Question

The 1860 census link to Family Search on my profiles is not working.

Comments

It takes me to a blank page on Family search. Nothing on that page works. Here is one of my profiles where I can't get it to work. Williams-110133.

Answer 1

I've noticed this too. I don't know what FamilySearch have done (probably an update) but the links in their citations now need a "www." in them to work. For example, an FS citation link reads (1) but should read (2):

(1) https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X94T-BTW

(2) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X94T-BTW

Comments

David, thanks for this info for a "work-around" to see the record. Their internal links are not working either so I think I'll wait a day or two to see if they change this back before I start changing anything here on WikiTree. I'm glad to know it's not just me having issues with their links.

---

Thank you David! I first noticed this yesterday and was hoping someone would know how to fix it. I wonder why it is only on the 1860 census.

---

It's not just the 1860 census.  It is an issue with every. single. record. that has its citation formatted that way!

---

Hopefully they'll rework the site, so the old links work.  I noticed this earlier, today.

---

You're right! The ones that were going through already had www. on them. My husband, a programmer, said Family Search is now forcing proper URL formatting. There could be several reasons for that.  They may have added servers or had bandwidth issues. It could be any number of things. Using that formatting is actually best practice. It could even speed up searches. They probably won't change this. I just wish they would have let people know they were doing it!

To make matters more confusing some of the links have hidden the www. but it's there even if you can't see it. Those links work.

---

It appears the issue has been resolved by FamilySearch. Links which didn't work earlier today for me are now working.