Why Online Family Trees Can Be Wrong
Online family trees can feel like a gift. With a few clicks, entire generations appear—names, dates, places, even stories—already assembled by someone else. It’s tempting to assume that if a tree exists on a major genealogy website, it must be accurate.
But in reality, online family trees are starting points—not proof. If I could emphasize anything to new family historians, it would be that.
Platforms like Ancestry and FamilySearch allow users to share and copy trees freely. While that collaboration can be incredibly helpful, it also means that errors spread quickly, often without anyone realizing it.
Talking to Family Members About Their History
For many people, genealogy feels like it begins with records. In reality, it often begins with a conversation. I know when I was getting started, the first person I reached out to was my mom. Even though we had often talked about family stories so I knew she would have lots of details for me, I was surprised to learn she also had some documents about family history on both her side and my dad’s side. The information she provided was a big help when I was getting started.
Family members—especially older relatives—carry stories that never appear in official documents. These stories provide context, personality, and direction for your research, helping you understand not just who your ancestors were, but how they lived.