Build My FamilyGetting Started
How to Build a Family Tree from Scratch
A complete step-by-step walkthrough for first-time researchers. Learn how to gather information, structure your tree, choose the right tools, and avoid the most common beginner mistakes.
Read guide →Tracing Your Family History Back 100 Years
A generation-by-generation roadmap showing exactly which records to use for each 30-year window from today back to the late 1800s — with tips for when the trail goes cold.
Read guide →How to Interview Relatives for Genealogy Research
Living relatives are primary sources that no archive can replace. Learn who to ask, what questions to prepare, how to record the conversation, and how to verify oral history against documents.
Read guide →Records & Research
Using Census Records to Trace Your Family History
Census records are the backbone of genealogy research. This guide covers US, UK, and Canadian census availability, what information each record contains, and how to search effectively when names were spelled inconsistently.
Read guide →How to Research Immigration Records
If your ancestors immigrated, passenger lists, naturalization papers, and border crossing records can unlock their origin towns and birth details. Learn where to find them and how to read 19th-century ship manifests.
Read guide →Tools & Data
What Is a GEDCOM File? A Complete Explanation
GEDCOM is the universal format for exchanging family tree data between platforms. Learn its history, what data it stores, how to export from Ancestry and FamilySearch, and what its limitations are.
Read guide →How to Digitize and Preserve Old Family Photographs
Old prints fade and deteriorate. This guide covers the equipment you need, the right scanning settings, how to name and organise your files, and the backup strategy that ensures your family's visual history survives.
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