How to use WikiTree

Categories: WikiTree Help

If you don't see what you're looking for here, see the complete Help Page Index or ask for help on our genealogist-to-genealogist (G2G) question and answer forum. You could also post on Twitter (@WikiTreeOnline), Facebook, or Google+.

For a video introduction, click here.

Contents 1 What is WikiTree? 2 Logging-In 3 Getting Started 4 Adding Information 5 Editing and Deleting 6 Inviting Family and Collaborating 7 Privacy 8 Finding Information 9 GEDCOMs, Back-Ups, and Moving Your Family Tree 10 Questions and Contacting Us

What is WikiTree?

WikiTree is a community dedicated to growing a single, shared family tree.

See About WikiTree for the mission and a few words on the community and organization behind it.

Logging-In

If you're a current member login here. If you've forgotten your password you can have it e-mailed to you from this page.

If you were invited by a family member or fellow genealogist follow the link in the e-mailed invitation.

Otherwise start by registering as a guest.

Getting Started

For a video introduction, click here.

Your Navigation Home Page is a great starting point every time you login.

You can create profile pages for family members at any time. You could search to see if a person is already on WikiTree but you don't have to. Our system automatically does a search for possible matches when you create a new profile.

Anyone who wants to add more than close family members needs to abide by our community's Honor Code. That's very important.

Adding Information

This is a "wiki" site which means the pages are designed to be easily improved upon.

• Adding family members.
  • Special issues with multiple parents, e.g. adoptive and step-parents.
  • Special issues with multiple spouses, including ex's.

• Adding biographies, personal memories, and comments.

• Adding images and documents.

• Adding links to the body of pages and biographies.

• Adding headlines, lists, and other formatting inside biographies.

• Adding pages for organizations and groups.

• Adding sources, citations, and references. (Please include sources! Primary documentation or information that would allow others to find it is best, but always provide at least some idea of where information came from.)

• Tips for dates and name fields.

• Fishing for information about family mysteries.

• Uploading GEDCOMs.

Editing and Deleting

Most info on a profile can be edited by clicking the "Edit" tab.

• Changing e-mail addresses.

• Changing a password and lost passwords.

• Closing an Account.

• Deletion FAQ.

• Deleting Images.

• Merging when there are duplicate pages for the same person or place or thing, e.g. if you and your sister independently created pages for your mother and now you need to combine them.

Inviting Family and Collaborating

• Here's how to invite family members to join you on WikiTree.

• To enable someone to collaborate with you on an individual profile, click the Privacy tab and add their e-mail address to the Trusted List.

• Here's more on Trusted List additions and removals and how to make multiple Trusted List changes at the same time.

• More Q&A on Trusted Lists.

• Tips on printing a family tree if your family members aren't online.

Privacy

• You control the Privacy Level on profiles you manage.

• To change the Privacy Level on an individual profile, click the Privacy tab, or make multiple Privacy Level changes at the same time.

• By default, most information about living people and their nuclear relatives is protected so that you need to be on the Trusted List just to see it.

• Tips for extra privacy.

Finding Information

• You can do a Person Search if you know who you're looking for.

• Our Find Matches tool will search for matches in your entire Watchlist.

• Browse our Genealogy Help section for external resources, and help us grow this directory.

GEDCOMs, Back-Ups, and Moving Your Family Tree

• If you have family history data on another website or software package, export it as a "GEDCOM" and then upload it here.

• To make a copy of your WikiTree data for safekeeping download a GEDCOM here. This also enables you to move your family tree elsewhere. Not that anyone would want to do that.

Questions and Contacting Us

• Complete Help Page Index

• If you have a question ask it here.

• If you have comments or suggestions post on Twitter (@WikiTreeOnline), Facebook, or Google+.

• Contact us personally if you have a private question or just want to say hello, but please note that we cannot offer customer service. Use the Q&A forum.

This page was last modified 14:06, 11 March 2013. This page has been accessed 103,052 times.