Top Genealogy Sites: Complement Your FamilySearch Research

general

This guide shows you how to leverage FamilySearch.org to discover and utilize records from other top genealogy sites, enriching your family history.

FamilySearch often provides hints for records found on its partner sites like Ancestry, MyHeritage, and Findmypast, directly within your family tree.

Navigate to a Person: On FamilySearch.org, open the individual page for a person in your Family Tree for whom you are researching.
Locate Record Hints: On the right-hand side of the person's page, look for the "Research Help" section. Here you will often see a "Record Hints" box, usually with a blue icon (a shaking leaf on a box).
Review Hints: Click on the blue box or the "Review Hints" link. You will be taken to a page listing potential records for that person.
Identify Partner Records: Observe the "Source" column for each hint. Many hints will clearly state if they are from a partner site, such as "Ancestry Family Trees" or "MyHeritage Family Sites."
View Original Document: For hints from partner sites, clicking "View Original Document" will typically open a new tab or window, taking you directly to the record on the partner site (note: you may need a subscription or free access through FamilySearch Partner Access, covered in Step 4, to view the full record).

The general search feature on a person's page can also point you to records hosted on partner sites.

Access Search Records: From an individual's page in Family Tree, locate the "Search Records" link on the right sidebar, within the "Research Help" section. Click this link.
Review Search Results: FamilySearch will perform a pre-populated search for your ancestor. On the results page, carefully examine the "Collection" column for each result.
Identify Partner Collections: You will often see collections listed that are clearly labeled as originating from or indexed by a partner site (e.g., "U.S. Federal Census - Ancestry.com").
Follow Links to External Sites: Clicking on the result will show you a summary on FamilySearch. If the original record is on a partner site, there will be a link, often labeled "View the original document" or "View on [Partner Site Name]," which will direct you to that site.

Information added to FamilySearch by other users often includes direct links to records on external genealogy sites.

Go to Sources: On an individual's page, scroll down to the "Sources" section.
Examine Source Citations: Each source listed will have a "View Details" link. Click this for a source you suspect might be from an external site.
Locate External URL: Within the source details, look for the "URL" field. If a source was added from a site like Ancestry or Findmypast, this field will contain a direct web address to the record on that external site.
Click to Access: Clicking this URL will open the record directly on the partner website, allowing you to quickly verify and explore the original document.

FamilySearch provides a dedicated portal that can grant you free access to some premium partner genealogy sites.

Open Help Menu: At the very top right of any FamilySearch.org page, click on the "Help" menu.
Select Partner Access: From the dropdown menu, choose "Partner Access."
Explore Partner Sites: You will be taken to a page that lists FamilySearch's integration partners, typically including Ancestry, MyHeritage, Findmypast, and Geneanet.
Activate Free Access (if available): Follow the instructions provided for each partner site. For eligible users (e.g., members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or those with an active FamilySearch account), this page provides links and steps to create a free account or link an existing account to gain premium access to these sites, greatly expanding your research capabilities beyond FamilySearch's direct collections.

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