Adding relatives from a text file

JBPurdie

Is there a process in FamilySearch where you can add relatives from a text file like Geni ?

Randall Jay Philpot

FamilySearch Helper

Yes, there is a process in FamilySearch where you can add relatives from a text file. FamilySearch has a feature called "Import a GEDCOM" that allows you to import a text file containing genealogical data into your FamilySearch family tree. This feature makes it easier to add multiple relatives at once. To use this feature, you need to have a GEDCOM file, which is a standard format for exchanging genealogical data. You can create a GEDCOM file from other genealogy software or websites, including Geni. Once you have the GEDCOM file, you can import it into FamilySearch by following the instructions provided on the FamilySearch website. [1]

Julia Szent-Györgyi

While what the other commenter wrote is technically true, I highly, highly disrecommend it. In fact, my advice is to avoid that ancient and broken process like the virulent plague that it can be.

It's fine to upload a GEDCOM to FamilySearch. It'll go in the Genealogies section, which is like a publicly-searchable cloud backup service for genealogy files. You can open the file in a separate browser tab and consult it while working in the collaborative Family Tree. However, the compare-and-add process that it'll offer you after the upload is not a good idea: it fails to find many duplicates, doesn't show the relatives and full details of the matching profiles that it does find, and overwhelms you with false matches that the tool makes incredibly difficult to figure out.

Also, the process strips all sources, notes, and media from the imported file.

In my opinion, it is far better — and in the long run, easier and faster — to work in FamilySearch's tree one profile at a time.