When researching your family tree, it’s not always clear what to do next. The Ideas button on a person’s profile page shows suggested next steps based on information already in your tree.

It reviews details connected to that person, such as facts already saved in your tree, related records and hints, and connections to other people. Based on that information, it may highlight records to review, ways to improve your tree, or other research paths to consider.

These suggestions may also reveal new details about your ancestors’ lives.

Ideas can help you:

• Find records or collections you may have overlooked
• Discover new research directions for an ancestor
• Compare records or people to evaluate information
• Improve the accuracy and consistency of your family tree
• Organize your research using tags and themes

Ideas does not automatically add information to your tree. The suggestions are meant to guide your research. You decide what information to review or add to your tree.

Using Ideas

Ideas is available with an active Ancestry family history membership.

When suggestions are available for a person you’re researching, you’ll see the Ideas button in the top-right corner of their profile page.

To use Ideas:

1. Go to your family tree and select a person you want to research.
2. In the person card, select Profile.
3. In the top-right corner of their profile page, select Ideas (if available).
4. Review the suggested research ideas.
5. Select a suggestion to explore the records, searches, or research ideas it recommends.
   
   

Types of Ideas you may see

What’s Next

• General suggestions for continuing your research when you’re not sure what to try next.
• These may point to records, relationships, or other research directions.

More Content

• Suggestions for records or collections related to your ancestor.
• These may include recommended searches or hints that could help you discover additional information.

Improving Your Tree

• Suggestions for improving information already in your tree.
• For example, you may see suggestions to:
  • Standardize dates or locations
  • Add clearer descriptions
  • Review possible errors in your tree

Categorizing Content

• Suggested tags that help organize your research.
• Tags can highlight themes connected to a person, such as:
  • Immigration or emigration
  • Military service
  • Occupations
  • Religious affiliation
  • Historical eras
  • Locations
  • Tags can help you focus your research and organize people or records around shared topics.

Analyzing Records and People

• Suggestions that help compare records or people to evaluate information.
• These comparisons can help you review differences between records and decide whether they refer to the same person. When evaluating information about an ancestor, compare multiple records whenever possible.
  
  

Frequently asked questions

Does Ideas automatically add information to my tree?
No. Ideas suggests possible research steps, but it does not automatically add information to your family tree.

Does this replace my own research?
No. Ideas provides ideas and suggestions to help guide your research. You decide what information to review, confirm, or add to your tree.

What kinds of tags might be suggested?
Suggested tags may highlight themes connected to a person in your tree, such as immigration, occupations, military service, religious affiliation, historical eras, or locations.

Why don’t I see the Ideas button?
The Ideas button on profile pages in your tree appears only when:

• You have an active Ancestry family history membership, and
• Suggestions are available for the person you’re researching.

Ideas are based on information connected to that person in your tree, such as saved facts, records, hints, and relationships. If there isn’t enough information yet, the Ideas button may not appear.

If you don’t see the Ideas button:

• Check your membership. Ideas requires an active Ancestry family history membership. If you don’t have a membership, or your membership has expired, subscribe or restart your membership.
• Add more information to the person in your tree. Adding facts, relatives, records, or hints may help generate suggestions.
• Try another person in your tree. Some people may already have enough information to generate Ideas.