What Ancestry.com is and how to get your free guide

Ancestry.com is a subscription website where you search historical records, build a family tree, and connect with other people researching the same ancestors. You create an account, pay a monthly or annual subscription fee, and then search databases of birth certificates, census records, immigration documents, military records, and other historical files. The site also lets you upload your own documents and photos, invite relatives to view your tree, and see DNA matches if you've taken an Ancestry DNA test.

To start, you go to Ancestry.com, click "Sign Up," and create an account with an email address and password. You don't need to pay anything to create the account itself — you can browse the home page and see what records exist. But to actually search most records and build a tree, you'll need to choose a subscription plan. Ancestry offers different tiers: a basic plan for tree-building only, a U.S. records plan, a world records plan, and a combined plan that includes DNA matching.

Once you're subscribed, you start by entering what you know about yourself and your parents. The site walks you through adding names, birth years, and locations. From there, you can search for records that match those people, add them to your tree, and then search for their parents, siblings, and children. The tree grows as you add more people and link them together.

Key Takeaways

  • Ancestry.com requires a paid subscription to search most records, though you can create a free account and browse without paying.
  • The site holds millions of historical documents including census records, birth and death certificates, immigration papers, and military files from many countries.
  • You build a family tree by entering names and locations, then searching for matching records and linking them to the people in your tree.
  • If you've taken an Ancestry DNA test, the site will show you DNA matches — other people on Ancestry who share your DNA — and help you figure out how you're related.
  • You can invite family members to view and edit your tree, upload your own documents and photos, and see hints that suggest records matching people in your tree.

The different subscription plans and what each includes

Ancestry offers several subscription levels, and the right one depends on where your ancestors lived and whether you want DNA matching. The Ancestry Basic plan lets you build and manage your family tree but doesn't include access to historical records — you can only search if you already have a subscription to records. The Ancestry U.S. Deluxe plan includes access to U.S. records like the census, Social Security Death Index, and state vital records. The Ancestry World Deluxe plan adds international records from the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Italy, and other countries.

If you want to see DNA matches, you need the Ancestry + DNA plan or higher. This combines tree-building and record access with the ability to view your DNA matches and see how closely you're related to other people who've tested. You can take the DNA test through Ancestry, or if you've already tested elsewhere (like 23andMe or MyHeritage), you cannot transfer that result to Ancestry — you'd need to test through Ancestry to get matches on their site.

Ancestry frequently offers discounts on annual subscriptions, especially around holidays. Prices vary, but an annual subscription typically costs less per month than paying month-to-month. You can cancel anytime, though you lose access to the records and tree-building tools once your subscription ends — your tree itself doesn't disappear, but you can't edit it or search records until you resubscribe.

How to search for records and build your family tree

Once you're subscribed, the main search bar at the top of the site lets you search by name, location, and year. You can be specific (searching for "John Smith, born 1890, Ohio") or broad (just "John Smith"). The site returns results from all the record collections you have access to — census records, vital records, newspapers, military documents, and more. Each result shows the record type, the year, and a preview of what information it contains.

When you find a record that matches someone in your tree, you can click "Add to Tree" and Ancestry will link that record to that person. The site also sends you hints — suggestions that a record in the database might match someone in your tree. You can review the hint, see the record, and decide whether to add it. Hints are one of the most useful features because they surface records you might not have found on your own.

Building your tree means entering people one by one and connecting them with parent-child, spouse, and sibling relationships. You start with yourself (or whoever you want as the root of the tree) and work backward to parents and grandparents, or forward to children. Each person gets a profile page where you can add birth, marriage, and death information, photos, documents, and notes. You can also add alternate names, locations where they lived, and occupations.

Understanding DNA matches and what they tell you

If you take an Ancestry DNA test or have the DNA plan, the site shows you a list of DNA matches — other people in the Ancestry database who share segments of DNA with you. The amount of shared DNA determines the relationship category: close family (parents, siblings, grandparents), second cousins, third cousins, and so on. The site estimates the relationship based on the amount of DNA you share, but the estimate is a range, not a certainty.

