Terms of Service

Last updated: February 2026

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing and using Family History Assistant 101 ("the Service"), you accept and agree to be bound by these Terms of Service. If you do not agree to these terms, please do not use the Service.

2. Description of Service

Family History Assistant 101 is a free educational guide designed to help users navigate and use FamilySearch.org for genealogical research. The Service provides:

  • Step-by-step tutorials for building a family tree
  • Virtual Aide coaching assistance
  • Visual guides and instructional content
  • Quest-based learning paths

This Service uses Artificial Intelligence — computer technology that can understand questions and generate responses by processing large amounts of information — as a supportive tool to assist users in their family history research. Artificial Intelligence is used to provide guidance, answer questions, and generate helpful content — always in service of helping you accomplish your goals more effectively.

Family History Assistant 101 is an independent educational resource and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or officially connected to FamilySearch, FamilySearch International, or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

3. User Accounts and Sessions

Family History Assistant 101 uses session-based profiles to personalize your experience. No login or registration is required. Session data is stored in your browser and on our servers temporarily to track your progress through the guides.

You are responsible for:

  • Providing accurate information when using the Service
  • Using the Service in a manner consistent with its intended educational purpose
  • Not attempting to access or interfere with other users' data

4. Acceptable Use

You agree not to use the Service to:

  • Violate any applicable laws or regulations
  • Attempt to gain unauthorized access to any portion of the Service
  • Interfere with or disrupt the Service or servers
  • Use automated systems (bots, scrapers) to access the Service
  • Transmit harmful code or malicious content
  • Harass, abuse, or harm other users

5. Intellectual Property

The content, design, graphics, and other materials on Family History Assistant 101 are owned by the developers and are protected by copyright and other intellectual property laws.

FamilySearch is a trademark of Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All references to FamilySearch are for educational purposes only and do not imply any affiliation or endorsement.

You may not reproduce, distribute, modify, or create derivative works from our content without prior written permission, except for personal, non-commercial use in connection with your genealogical research.

6. Virtual Aide & Artificial Intelligence Transparency

Family History Assistant 101 uses Artificial Intelligence to power its coaching and content features. Throughout this site, we refer to our Artificial Intelligence as the "Virtual Aide". When you interact with the Virtual Aide, you are communicating with Artificial Intelligence technology — not a human. Please keep the following in mind:

  • The Virtual Aide is powered by Artificial Intelligence and all responses are machine-generated, not written by a person
  • Virtual Aide responses may not always be accurate and should not be taken as professional genealogical advice
  • You should always verify important information through official records and sources
  • The Virtual Aide is a supportive tool designed to assist your research — it is not a substitute for professional research assistance
  • We use the term "Virtual Aide" across this site to clearly identify Artificial Intelligence-powered features

7. Artificial Intelligence-Generated Content

Some content on this site, including trending help topics and articles, is generated with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence. Artificial Intelligence-generated content is clearly labeled where it appears on the site.

We are committed to the responsible use of Artificial Intelligence. We regularly review Artificial Intelligence-generated outputs to help ensure accuracy, truthfulness, and quality. However, Artificial Intelligence-generated content may contain errors or outdated information. We encourage users to verify any guidance through official FamilySearch resources.

8. Third-Party Services

Family History Assistant 101 guides you through using FamilySearch.org, a third-party service. Your use of FamilySearch is governed by FamilySearch's own terms of service and privacy policy. We are not responsible for the content, policies, or practices of FamilySearch or any other third-party services.

9. Disclaimer of Warranties

THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. WE DO NOT WARRANT THAT THE SERVICE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, ERROR-FREE, OR COMPLETELY SECURE.

We make no guarantees regarding:

  • The accuracy or completeness of any genealogical information
  • The availability of FamilySearch or its features
  • The results you will achieve using our guides

10. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, FAMILY HISTORY ASSISTANT 101 AND ITS DEVELOPERS SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES ARISING FROM YOUR USE OF THE SERVICE.

11. Children's Use

Family History Assistant 101 offers a "Family Activity" mode designed for children to use with parental supervision. Children under 13 should use the Service only with a parent or guardian present. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 without parental consent.

12. Changes to Terms

We reserve the right to modify these Terms of Service at any time. Changes will be effective immediately upon posting. Your continued use of the Service after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the modified terms.

13. Cookies & Privacy

Family History Assistant 101 uses cookies and local storage to provide and improve the Service. By using our site, you consent to the use of these technologies as described below.

What We Use

  • Session Cookies: Essential for the site to function. These identify your session and allow you to navigate between pages without losing your progress.
  • Local Storage: We store your preferences (like cookie consent choice) and progress data locally in your browser.
  • Progress Tracking: We store your quest progress and step completion on our servers, linked to your session ID.
  • Chat Conversations: Messages you send to the Virtual Aide are stored on our servers to maintain your conversation history during your session. Chat data is linked to your session ID and is not shared with third parties.

What We Don't Do

  • We do not use advertising or tracking cookies
  • We do not sell your data to third parties
  • We do not use analytics that track you across other websites
  • We do not require you to create an account or provide personal information

Your Choices

You can decline non-essential cookies when prompted by our cookie banner. You can also clear your browser's cookies and local storage at any time, though this will reset your progress on Family History Assistant 101.

If you use our "Save Progress" feature with an email, we will only use that email to send you your magic link and will not use it for marketing purposes.

14. Contact Information

If you have questions about these Terms of Service, please contact us at:

Contact Form

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