To help with your family history research, some libraries and schools offer access to Ancestry, where you can search billions of historical records and photos from around the world.
With so many records available, a few simple search strategies can help you get the most relevant results.
Start with what you know
In the search form:
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Enter what you know about the person you’re researching.
The most helpful details are:- Name(s)
- Place they lived
- Birth year (or an estimate)
Not sure about something? Take an educated guess. Being close can still help.
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Add more detail (optional).
- Select Show more options.
- Choose what you want to add more detail about (like life events or relatives)
- Enter the additional information.
- Select Search.
Review your results
After you search, you’ll see a list of results. Select a result to view more details.
Results are ordered based on how closely they match the details you entered.
You may see many results at first. That’s normal. Use categories and filters to narrow them down.
Choose a category
To help you find what you’re looking for, results are grouped into categories in tabs above your search results. Each category shows a different type of result:
- Records: Historical records, like census, military, or vital records (birth, marriage, and death).
- People: Profiles of people from Ancestry member family trees.
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Photos: Images of people, documents, gravestones, and more.
Select a category to focus on that type of result. Results open on Records by default.
Use filters to narrow your results
After choosing a category, filters appear on the left side of the page.
Filters help turn a large number of results into a smaller, more relevant set of records.
Filters can narrow results by:
- A person’s details: Birth, death, marriage, or residence (with places and years)
- Record type: Like census, military, or vital records
- Image details: Location, date, image subject, or source
Filters change based on the category you select.
If you don’t see a filter you expect, try selecting a different category.
Use date ranges
Dates in historical records weren't always exact. Using a range of years instead of a single year can help you find better results.
When a filter includes years, a bar graph shows how many results fall within different date ranges.
You can adjust the range by selecting part of the graph, moving the sliders, or changing the Start Year and End Year boxes, then selecting Apply.
Try different searches
If your search results don’t seem relevant or don’t turn up what you expect, don’t worry. This is common, especially with older records.
Names were often misspelled, handwriting can be hard to read, and information may have been recorded incorrectly or inconsistently from one document to another.
You may need to try different searches to find what you’re looking for.
Try adjusting one detail at a time. Small changes can help improve your results.
For example, try:
- Different spellings
- Widening or narrowing a date range
- Removing or changing a location
- Using wildcards to search for name variations
Start simple, then refine your search. A broader search can bring in more possibilities, and categories and filters can help narrow them down.
If you don’t find the “right” record right away, don’t worry. Exploring is part of the process. Family history research takes some trial and error, and each search teaches you what works best. With a little experimenting, you’ll start uncovering better results, and you may even find surprising connections along the way.
Frequently asked questions
Select a question below to view the answer. Select the question again to hide it.
Who should I search for first?
Start by searching for someone you know well, like a relative. The more details you have, the easier it is to find useful results.
If you’re just getting started, try searching for someone older or deceased, like a grandparent. Records for living people are often limited, so you may not see many results. Searching for someone from an earlier generation can make it easier to find and explore records.
If you don’t have someone in mind, try searching for a well-known or historical person first.
Why am I getting too many or too few results?
If you get too many results, your search may be too broad. Use categories and filters to narrow your results, or add more detail to your search.
If you get too few results, your search may be too specific. Try removing some details, widening or resetting your filters, or adjusting your search.
Why don’t my results look right?
Search results may not always match what you expect. This is common with historical records, where names, dates, and places may be recorded differently.
Try adjusting your search by changing one detail at a time, like spelling, dates, or location, to find more relevant results.
Why don’t I see certain records in my results?
Record availability on Ancestry depends on the access provided by your library or school. This means the records you see in your search results may vary depending on the library or school where you’re accessing Ancestry.
If you’re not seeing certain records, they may not be included in that location’s Ancestry access.
Learn more about access to Ancestry for libraries and schools.
Where are the results from family trees shown?
Results from Ancestry member trees are listed under the People category.
After you search, select People at the top of your results. Any results from member trees will be listed there.
Why don’t some records have images?
Some records on Ancestry are only available as indexes.
If a record is index-only, there isn’t an image available for that record on Ancestry. In some cases, the original source or repository listed in the Source and Collection Information may have an image or additional details, but availability varies. You can contact the source to ask what’s available. Learn how to find Source and Collection Information.