Now that spring is here, I feel the urge to freshen up my home with a deep clean. It’s also the perfect time to organize your family tree, which is only as good as what you add to it.
Over time, errors creep in—wrong relationships, duplicate ancestors, missing sources, and even unrelated people. Cleaning up your tree is essential to making sure your research stays accurate and useful.
Whether you use Ancestry, FamilySearch, or MyHeritage, this blog post will help you get your tree back in shape.
I hope you made good progress with your genealogy research over the winter and are following good habits. But perhaps there are older parts of your tree that need some work. You’re a more experienced researcher now and know much more than when you started. It’s always a good idea to look at your tree again with fresh eyes.
Here are 10 ways to clean up your family tree:
Start with a Tree Review
Before making changes, take a step back and evaluate your tree. You might start by looking at all your direct lines through to your 2x great-grandparents. That’s 8 couples.
- Look for problem areas, like empty names or incorrect dates. Does a child have a birth date after the death of the mother?
- Check for hints that don’t belong and records that contradict each other.
- Identify duplicate ancestors who may need merging. More on that below.
Take notes on what needs fixing. This is just a review so don’t get sucked down a rabbit hole just yet.
Verify Names and Dates
It’s easy for small mistakes to snowball. Make sure:
- Names follow a consistent format (e.g., first name first, surname second).
- Maiden names are used for women, not married names.
- Dates are in a standard format (e.g., 12 Jan 1850, not 1/12/50).
If something doesn’t look right, double-check your sources. Add these tasks to your list.
Merge Duplicate People
Duplicates happen, especially when adding hints or importing trees.
- Ancestry: Use the “Merge with Duplicate” feature.
- FamilySearch: Check the “Possible Duplicates” tool.
- MyHeritage: Use the “List View” function from your family tree. You can sort by many different criteria to see if you have more than one listing for a person. You can also use the “Consistency Checker” tool.
Compare details before merging to avoid errors. Once you’ve merged, you can’t undo it, so be sure you’re correct.
Fix Incorrect Relationships
Sometimes people get connected in the wrong way.
- Check that parents, spouses, and children are linked correctly.
- Look for duplicate spouses or extra parents that don’t belong.
- If you find an error, correct it by removing or reattaching individuals.
Again, double-check your work before doing anything. On Ancestry, click on the Edit tab and then Edit Relationships. FamilySearch is a little trickier, so go to this article for more.
Clean Up Sources and Citations
A tree without sources is just a collection of names. Make sure:
- Every “fact” has at least one reliable source. It’s hard to be sure you’re correct with only one source. Try to have as many corroborating pieces of evidence as you can.
- Sources are properly formatted and attached to the right person.
- Notes from other users or trees without sources are reviewed carefully. These items should be used as clues.
If a source is missing, track it down before keeping the information. To learn more about citations, check out my blog, “How To Make Genealogy Source Citations Easy.”
Remove Unrelated Individuals
Sometimes, unrelated people get added to your family tree by mistake. This happens when accepting hints too quickly.
- Review anyone who looks out of place in your tree.
- Check their sources and how they’re connected.
- If they don’t belong, detach them carefully.
Many people had the same names as your ancestors. Do your due diligence to make sure you are adding “your” person.
Standardize Locations
Place names should be clear and consistent. Use:
- Full names, like “Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts, USA,” not just “Boston.”
- Modern country names, but historical place names when appropriate. If you’re attaching a record from before 1776, your location would say “Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts, British America.” You could also use “Britain” or anything that makes sense to you.
- Borders changed. West Virginia was part of Virginia until June 1863. If you’re writing a location before then, put Virginia, not West Virginia.
- Be consistent in all records.
This helps avoid confusion, especially with common town names.
Fix Broken Media Links
If you’ve uploaded photos or documents, make sure they’re attached properly.
- Check for broken image links.
- Verify that documents are linked to the right ancestor.
- Add descriptions to media files for context.
If files are missing, try re-uploading them. Also, don’t add the same picture over and over. Add it once, then link it to the appropriate people.
Check for Conflicting Records
If two records contradict each other, find out why.
- Compare sources to see which is more reliable. But keep in mind that 10 records that say “Blue” and one record that says “Red” doesn’t mean that “Blue” is correct.
- Look for original documents instead of online trees.
- Add notes explaining discrepancies to avoid confusion later. The notes and comments section of any genealogy software is a great way to keep yourself straight. Your future self will thank you!
Not every record is correct, so use your best judgment. If in doubt, don’t add it.
Make a Habit of Regular Maintenance
Keeping your tree clean isn’t a one-time task.
- Set aside time every few months for a quick review.
- Avoid adding hints too quickly without verification.
- Keep track of what needs further research.
A well-maintained tree makes your research stronger and easier to share.
Finally
Cleaning up your family tree might seem like a big job, but it’s worth the effort. An organized, well-sourced tree helps avoid mistakes and makes your genealogy research more reliable.
Start with one line at a time, and before you know it, your tree will be in great shape!
Genealogy tip: If you’ve done a DNA test, why not incorporate your results into your tree? Use tags to know which entries are a DNA match.
Many people start over from time to time. If you’d like to do that, but don’t want to do it alone, why not get some help? I’m taking new clients and I’d love to help you take the mystery out of your family tree. Get started below:
