree owner has 30 days to approve or deny your request.

If the tree owner takes no action within 30 days, your custodianship request is automatically approved. They'll receive reminder emails at regular intervals, but this 'right of first refusal' window ensures profiles aren't left unmanaged indefinitely.

As a custodian, you can update the deceased member's death date, memorial information, biography, and basic profile details. You cannot add or remove family relationships or change the family tree structure - that remains with the tree owner.

Life events are important moments in a family member's life - births, deaths, marriages, divorces, graduations, achievements, and other milestones. To record one, click on a family member's profile and look for the 'Life Events' section. Add the event type, date, description, and even attach photos or videos.

Yes! Each life event can have multiple photo and video attachments. Photos (up to 10MB each) are available on all tiers. Video and audio attachments (up to 100MB each) require a Cultivator subscription or above. This is a great way to preserve memories alongside the historical record - wedding photos, graduation pictures, and other cherished moments.

Go to Account Settings and find the 'Notification Preferences' section. Enable email notifications, then choose which event types you want to receive updates about - births, deaths, marriages, divorces, or milestones. All notifications are opt-in, so you only receive what you want.

Life events are visible to everyone who has access to the family tree where the event was recorded. If you're a collaborator with view-only access, you can see events but not create new ones. Editors and tree owners can add and manage events.

By default, your family trees are private and only visible to you. You control exactly who has access by sending invitation links. You can also make trees 'Unlisted' (viewable by anyone with the link) or keep them strictly private.

Yes, we take security seriously. All data is encrypted in transit and at rest. We use secure authentication through Replit Auth, and your data is stored on secure, backed-up servers. We never sell your family information to third parties.

Smart Matching helps you discover when someone in your tree might also appear in another user's tree. It's completely opt-in - you choose which members can be matched and which data points (name, email, birthdate) are used for matching. No personal data is shared until both parties approve a connection.

Open the member's profile and look for the 'Family Matching' section. Toggle 'Make discoverable' to on, then select which information can be used for matching. You control whether others can find matches using the member's email, name, birthdate, or birthplace.

Privacy visibility tiers control how much information is visible to different family members. There are three tiers: 'Full Access' shows everything (dates, locations, photos, notes, life events), 'Extended Family View' shows only name, birth year, relationship, and photo, and 'Limited' shows just name and relationship. Immediate family (parents, children, spouse, siblings) always have full access regardless of the tier setting.

Go to your Dashboard and click the three dots menu on any tree you own. Select 'Privacy Settings' to choose the default visibility tier. This setting affects how much information non-immediate family members can see about people in your tree.

Yes! Tree owners and people who have claimed their own profiles can set visibility overrides on individual members. When editing a family member, look for the 'Privacy Visibility Override' option. This lets you make specific members more or less visible than the tree's default.

Tags are color-coded labels you create at the tree level and assign to individual members. They help you organize and identify groups within a tree — like 'Class of 2025', 'Chapter Alpha', 'Worship Team', or 'Member Since 2020'. You can create as many tags as you need, each with its own name and color. Tags appear on member cards and in the tree header for quick visual identification.

Open your tree and click the tag icon (or '+ Tag') in the tree header to open the Manage Tags dialog. Type a name, pick a color, and click Add. To assign a tag to members, click the tag in the dialog to expand it, then check the boxes next to the members you want to tag. You can also assign tags when adding a new member — tag options appear in the member creation form.

Yes. In the Manage Tags dialog, click any tag to expand its bulk assignment panel. You'll see a list of all members with checkboxes. Check or uncheck members and click 'Save' to apply changes. This is much faster than tagging members one at a time, especially for large trees.

Click any tag badge in the tree header. The tree will instantly filter to show only members with that tag. A 'Filtering' indicator appears showing how many members match, along with a 'Clear filter' link to go back to the full view. This is useful for focusing on a specific group like a pledge class, ministry team, or season roster.

Yes — owners and co-owners can turn any tagged group into its own tree. In the Manage Tags dialog, click 'Create Tree' next to a tag that has members. Name the new tree and choose whether to make it a sub-group of the original or a standalone tree. All tagged members move to the new tree with their data. At least one member must remain in the original tree.

Yes. In the Manage Tags dialog, click 'Email' next to any tag that has members with email addresses on file. Enter a subject and message, and it's sent to everyone tagged. This is perfect for communicating with a specific group — like sending a meeting reminder to your Youth Ministry team or an update to your Class of 2025 — without emailing everyone in the tree.

Yes. Qualifier tags (like 'Varsity' or 'Youth Ministry') describe the nature of a specific relationship between two people. Member tags are labels on the person themselves, independent of any relationship. You might tag someone 'Class of 2025' regardless of whether they're a player, captain, or coach. Both types of tags can be used together for maximum organization.

The Deadman Switch ensures your family trees aren't lost if something happens to you. You can designate an heir who will inherit your trees after a period of inactivity (6-24 months, you choose). Configure this in your Account Settings. If you become inactive, you'll receive a reminder email with 30 days to respond. If there's no response, ownership transfers to your designated heir.

Click on any family member, then set another member as your 'Focus'. The relationship calculator automatically determines how the two people are related - whether they're first cousins, great-aunts, second cousins once removed, or any other relationship. It traces the path through your family tree.

FamilyRoots shows small badge indicators directly on member cards in the tree visualization. If someone has a birthday within the next 30 days, you'll see a birthday cake icon with a countdown. Members with active gift registries show a purple gift icon. These indicators appear automatically — no setup needed beyond adding birth dates. You can also check the Registries tab in your tree view to see all active gift registries at a glance, and the Timeline tab shows all upcoming and past events in chronological order.

Yes! Each tree has a Timeline tab that automatically gathers every dated event into one chronological view. This includes birth dates and death dates from member profiles, plus all life events you've recorded — marriages, graduations, baptisms, career milestones, and more. Each event shows the member's photo, date, location, and event type with a color-coded icon. Events are grouped by year so you can see your family's history unfold decade by decade.

Yes! Look for the Help button at the bottom of any page. Our AI assistant can answer questions about genealogy, help you understand relationship terms, give tips on researching your family history, and guide you through using FamilyRoots features. You can also learn more on YouTube and TikTok.

Special Connections let you add non-blood relationships to your family tree, like godparents, best friends, mentors, significant others (boyfriend/girlfriend/fiance), and family friends. These connections show up on each person's profile and help capture the complete picture of who's important in your family's life.

Open the family member's profile by clicking on them in the tree, then scroll down to 'Special Connections'. Click 'Add' and choose the connection type (godparent, best friend, mentor, boyfriend, girlfriend, etc.), then select the person you want to connect them to. Both sides will see the connection.

Yes! You can send connection requests to people in other family trees. They'll receive a notification and can approve or decline the request. Once approved, both trees can see the connection. This is great for connecting family friends across different families.

You can optionally add your current city, state/province, and country to your profile. If you enable 'Share location with connections', family members can find you when they're traveling to your area. This is completely optional - only share if you want to be discoverable.

Yes! Visit the Network page and search by city, state, or country. You'll see family members who have chosen to share their location. This makes it easy to meet up with relatives when you're traveling.

Yes! FamilyRoots is a Progressive Web App (PWA) that you can install on your phone or tablet for a native app-like experience. On iPhone/iPad: Open FamilyRoots in Safari, tap the Share button, then 'Add to Home Screen'. On Android: Open in Chrome, tap the menu (three dots), then 'Add to Home Screen' or 'Install App'. Once installed, you'll have a FamilyRoots icon on your home screen that opens the app in full-screen mode - just like a regular app!

Installing FamilyRoots as a mobile app gives you: faster loading times with offline caching, a full-screen experience without browser bars, easy access from your home screen, and push notification support. It's completely free and takes just seconds to install - no app store required!

Visit the Share page to get a QR code that links directly to FamilyRoots. Family members can scan the code with their phone camera to instantly open the app. You can also copy the link, download the QR code as an image, or use your device's native share feature to send via text, email, or social media.

Go to the Share page and you'll see a scannable QR code. You can: 1) Show it to family members to scan with their phone, 2) Click 'Download QR Code' to save it as an image for printing or sharing, 3) Click 'Copy Link' to paste the URL in messages, or 4) Use the 'Share' button to send via your phone's share menu. The QR code is perfect for family reunions, printed invitations, or holiday cards!

Personal Profile QR Codes are a game-changer for family reunions! Each family member has their own unique QR code that links to their profile. Visit My QR Code to get yours. When you meet relatives face-to-face, they simply scan your code with their phone camera to instantly see your profile and send a connection request. This makes building your family tree a team effort where everyone contributes!

At family reunions, personal QR codes transform how you connect! Instead of exchanging phone numbers or email addresses, family members can scan each other's QR codes to instantly connect on FamilyRoots. Print your QR code on name tags, display it on your phone, or include it on reunion materials. This way, everyone can do their part - each person adds their own branch to the tree, making the process faster and more collaborative. Get your code at My QR Code.

When you scan someone's personal QR code, you'll see their FamilyRoots profile with their name, photo, and how many family trees they're building. If you're logged in, you can send a connection request with one tap. Once they accept, you can collaborate on trees together, see shared family members, and stay connected. It's the fastest way to grow your family network!

Your Membership Badge is a personalized digital card that shows your FamilyRoots stats — how many trees you belong to, your total connections, your activity level, and more. It's a fun way to see your impact and share it with others. Find yours at My Badge in the dashboard menu.

Every user gets a unique referral code. Share it with friends and family — when they sign up using your code, both of you benefit. You can track how many people you've referred and see your referral stats in your Account Settings. It's a great way to grow your family network and help others discover FamilyRoots.

Yes. If you'd prefer not to see a particular member or an entire branch in your tree view, you can mute them. Muting hides them from your personal view without deleting them or affecting anyone else's view of the tree. Click on a member and look for the 'Mute' option. Muted members can be un-muted at any time.

These are two different features! 'Print My Tree on Products' (on the Merchandise page) lets you print YOUR actual family tree on custom products like mugs, t-shirts, and posters - we handle everything from printing to shipping. 'Browse Gift Ideas' (on the Gifts page) shows curated family tree-related products from Amazon - these are pre-made items that don't include your specific family tree. If you want your own tree printed, use the Merchandise page.

Yes! You can export your family tree as a high-quality image and then order custom merchandise directly through our site. Choose from mugs, t-shirts, posters, and more. Your tree is printed on the product and shipped directly to you - all without leaving FamilyRoots.

It's simple: 1) Go to the Merchandise page, 2) Choose a product (mug, shirt, poster, etc.), 3) Click Customize and select your tree, 4) Preview how your tree looks on the item, 5) Checkout securely with your card. We handle production and shipping through our print partner. Tip: For the best experience previewing and customizing your tree on products, we recommend using a desktop or tablet - the preview is easier to see on a larger screen.

We offer a variety of products including ceramic mugs, t-shirts in various sizes, hoodies, posters, canvas prints, and more. Each product shows a live preview of your tree before you order, so you know exactly what you're getting.

Most orders are printed and shipped within 2-5 business days. Delivery time depends on your location - typically 5-10 business days for US addresses. You'll receive tracking information via email once your order ships.

Absolutely! You can export your family tree as a high-resolution PNG image at any time. This is great for printing at home, sharing digitally, or using in your own creative projects. Look for the 'Export' button when viewing your tree.

Yes! We partner with a professional print-on-demand service that uses high-quality materials and printing techniques. Products are made to order, ensuring fresh production and no excess inventory waste.

Definitely! Family tree merchandise makes wonderful gifts for reunions, holidays, or special occasions. During checkout, you can ship to any address - perfect for surprising relatives with a personalized family keepsake.

Gift Registries let you create wishlists for family events like birthdays, baby showers, weddings, graduations, and more. You can add items from any online store — we support Amazon, Etsy, Giftlab, Giftory, and Lucasgift with built-in affiliate links, plus any other retailer URL. Family members can see what's needed and mark items as purchased to avoid duplicates. Everyone in the tree can browse all active registries from the Registries tab.

Click on any member in your tree to open their profile panel, then scroll to the 'Gift Registries' section. Create a registry for any occasion — birthdays, weddings, baby showers, holidays. To add items: type what you're looking for in the search box, click a store button (Amazon, Etsy, Giftlab, Giftory, or Lucasgift) to search on that retailer's site, find the item you want, copy the product link from your browser, then paste it back into the registry. The link is saved automatically — just fill in the item name, price, and quantity. Once created, the registry appears on the member's profile, on their tree card badge (purple gift icon), and in the tree-wide Registries tab so the whole family can find it.

Open your tree and click the 'Registries' tab at the top (next to Tree View, Members, Timeline, Memories, and Report). This shows all active registries across the entire tree — each one displays the member's name and photo, event type, event date with countdown, item fulfillment progress, and a link to view the full registry. Past/closed registries are shown separately below.

Yes! Any family member with access to the tree can mark registry items as purchased. This prevents duplicate gifts and shows real-time progress on how many items have been fulfilled. Perfect for coordinating gifts across the whole family.

We accept all major credit and debit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover) as well as cryptocurrency including Bitcoin, Ethereum, and stablecoins like USDC. All payments are processed securely through Stripe.

When you checkout, you can choose to pay with cryptocurrency. Simply select the crypto option, connect your wallet (like MetaMask), and complete the payment. The crypto is instantly converted to USD - you don't need to worry about price changes. Your order is processed exactly the same as a credit card payment.

We receive US dollars. When you pay with Bitcoin, Ethereum, or any other cryptocurrency, it's instantly converted to USD at the current exchange rate. This means your payment is processed immediately and your order ships right away - no waiting for crypto confirmations.

Yes! Crypto payments are processed securely through Stripe, the same trusted payment processor used by millions of businesses worldwide. Your wallet connects directly to Stripe - we never see or store your crypto wallet information.

Yes! When you order custom merchandise (like a mug or t-shirt with your family tree), you'll receive an email confirmation with your full order details including item, quantity, pricing breakdown, and shipping address. You'll also get a second email with tracking information once your order ships.

No — gift registry items from Amazon, Etsy, Giftlab, and other retailers are purchased directly through those stores. The retailer handles the entire purchase, so they'll send the buyer order confirmation and tracking emails directly. FamilyRoots only sends order emails for custom merchandise printed through our site.

You can add items from any online store by pasting the product URL. We have built-in quick-search buttons for Amazon, Etsy, Giftlab, Giftory, and Lucasgift — click a store button to search directly on their site, find the item, and copy the link back. These retailers also have affiliate tracking built in, which helps support FamilyRoots at no extra cost to you. Any other retailer URL works too — just paste the link and fill in the item details manually.

FamilySearch is a free platform with over 66 billion historical records: birth certificates, marriage records, census data, immigration documents, military records, and more. FamilyRoots connects to FamilySearch so you can search those records and import ancestors directly into your family tree, all without leaving the app. Go to the FamilySearch page to get started.

Not permanently. When you connect your FamilySearch account, your session token is stored so you can search immediately. However, FamilySearch tokens expire after a period of time. If your token expires, you'll see a connection error when you try to search, and you'll just need to reconnect by clicking the Connect button again. It only takes a few seconds.

Both are on the same FamilySearch page, just different tabs:

Search Records lets you look up individual historical records by name, birth year, birthplace, and other details. You get a list of matching records, and you can add any result directly into one of your trees.

Import Tree pulls your entire FamilySearch family tree, organized by ancestors, descendants, and spouses. You can select multiple people at once, and all their relationships (parent-child, spouse) are imported automatically.

Use Search when you're looking for a specific person. Use Import Tree when you want to bring over a whole family branch with connections intact.

