Facts, events, and sources work together to create a well-documented family tree. Facts and events add details about a person's life story, while sources provide evidence for those facts and events. Managing them well keeps your tree accurate and easy to understand.

Definitions

• Facts: Important details about a person, like their name, birth date, or parents’ names. Facts don’t usually change, but they might have different versions over time (e.g., a birth name and a married name). Both versions refer to and are about the same person.
• Events: Key moments and milestones in a person’s life, like birth, marriage, death, baptism, and military service. Events usually include dates and places.
• Sources: Documents or records that prove the facts and events in your tree. These can be official records from Ancestry, like census data, birth certificates, or personal documents you upload.
  • Citation: Details from a source, like the volume number, page number, or URL and date, that show where the information came from, when it was found, and can help others find it.
  • Repository: The place where a source is stored, either physically (like a Family History Library) or digitally (like an online archive).
  For more about sources, citations, repositories, and how to find source information for records on Ancestry, read Source and Collection Information.

Adding facts, events, and sources

When you save records to your tree, related facts and events are automatically added and linked to that record as a source. You can also manually add custom facts and events.

Creating custom facts and events

1. Go to the profile of someone you want to add facts/events to.
2. Click on the Facts tab, then select + Add in the Timeline column.
3. In the drop-down menu, select a type or choose Custom Event.
4. Enter information about the fact/event and click Add.
   If it's a duplicate (like a second birthdate), both will be shown.    
   • By default, the fact/event added first will be shown on your family tree.
   • To choose which one is shown, hover over the one you want to see, click "Edit," check the "Preferred" box, and click "Save.
     
     

Adding media and sources to facts and events

After adding a fact/event, you can attach media and sources for proof:

1. Hover over the fact/event you want to attach a source/media to and click Edit.
2. On the left, choose Attach media or Attach source.
   • Attach media: Select a media file or
     1. Click Upload media, then Choose Files.
     2. Select the file and click Open or OK.
     3. If asked, add details like a title and date, then click Done.
   • Attach source:
     • Click the + sign next to the source you want to attach it to.
       
       

Creating custom sources

Sources provide proof for facts and events. To create a source, you must first have or add a fact/event.

1. Go to the profile of the person you want to add a source for.
2. In the Sources column, click the Add button and select Add Source.
3. On the Create Source Citation page, click create a new source.
4. Fill in as much information as you can about the source (like title, author, publisher) and click Save source.
5. Back on the Create Source Citation page, add the source details (like title, film number, or web address), select the facts/events this source is for, and click Submit.
   
   

Adding media to sources

1. Hover over the fact/event you want to add a source/media to and click Edit.
2. Click Media on the left, then choose an item or upload a new file.
   • To choose an item, click the + sign next to the media.
   • To upload a new file:
     1. Click + Add media to source, then Choose files.
     2. Select the file and click Open or OK.
     3. If asked, add details like a title and date, then click Done.
        
        

Saving sources to another person

One source can be saved to multiple people in your tree or across different trees. First, save the record to one person, then follow the steps below to attach, copy, or move it to another person.

1. Go to the person’s profile who has the source.
2. In the Sources column, hover over the source and click View.
3. Click View Record, then Save > Save to someone in your tree.
4. Select a tree and choose an existing person or add a new one.
   • For an existing person: Start typing their name, select them, and click Attach.
     1. If asked, compare details and check boxes for any facts or people you want to add.
        • NEW: facts not yet in your tree.
        • DIFFERENT: facts that don’t match your tree.
     2. Click Save to tree.
   • For a new person: Click + Add this to a new person, enter their details, and click Save.

Editing facts, events, and sources

You can update facts, events, and sources to reflect new information or correct mistakes.

Editing facts and events

1. Go to a person’s profile.
2. Hover over the fact/event and click Edit.
3. Make changes and click Save.
   
   

Editing family events

Some events (like marriages) involve more than one person. These are called family events. They automatically appear on everyone’s profile linked to the event.

To edit a family event:

1. Go to the profile of the person who first added the event.
2. Click the Facts tab.
3. In their Timeline, find the event and hover over it.
4. Click Edit, make your changes, and click Save.
   
   

Showing or hiding family events

To turn family events on or off in a person’s profile timeline:

1. On their Facts tab, find the Timeline section.
2. Click Filter and check (to show) or uncheck (to hide) Family Events.
3. Their Timeline will update to show or hide shared family events.
4. Repeat on each person’s profile you want to show or hide shared family events.
   
   

Editing sources

1. Go to the person’s profile.
2. Hover over the source you want to change and click View.
3. Make changes and click Save.

Removing or deleting facts, events, and sources

Removing media from facts and events

Removing media from facts and events will unlink it, but it will stay in the person’s gallery and your tree’s gallery. To remove it from their gallery or delete it from your tree, read Removing or Deleting Photos from Trees.

1. On a person’s profile, hover over the fact/event and click Edit.
2. On the left, choose Attach media.
3. Click the X next to the media item you want to remove.
   
   

Removing media from sources

Removing media will unlink it from the fact/event, but it will stay in the person’s gallery and your tree’s gallery. To completely remove it from the gallery, read Removing or Deleting Photos from Trees.

1. On a person’s profile, hover over the source and click View.
2. On the left, choose Media.
3. Click the X next to the media item you want to remove.
   
   

Removing sources

Removing a source doesn’t delete the facts/events/media linked to it:

1. On a person’s profile, hover over the source and click View.
2. On the left, choose Citation details.
3. In the bottom-right corner, click Remove.
4. To confirm, click Remove.
5. (Optional) Delete related facts and events.
    

Deleting facts and events

Deleting a fact/event won't delete any media or sources linked to it:

1. On a person’s profile, hover over the fact/event and click Edit.
2. On the left, choose Edit fact.
3. In the bottom-right corner, click Delete.
4. To confirm, click Delete.
5. (Optional) Remove sources and media that were attached.

Frequently asked questions

Why can't I add, edit, or delete facts, events, or sources?
If you can’t add, edit, or delete a fact, or if the menu is blank, try clearing your cache and cookies, then try again.

Why can't I see the Edit button on a fact or event?
If you hover over a fact or event and don’t see the Edit button, it’s a family event from another family member. To edit it, go to their profile page. You can also hide family facts from a person’s profile. For more information, read about family events.

How do I handle duplicate facts or events?
You can't merge duplicate facts or events but you can manually combine their details. Manually copy the information from one version to the other, then delete the duplicate fact/event.

Can I add facts or events from external sources?
Yes, you can manually add facts or events to a person’s profile. For help, read creating custom facts and events.

How do I manage conflicting facts/events in my tree?
You can keep multiple versions of conflicting facts/events and mark one as "Preferred." For help, read the Editing facts and events section.

How do I attach multiple sources to a single fact/event?
After adding a fact or event, hover over it and click Edit. On the “Attach media” or “Attach source” screens, you can select multiple sources to attach to the same fact/event. Learn more in the Adding media and sources to facts and events section.

What happens to sources when I delete a fact or event?
Deleting a fact or event will not delete the sources linked to it. Sources remain in your tree unless you delete them.
 

How do I handle sources that are no longer available or were incorrectly attached?
If a source is unavailable or was added incorrectly, go to the Sources column on a person's profile, hover over it, click View, and either edit or remove it. For help, read the Editing sources and Removing sources sections.