DNA matches are most useful when you have a tree built out. When you click on a match's name, you can see their tree (if they've made it public) and look for the common ancestor — the person you both descend from. If you share a great-grandparent, you're probably second cousins. If the match's tree is private, you can send them a message asking about your connection, and they can choose to respond.

DNA results can also reveal unexpected family connections — half-siblings, unknown relatives, or ancestors from a different branch than you expected. These discoveries are sometimes surprising. Ancestry provides educational resources about how to interpret results and how to reach out to matches respectfully.

What records are actually in the Ancestry database

Ancestry holds billions of historical records across many countries and time periods. In the United States, the largest collections are the federal census (1790 to 1940, with some later years), Social Security Death Index, state vital records (births, marriages, deaths), immigration records from Ellis Island and other ports, military records from the Revolutionary War through recent conflicts, and newspaper archives. The site also has city directories, land records, probate records, and family histories submitted by other users.

For other countries, Ancestry has records from the United Kingdom (census, parish registers, poor law records), Canada (census, immigration), Germany (civil registration, church records), Italy (vital records), Ireland (census, land records), and many others. The depth of records varies by country and time period — some countries have very complete digitized records going back centuries, while others have gaps. The Ancestry website shows you which collections are available in each country and time period.

Not every record you're looking for will be on Ancestry. Some records are held by local governments, churches, or archives that haven't digitized them yet. Other records were lost or destroyed. If you can't find something on Ancestry, you may need to contact a local courthouse, vital records office, or historical society directly.

How to invite family members and share your tree

You can invite relatives to view and edit your family tree by going to the tree settings and adding their email addresses. You choose whether they can view only, or view and edit. If you give them edit access, they can add information, upload documents, and make changes to the tree. This is useful if multiple family members are researching together and want to combine what they've found.

You can also make your tree public, which means anyone on Ancestry can see it and potentially contact you if they're researching the same families. A public tree is searchable and can help distant cousins find you. If you prefer privacy, you can keep your tree private so only people you invite can see it. You can change this setting anytime.

When you invite someone, they receive an email with a link. They don't need to have an Ancestry subscription to view a tree you've shared with them — they can see it with just a free account. If they want to edit the tree or search records themselves, they'll need their own subscription.

Common issues and how to troubleshoot them

One frequent issue is that a record you found doesn't seem to match the person in your tree, even though the name and dates are close. This happens because historical records often have spelling errors, name variations, or incorrect dates. Before dismissing a record, check whether the location matches, whether the age is approximately right, and whether the names could be alternate spellings or nicknames. Census records especially are prone to errors because they were handwritten and then transcribed.

Another common problem is that you can't find a record you know exists. This might mean the record hasn't been digitized yet, it's in a different collection than you expected, or the person's information is recorded differently than you thought. Try searching with just a first name and last name, or just a location and year. You can also check Ancestry's list of what records are available for a specific location and time period.

If you're having trouble with your account — can't log in, can't see your tree, or a subscription charge isn't working — Ancestry has a help center with articles and a contact form. Response times vary, but they generally respond within a few business days.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to pay to use Ancestry.com?

You can create a free account and view the home page, but you need a paid subscription to search most historical records and build a family tree. The subscription cost varies by plan, from about $20 to $40 per month, though annual plans are cheaper per month.

Can I read my family tree from Ancestry?

Yes. You can export your tree as a GEDCOM file (a standard genealogy file format) from the tree settings. This lets you move your tree to another genealogy website or keep a backup on your computer. The export includes the people, relationships, and some information, but not all photos or documents.

What if I find a record that's wrong or has a typo?

You can add a note to the record in your tree explaining the error, but you can't edit the original record in the Ancestry database. If you believe a record has a significant error, you can contact Ancestry through their help center, though they may not be able to change it if it's a direct scan of a historical document.

Can I take the Ancestry DNA test if I don't have a subscription?

Yes, you can order the DNA test without a subscription. When your results come back, you'll see your matches, but to view their trees and search records, you'll need to subscribe. Many people order the test first, see their matches, and then decide whether to subscribe for records.

How long does it take to get DNA results?

After you order the test kit, you receive it in the mail, collect a saliva sample, and mail it back. Processing typically takes 4 to 8 weeks from the time Ancestry receives your sample. You'll receive an email when your results are ready.