No. Search results are individual records, one person at a time, without relationships. This is because historical records (like a census entry or a birth certificate) are about a specific person, not a family tree. If you want to import a whole family branch with parent-child and spouse connections already set up, use the Tree Import feature instead. It pulls your FamilySearch family tree with all the relationships included.

When you find someone in the search results, click the "Import to Tree" button next to their name. A dialog will ask you to pick which of your trees to add them to. After importing, the person appears as a new member in your tree. You'll then need to open your tree and use "Add Relationship" to connect them to existing family members (as a parent, child, spouse, or sibling).

Go to the FamilySearch page and click the "Import Tree" tab. This connects to your FamilySearch family tree and shows your ancestors, descendants, and spouses organized in groups. Check the boxes next to the people you want to import, pick a tree, and click Import. The import creates a temporary review tree first, then you review any potential duplicates, and once you confirm, all the people and their relationships (parent-child, spouse) are integrated directly into your tree with connections intact.

When you import from FamilySearch, the system first places everyone into a temporary review tree. It then compares the imported people against your existing tree members using name, birth year, birth place, and gender to find potential duplicates. You'll see a side-by-side comparison for each possible match, with differences highlighted. For each match, you choose: 'Same Person' to merge them (combining any missing data and preserving all relationships), 'Different People' to keep both, or 'Skip' to remove the imported copy. Once you confirm, all imported members and their relationships are moved into your main tree.

Yes. During the tree import flow, the system automatically compares imported people against your existing tree members using fuzzy matching: same name, birth year within 5 years, similar birth place, and matching gender. Each potential duplicate is shown to you with a match score and a side-by-side comparison so you can decide whether to merge them, keep both, or skip the import. This prevents duplicates while giving you full control over the decision.

Yes. When you choose 'Same Person (Merge)' for a duplicate, all the relationships that the imported person had — including distant ones like great-grandparents — are re-pointed to your existing member. The system uses a 7-phase process: it moves all members and relationships into your tree first, then processes merges and skips, then deduplicates, and finally runs an integrity check to verify every connection survived. Even ancestors four generations back stay fully connected.

Everything. FamilyRoots does a true sync: if only one side has a piece of data (like a birth place or photo), it's always kept. If both sides have different values, the more complete version is used. Beyond profile fields, all linked records transfer to the merged profile — life events, education history, career history, name changes, tags, FamilySearch sources, external identifiers, voice notes, gift registries, special connections, invitations, profile claim requests, custodianship records, mute preferences, and discoverable member entries. Nothing is ever lost during a merge.

Spouse connections are preserved. When you skip a duplicate, the system doesn't just bridge parent-child chains — it also re-routes spouse relationships. If the skipped person was married to someone, that spouse connection is transferred to the corresponding merged or kept member. No family connections are silently deleted.

After resolving all conflicts, FamilyRoots runs an automatic integrity check and shows you a detailed summary. You'll see exactly how many members were merged, kept, or skipped; how many relationships were preserved; counts for every type of linked data transferred (events, education, career, tags, voice notes, gift registries, invitations, claims, custodianship records, and more); and whether all ancestor chains from root to most distant generation are intact. The summary also shows ancestor chain verification with generation depth and spouse connections preserved. If anything looks off, it will be flagged.

Not currently. The FamilySearch integration is manual, meaning you search for people and choose what to import. There's no automatic monitoring that watches for new records matching your family. This is a feature we'd like to add in the future, but for now, you'll want to periodically search FamilySearch for new records as they become available.

Yes, you need a free FamilySearch account to use the integration. FamilySearch is completely free and open to everyone. Once you have an account, you connect it to FamilyRoots on the Historical Records page by clicking the Connect button, which securely links the two accounts.

No. Your FamilySearch connection is private to your account. Any records you search or ancestors you import are only visible within your own trees, subject to whatever sharing and collaboration permissions you've set. Other FamilyRoots users cannot see your FamilySearch data.

