Choose an application around your needs: solo work, family sharing, collaboration or record access. A records subscription and tree software solve different problems.
The method, step by step
- Test a small tree with several citations and an uncertain date. Check references, special relationships and export readability.
- Review privacy defaults for living people, collaborator permissions and access to your data after a subscription ends.
- Compare offline use, backups, exchange formats and media handling. Export does not guarantee every field transfers.
- Record current costs and conditions when choosing. Keep a master copy and test restoration before moving all your research.
What to record
Compare tools with the same small test set: approximate date, multiple unions, linked record and media. Distinguish tested, advertised and absent features. Verify export and file recovery before entering all your research.
Record in your research log
- Need
- export
- media
- privacy
- recovery test result.
Frequently asked questions
How should I handle living people in my tree?
Limit personal information sharing and ask permission before publishing stories, photos or recordings. Check sharing settings and create a public export separate from private files.
Sources & references
- FamilySearch GEDCOM — Specifications ↗
- FamilySearch Research Wiki ↗ (Resource review date : )