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GEDCOM guide

Bring an existing family tree with you.

GEDCOM is a common text format for moving genealogy records between family-history applications. A file usually ends in .ged or .gedcom.

01

What a GEDCOM can contain

GEDCOM records commonly include people, names, family relationships, birth and death facts, places, notes and source references. Photographs are often stored separately and may not travel inside the file.

02

Before importing

Export a fresh copy from your current genealogy application and keep an untouched backup.

Review information about living people, remove anything you do not have permission to share, and confirm that dates and names display as expected.

03

After importing

Check several known relationships, names with multiple scripts, approximate dates, places, notes and source links. An import should always be treated as a reviewable first step.

04

Is a GEDCOM safe to share?

A GEDCOM is readable text and may contain sensitive information. Treat it like a private family document: share it only through an intended secure upload, never through a public link.