Help:FamilySearch Connections

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Use the WikiTree-FamilySearch Connections App with a free FamilySearch account.

Contents

Connections from WikiTree to FamilySearch

The app will suggest possible matches on the FamilySearch Tree for profiles in your WikiTree Watchlist.

If a person appears to be the same, click "Create Match." You can select either "Certain" or "Uncertain" when you do so.

A link to the FamilySearch profile will be added to the person's WikiTree profile page (under "Research" at the bottom of the right column). This way you and others with a FamilySearch account can easily click over and view the person's information there.

Connections are not endorsements

The FamilySearch Tree, like WikiTree, is user-generated. The information there, like here, may be incorrect.

A link from a WikiTree profile to a FamilySearch profile is not an endorsement of all the information and genealogy connected with the FamilySearch profile. It's just an indication that the profile on WikiTree and the profile on FamilySearch are intended to represent the same person.

Connections from FamilySearch to WikiTree

The app also enables you to easily add links to WikiTree profiles from FamilySearch profiles.

After you create a match and add the link to WikiTree, you will see a link that says "Link in FamilySearch." Clicking this opens up a form for adding a pre-formatted source citation to the person's profile on the FamilySearch Tree.

In future usage of the app, the link will not appear. This way you won't mistakenly add a second link to WikiTree.

Why Create Connections?

Making these connections can help you and others now, and has significant potential benefits for the future.

Find information and cousins

Most obviously, the process of making the matches may lead you to discover profiles on FamilySearch that you didn't know about. They may have new information, and may lead you to new cousins who are researching the same ancestors.

By adding the link to collaborative profiles on WikiTree you might also be helping other WikiTreers make these discoveries. Even if other members aren't collaborating on these profiles now they're likely to be used by others in the future. The link to the FamilySearch profile may be very valuable to them.

Similarly, by adding the link to WikiTree from FamilySearch you may help new cousins find you and your work on WikiTree.

The interconnected single family tree of the future

The mission of WikiTree is to create a single family tree for everyone, but we all recognize that not all family history will be located here on WikiTree.com. Many other websites host genealogy information, FamilySearch being one of the most significant.

Creating links between these sites does more than benefit the genealogists viewing the websites. It creates a link that future technology can leverage. The links will send signals that can be interpreted by software. For example, Google may "know" that the same person on WikiTree and FamilySearch really is the same person, in part because of your link between them.

Editing Connections Directly

You can use the app at any time to look for more connections. You can also remove connections through the app.

In addition, there is a direct way to edit connections. This tool allows you to:

  • Manually add new connections: If you know there is a matching profile on FamilySearch but you don't see it you can add it by hand using its ID.
  • Remove connections.
  • Edit the certainty status, e.g. change a connection from Certain to Uncertain.

See Special:EditFamilySearch.

Known Problems and Future Improvements

We will be continuing to work on improvements.

The search sensitivity is imperfect. It will miss some valid matches and present some bad potential matches. We may add a feature that allows you to adjust the sensitivity so that you can choose to see more or fewer suggestions.

If you spot bugs or have ideas for improvements, please post in G2G using the tag familysearch_app.



This page was last modified 21:35, 26 January 2023. This page has been accessed 103,415 times.