November 13, 2026
If you want to start a heated discussion among genealogists, ask them whether they think other people’s online family trees are a good source of information. Genealogists are sharply divided on the issue.
Some think that online family trees are a great place to find data to add to their own trees. They use them frequently. Others never look at other people’s trees. Both groups think their approach is the only correct one. Personally, I’m somewhere in the middle. I think that there are pros and cons to both approaches.
I’ve heard those who use others’ trees defend the practice. After all, they explain, someone else has done all the tough digging to find documents and other information about my ancestors, why shouldn’t I benefit? These folks often import whole trees into their own family trees.
Those who never look at other folks’ trees say that the trees are full of errors. Importing one is a surefire way to compromise your own tree’s validity.
I used to agree with those who never looked at other folks’ trees. In those days most of the trees online gave no sources for the data they contained. However, more recently, online trees have improved immensely. Some of the trees such as Family Search’s Family Tree, for example, contain a plethora of sources. Most of them are copies of original document. The source citation for each document is also included. This means that you can access the sources yourself and check their accuracy.
Nowadays I sometimes even look at trees that don’t include a lot of sources. I don’t copy them, but I do use them as clues for further research. For example, if I’m struggling to find a woman’s maiden name, I might consult someone’s tree which lists it. Having a name to research might lead me to new sources.
I often write to the person who posted the information. Sometimes they don’t answer, but often they do. I have sometimes found that the poster had more information than they put on their tree. This has led me to some breakthroughs that I couldn’t have made otherwise.
I still wouldn’t import a whole tree into my own tree without doing a lot of verification. I have seen trees which included documents that were fully sourced. The only problem was that the document itself didn’t refer to the person it was attached to. Attaching whole trees or chunks of trees is a good way to introduce errors into your tree.
In my experience, genealogists tend to feel strongly about whether they use online family trees for research. I think there is a middle course to be taken. I’m aware that some family trees can be wrong. On the other hand, some can break down brick walls. The only way to know the difference is to spend some time looking at various trees that feature your ancestors. If you find something of interest, verify the source.
Other people’s trees can be a research shortcut. They can also be a dead end that leads nowhere. Doing some research of your own will help you determine which a given tree is.
Carol Stetser
Researcher
Larimer County Genealogical Society