September 25, 2026

Most genealogists know about the FamilySearch website. They’re aware that it contains billions of searchable documents and a huge collaborative family tree. It’s free to anyone. That’s why it surprises me how few of them use the FamilySearch website.

 

If they do use FamilySearch, many genealogists restrict their use to historical searches using an ancestor’s name. They enter an ancestor’s name into the search form. If they find something, they’re happy. If nothing pops up, they shrug and move on to another genealogy website.

 

Some may check the FamilySearch Family Tree. Many do not because they believe it’s full of errors. It’s true that Family Tree is collaborative. Anyone can contribute. Some of the contributions are not well-sourced and contain errors. Despite the errors, Family Tree provides hints for further research. It also contains pictures and documents that can be found nowhere else.

 

Fewer use FamilySearch Research Wiki. FamilySearch Research Wiki is one of the best places to learn what resources are available for a certain area or topic. If you’re wondering when birth records were kept in a certain county, the Wiki is the place to go. If you want to know what records are digitized for a state, the Wiki will tell you. FamilySearch Research Wiki is like having a library of how-to genealogy books at your fingertips without spending any money to get them.

 

I’ve also been amazed at how few people use the FamilySearch Catalog. Recently I’ve introduced three researchers to the catalog. All were experienced researchers who’d compiled a lot of information about their families. All had used FamilySearch, but they were totally unaware of the catalog.

 

The catalog is one of the best parts of FamilySearch. It gives you access to copies of original records, documents and books that the FamilySearch system holds. Most of these are digitized. Many are available from home, while others will require a visit to a local FamilySearch Center. Some will only be available at the FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake City.

 

The FamilySearch catalog can be searched by location, title or surname. For most purposes, the default place search will be most useful. Enter a county, state and country to find out what records for that place are available in the FamilySearch archives.

 

The FamilySearch catalog is my favorite part of the FamilySearch website. It is the easiest way to access the archives of the FamilySearch system. FamilySearch Wiki and FamilySearch Family Tree can help you jump start your research, as well. If you are overlooking these important resources, now is a good time to visit the FamilySearch website and explore them.

 

Carol Stetser

Researcher

Larimer County Genealogical Society