Help us build links back to WikiTree! Link Builders Challenge (January 2025) [closed]

+21 votes
693 views

Hi, WikiTreers!

WikiTree has pledged to stay 100% free forever. This means we have to keep costs ultra-low, and can't spend money on advertising. Link building is a way to spread the word about WikiTree and bring in new members. It's also great "cousin bait." 

We do link building, for example, by adding the WikiTree profile ID for an ancestor to Wikidata or by adding a profile URL to an IMDb page. There are more ideas on the Link Builders Challenge space page, including some WikiTree+ example searches.

Answer this post to let us know you'd like to participate. 

  1. Pick an ancestor to focus on
  2. Add a link back to WikiTree on external websites (these are just a few ideas): Wikidata, FindAGrave (not the URL, but the profile id can be left in a comment on a "flower"), FamilySearch, Ancestry (leave a comment on a BMD source record), Industry sites (IMDb, Discogs), Fandom sites (Wookieepedia, Tardis Wiki), Trove (leave a comment on a highlighted article), Legacy.com (leave a comment on an older obit)
  3. From the ancestor profile, select the menu for that profile id, then select "Challenge Tracker", you will want to select the box next to "Link Builders"

Select as many words on the list as needed, we can then do stats based on those specific words: 

There is a how-to video for adding links for some websites here: How you can link to WikiTree

Score sheet | Discord channel

Cubicle Party! 

Each month join us for a Cubicle Party on Zoom where we'll work together, share tips, tricks, and stories. 

Link to the playlist of the cubicle party recordings on YouTube!
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEqK4ICkQWXRoJeTYrJ0fgAahtz_bdMn-                             

~ Azure, Eowyn, and Sandy

WikiTree profile: Space:Link_Builders_Challenge
in Requests for Project Volunteers by Azure Robinson G2G6 Pilot (810k points)

Thank you to all who participated this month! Here are the top five participants:

WikiTree ID Rank Links Ancestors
French-13666 1 476 226
Morse-5268 2 292 216
Burkett-1190 3 181 181
Durbin-702 4 135 152
Kellett-33 5 203 145

Wikidata 65
WikiNews 1
FamilySearch 1,310
Ancestry 537
Newspapers.com 17
FindAGrave 749
BillionGraves 1
Geni 8
Geneanet 1
WeRelate 2
MyHeritage 1
FindMyPast 2
IMDb 4
Discogs 12
Other 25
Trove 17
Arolsen 21

19 Answers

+17 votes
Im up for doing some this month.

Steph
by Stephanie Hill G2G6 Mach 6 (67.8k points)
I'm on ourfamtree.org, werelate, geni, and FS...

I'm glad ya'll are doing this, when I started doing it I was met with resistance from several sites, including Wikitree. I learned 20 some odd years ago that links needed to be mutual. And just something else to feed the OCD ADD ADHD.

At FS, I have Name# at wikitree with a link in the sources.

here is my father Jester-199 .. https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/sources/LKHT-PB5

Where I have him, in most cases I listed "this person is the same as...."
Thanks for joining the challenge again this month, Steph!
That's great, thanks, Lynette!
+15 votes
Yes! Enjoy this project.
by Charlene Mulligan G2G6 Mach 3 (30.3k points)
Thanks, Charlene!
+18 votes

Dear WikiTree - I am so bad at clicking a tracker button.  Please forgive me.   

But, also, please know that I am constantly adding link backs to profiles on WT from Ancestry, FamilySearch, and other places such as my blog. smiley

 

by Sandy Patak G2G6 Pilot (364k points)
If someone I am blogging about or discussing with a possible relative has a WikiTree profile I always share the link as I know anyone can see it.
I love your blog!
+16 votes
I'll try to get a few done this month.
by Judith Fry G2G6 Pilot (151k points)
Wonderful, thanks, Judith!
+15 votes
Happy to do some just need to check out the how to again.
by Hilary Gadsby G2G6 Pilot (353k points)
Yay! Thanks for helping Hilary! Let me know if you have questions! We've got a channel in discord as well under Challenges and Events
+15 votes
Count me in!
by Phillip Jares G2G6 Mach 4 (41.0k points)
Great to have you back again, Phillip!
+13 votes
Count me in to help out.
by Natalie Trott G2G Astronaut (1.5m points)
Awesome! Thank you for joining the challenge, Natalie!
+14 votes
I will def be doing this this month :)
by Nettie Mae Lucas G2G6 Mach 3 (37.9k points)
Thanks for joining the challenge again Nettie!
+14 votes
I wish I had known about this sooner. I had linked Wikidata to profiles of 3 persons on Wikitree earlier this week. I'm pretty bad at remembering to use a challenge tracker, so I might have forgotten anyway.