Memory Lane is a storytelling feed attached to your family tree where members can share memories, milestones, traditions, funny moments, and life lessons. Think of it as a private family journal that lives alongside your tree. Each memory can include a title, story text, photos, and a category so your family's most meaningful moments are preserved and easy to browse.

Navigate to your tree, open the Memories tab, and tap the button to add a new memory. Give it a title, write the story, choose a category, optionally attach a photo, and save. The memory is immediately visible to everyone who has access to the tree.

There are five categories to organize your memories: Memory (general recollections), Milestone (significant achievements or events), Tradition (recurring family customs), Funny (humorous stories and moments), and Lesson (wisdom or life lessons passed down). Categories make it easy to filter and browse specific types of stories.

Yes. Each memory supports a photo attachment. When creating or editing a memory, you can upload an image that accompanies the story. This is great for pairing a written memory with the photo that captures the moment.

Memories are visible to everyone who has access to the tree. Only tree members with edit permissions can add, edit, or delete memories. Visibility follows the same access rules as the rest of your tree — if someone can see the tree, they can see the memories.

Voice Notes let you record audio messages attached to individual family member profiles. Capture a grandparent telling a story, a parent sharing advice, or a child's first words — all saved directly on the person's profile in the tree. Voice Notes require a Cultivator subscription or above.

Open any family member's detail panel by clicking on them in the tree. Scroll to the Voice Notes section and tap the record button. Grant microphone access when prompted, record your message (up to 5 minutes), and save it. The recording is attached to that member's profile and can be played back by anyone with access to the tree. Voice notes are limited to 25MB per file.

Voice Notes appear in the member detail panel when you click on a family member in the tree view. They are listed in the Voice Notes section alongside other profile information like location, relationships, and life events.

Yes. If you have edit permissions on the tree, you can delete any Voice Note from a member's profile. Open the member's detail panel, find the Voice Note you want to remove, and use the delete option. Deleted Voice Notes cannot be recovered.

Yes. Photos are limited to 10MB per file. Voice notes (audio) are limited to 25MB and 5 minutes of recording. Video attachments are limited to 100MB per file. These limits help keep the platform fast and reliable for everyone.

Yes. Voice notes and video attachments require a Cultivator subscription ($4.99/month) or above. Free Explorer users can still upload photos, but voice and video features are reserved for paid subscribers. Monthly limits vary by tier: Cultivator gets 20/month, Heritage gets 80/month, and Legacy gets 200/month. See our Pricing page for full details.

The Annual Tree Report is a yearly summary of your family tree's growth and activity. It shows statistics like total members, new additions, relationship breakdowns, and other insights about how your tree has evolved over the year. It's a great way to reflect on your family's growth and share highlights with relatives.

Yes. The Annual Tree Report section lets you select different years to review past reports. This allows you to compare growth across years and see how your family tree has expanded over time.

The report is generated automatically based on the data in your tree. It analyzes member additions, relationship types, and tree structure to produce statistics and insights. No manual setup is required — just navigate to the Report tab on your tree to see the current year's summary or browse previous years.

Member Radar is a proximity discovery feature that lets you find other FamilyRoots members nearby — like scanning for WiFi, but for people. Only signed-in members can use it. Turn it on when you're at a family reunion, community event, or anywhere you want to connect with other members in person.

No. Radar is completely opt-in. Your location is only shared while you have Radar turned on. It automatically expires after 5 minutes of inactivity. You can turn it off anytime with one tap. When Radar is off, no location data is collected or shared.

Broadcast mode makes you visible to other nearby members and lets you see them too — great for meetups and reunions. Watch mode lets you scan for nearby members without revealing your own position. Think of it as listening on the channel without transmitting.

You can set the scan radius from 1 mile up to 50 miles. The default is 5 miles. For events and reunions, a smaller radius like 1-2 miles works well. For discovering members in your broader area, try 10-25 miles.

No. Member Radar is a members-only feature. Only signed-in FamilyRoots users with Radar active can see other members. It's a private channel — if you're not on the network, you can't see anyone.