Family Groups make it easier to collaborate with your favorite people on Ancestry. You can create Groups of people, big and small, to message, tag, and share discoveries with all at once. Each Family Group can have up to 50 people, including yourself. There’s no limit to the number of Family Groups you can create or join.

To invite your friends and family to a Family Group, they’ll need an Ancestry account. If they don't have one already, they can create a free account.

Learn how to:

• Create a family group
• Invite people to a family group
• Remove people from a family group
• Message a family group
• Tag a family group
• Share trees with a family group
• View and interact with the Family group feed
• Edit the name or description of a family group
• Delete a family group

Creating a family group

From family group

Go to family groups
(Or click your profile in the top-right corner and select Family Groups.)

1. Click + New family group.
2. Enter a name for your family group and add a description (optional), then click Next.
3. Share a tree with your family group by selecting a tree from the list, or choose Skip for now.
4. Enter the names, usernames, or email /hc/en-us/articles/53933340764691-/hc/it-it/articles/53933306512019 of the people you want to invite.
5. Add a message (optional).
6. To finish, click Send Invite or choose Copy link to share it anywhere. Once someone accepts, they’ll appear as a family group member.

 
From the message center

1. Go to the message center (or click on the chat icon in the top-right corner and select See all messages).
2. Open a message with the people you want to create a family group with.  
3. Above the conversation, click the three dots and choose Create a family group.
4. Enter a name for your family group and add a description (optional), then click Continue.
5. Message recipients are added automatically; click the X next to someone’s name to remove them. To invite more people, enter their names, usernames, or email /hc/en-us/articles/53933340764691-/hc/it-it/articles/53933306512019.
6. Add a message (optional).
7. To finish, click Invite.

 
Inviting people to a family group

You can invite people to a family group as long as there’s space–each family group can have up to 50 people. 
 
By email or username

1. Go to Family groups (or click your profile in the top-right corner and select Family Groups).
2. Click + Invite to family group.
3. Enter the names, usernames, or email /hc/en-us/articles/53933340764691-/hc/it-it/articles/53933306512019 of the people you want to invite.
4. Add a message (optional).
5. To finish, click Send Invite or choose Copy link to share it anywhere. Once someone accepts, they’ll appear as a family group member.

By link

1. Go to the family group you want to invite someone to.
2. In the top-right corner, click the blue + Invite button.
3. Click Copy link. The invitation link will be copied to your clipboard.
4. Share this link with anyone you want to invite to your family group. 

 
From the message center

1. Go to the message center (or click on the chat icon in the top-right corner and select See all messages).
2. Open a message with the person you want to invite.  
3. Above your conversation, click the three dots and choose Invite to Family group.
4. Select a family group.
5. Message recipients are added automatically; click the X next to someone’s name to remove them. To invite more people, Enter their names, usernames, or email /hc/en-us/articles/53933340764691-/hc/it-it/articles/53933306512019.
6. Add a message (optional).
7. Click Invite.

Removing people from a family group

You can remove people from a family group you created at any time.
 

1. Go to Family groups (or click your profile in the top-right corner and select Family groups).
2. Click the family group you want to remove people from.
3. Next to the person you want to remove, click the three dots and choose Remove member.
4. To confirm, click Remove. They'll no longer be listed as a member of your family group.

Removing people from a family group won’t:

• change or revoke their access to trees you’ve shared
• prevent them from messaging you
• remove them from your list of DNA matches

Messaging a family group

From Family group

1. Go to Family groups (or click your profile in the top-right corner and select Family groups).
2. Click the family group you want to message, then select Settings in the top right corner.
3. Next to My family group on the left, click the three dots and choose Message group.
   • If you’ve messaged this family group, the existing conversation will open.
   • If it’s the first time you’ve messaged this family group or its members have changed, a new message will be created.
     
     Family group members are automatically added to this message; click the X next to their name to remove them. To add more people, select another family group or click the + plus sign. Group messages can have up to 50 people, including yourself.
     
     Missing a family group or don’t see the + plus sign?
     
     
4. At the bottom of your screen, enter a message and add a photo from your tree (optional).
5. Click Send.

 
From the message center

1. Go to the message center (or click on the chat icon in the top-right corner and select See all messages).
2. In the top-left corner, click + New.
3. To the right of +New, select the family group you’d like to message. To add more people, select another family group or click the + plus sign. Group messages can have up to 50 people, including yourself.
   