Does anyone have some good "flower" images to add to FindAGrave that will make it clearer that the person has a profile on WikiTree?

I will also try and leave a comment (with link to WikiTree profile) on the FamilySearch profiles I have been referencing.
by Lianne Trevarthen G2G6 Mach 4 (49.3k points)

Hi, Lianne!

Great to have you join the challenge!

You can go back to the profile you added the Wikidata link for, go to the profile id menu, and then the first option is the Challenge Tracker. You can make your entry there.

Check out the Images tab on the Link Builders page for images to use as "flowers" on FindAGrave.

Thanks, done.
For FamilySearch profiles, I add a source on the year they were born, or the year before if they have birth records. As part of the source, I include the url to their wikitree page. That way when someone goes to check sources, WikiTree comes up on top. Can’t miss it!
I managed to do more than I expected. Ranked 8th in the January list for contributions, so I am happy. Now off to join the Feb one.
+14 votes
I'm in for this month!  

St
by Staci Golladay G2G6 Mach 8 (83.6k points)
Great to have you joining again, Staci!
+14 votes
I am participating!
by Candra Holmes G2G6 (8.6k points)
Yay! Thanks for joining the challenge, Candra!
+14 votes
I'm in for this month
by Alice Thomsen G2G6 Pilot (387k points)
Awesome, thanks Alice!
+13 votes
I am all in on this!  Add me for infinity months!!  YAY!
by Bob Land G2G6 Mach 3 (34.8k points)
Great to have you joining in again, Bob!
+13 votes
Never done this before, but whenever I write a biography on my personal blog, I make sure I also add link to their WT profile.

How do you link to highlighted posts in Trove? I assume you need to be logged in to Trove first.
by Sue Wyatt G2G6 Mach 3 (36.6k points)
Great to have you join the challenge, Sue! Yes, there is a place to add a comment in the "Notes" section for the article on Trove. I'm responding to your discord question with a screenshot!
+12 votes
I have already linked a few ancestors from my Ancestry tree to WikiTree. This is the year I get this done.
by Kathy Nava G2G6 Pilot (415k points)
Thanks for joining in again, Kathy!
+11 votes
I also am not a good tracker!  However I have been adding WikiTree links to FS, Ancestry, and FindAGrave just about every profile I work on.  Once it becomes ingrained, it's just like doing categories!  I do have a comment. Most of these links are just the profile ID, not actual links.  I went to the WikiTree home page, not logged in, and found that the only way to search is by name.  If we are adding all these ID's shouldn't the home page have a Search by ID box?
by Kathy Evans G2G6 Mach 6 (66.7k points)
Hi, Kathy! That's great! Remember you can go back and add to the challenge tracker when you are on a profile by using the profile id menu.

There is a field to search for id on the home page, under the paragraph about how WikiTree started 16 years ago... in the green bar.

Thanks for joining the challenge again!
Thanks, Azure.  What I see is the First Name field, the Last Name field, and the search button.  Newbies to this site would not figure out where to put the ID.
+12 votes
I'll add links as I do Data Doctor fixes
by Michelle Reed G2G6 Mach 2 (25.4k points)
So appreciated! Thanks for adding it in
+10 votes
I'll try to make this part of my pattern. The cubicle party call was very helpful!
by Shaun Boyle G2G6 Mach 3 (38.0k points)
Awesome, thanks Shaun!
+6 votes
I'm doing quite a few Find-A-Grave flowers this month.
by Beverly Diaz G2G6 Mach 5 (54.2k points)
Wonderful, thanks so much, Beverly!

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