RootstoryGetting started
How to create a family tree, one connection at a time
A useful family tree begins with a few people you know well. You do not need a complete ancestry or a box of old records to start. Build one small branch, check it with someone who remembers, and let the tree grow as you learn.
By Rootstory
1. Gather a small set of known facts
Write down your name, your parents or caregivers, siblings, and any grandparents you know. Record names as relatives use them, including earlier surnames in your notes when helpful. Keep a separate list of questions: an unknown date is more useful than a date that only looks certain.
Ask one relative to check this first list. A photograph, a family document, or a conversation may clarify whether two similar names belong to the same person. Keep the source of each correction alongside your working notes.
2. Create your tree in Rootstory
Create an account or sign in, then open My Family Trees. Choose Build Manually, give the tree a recognizable name, and add an optional description explaining which family or branch it covers. Keep the visibility private while you work through the first draft.
Open the tree and choose Edit Tree to add people and relationships. Start with one household rather than several distant branches at once. If you already have a short written family description, Build with AI offers another starting point; review its result before adding more detail.
3. Connect people before filling every field
Add parents, children, and spouses, then check that each connection points to the intended person. Work outward from someone you can identify confidently. People with the same name should remain separate until you have evidence that they are the same person.
Add a photograph, birth information, and other known details through the person editor. Leave missing details blank. A clean structure with five confirmed relatives is a better foundation than fifty people connected by guesses.
4. Review together and choose your audience
The tree owner can invite relatives as viewers or editors from Collaborators on the tree detail page. Choose viewer when someone only needs to inspect the tree, or editor when you want them to help maintain it. Ask each person to review the branch they know best.
A share link lets anyone with that link view the tree, so review living relatives’ information before creating or forwarding one. Public publishing is a separate choice and requires review. Add photos to the Family Album and preserve memories as stories so the names have context beyond the diagram.