   Missing a family group or don’t see the + plus sign?
   
   
4. At the bottom of your screen, enter a message and add a photo from your tree (optional).
5. Click Send.
    

Notifying family groups with mentions

You can mention family groups in comments you write on Ancestry. When you mention a family group, we send a notification and an email to its members about your comment. They’ll only receive these notifications if they’ve chosen to receive them in their preferences and settings.  
 
In new comments

1. In the comment field, type “@” or click the @ symbol.
2. Select the Family group from the list that appears.
3. Click Submit.

 
In the comments you’ve already published

1. Next to a comment you’ve already published, click the three dots and then choose Edit.
2. In the comment field, type “@” or click the @ symbol.
3. Edit the comment.
4. Click Save.

 
Sharing trees with a family group

Sharing your tree with a family group will invite each member of that family group to your tree individually. Once someone accepts your invitation, you'll see them listed on your tree's list of invitees. You can change or revoke their level of access to your tree at any time.

1. Go to the family group you want to share your tree with.
2. On the Collaboration tab, click Share your tree.
3. Select Your tree and choose the Default tree role you want people to have.
   • Guests can view and add comments. They cannot automatically view living people. To allow members to view living people, check the box.
   • Contributors can view and add comments, photos, and stories. They cannot edit or remove existing tree content or automatically view living people. To allow members to view living people, check the box.
   • Editors can automatically view living people, remove and edit existing content, and add people, records, comments, photos, and stories.
4. Click Save changes.

Family group feed

Each family group has a special Feed just for its members, that shows content only for and from group members.

You can use the feed to:

• • Share updates within the family group.
  • See posts from your family group members.
  • Like and comment on group posts.

To access the family group feed

1. Go to the family group with the feed you want to see or interact with.
2. Click on the Feed tab.

• • Look through the Feed posts: Click on a post to go there, view more details, or interact with it, if applicable.
    
    Note: A membership may be required to view more details (depending on the content). Different memberships give you access to different records. Check our membership options page for current pricing or to start a membership.
  
  
  • To make a post: Start typing in the Share an update field > write your message > add media (optional) > then choose Post. Your post will be shared only with members of this family group. 

Editing the name or description of a family group

Names and descriptions can help you organize your family groups and make them easier to find when you want to send a message or share discoveries with its members.
 

1. Go to the family group you want to update.
2. Click Settings (top-right).
3. Rename the family group or update its description.
4. Click Save changes.

 
Deleting a family group

Deleting a family group is permanent and can’t be undone.

Deleting a family group will:

• remove it from your list of family groups
• erase all message(s) with that family group, including any shared content

Deleting a family group won’t:

• change or revoke access to trees you’ve shared
• prevent them from messaging you
• remove them from your list of DNA matches

 
From family groups

1. Go to Family groups (or click your profile in the top-right corner and select Family group).
2. Find the family group you want to delete and click its trash can.
3. To confirm, click Delete.

 
From an open family group

1. Click Settings (top-right).
2. Next to My family group on the left, click the three dots and choose Delete group.
3. To confirm, click Delete.

 
Frequently asked /hc/en-us/articles/53933378962707-Frequently-Asked-Questions

How many family groups can I create or be a member of?
You can create and join as many family groups as you’d like. There is no limit to how many you can create or join.

How many people can I invite to my family group?
You can have up to 50 people, including yourself, in a single family group.

How do I invite someone without an Ancestry account?
Each member of your family group must have their own Ancestry account. If they don’t already have an account, they can create a free Ancestry account.

Why don’t I see a family group or the "+" plus sign to add more people to a message?
You can add people to a group message as long as there’s space–each group message can have up to 50 people, including yourself. The option to add more people, or certain family groups, to a group message disappears when adding them exceeds the 50-person limit.

Who can see my messages?
Your messages are visible only to you. Others (including family group members and anyone you’ve shared your tree or DNA with) can only see messages they send or receive.

I deleted a family group. How do I restore it?
Deleting a family group is permanent and can’t be undone. However, you can manually recreate it by reinviting the same people and reusing the same settings.