As part of a content partnership with FamilySearch, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints can activate a free Ancestry® family history membership, called the “Church of Jesus Christ-Ancestry® Membership.”
What’s included:
- Access to over 99% of the records and collections on Ancestry.
- Ability to link your Ancestry and FamilySearch accounts and trees.
- Access to all public member trees on Ancestry.
- Messaging other Ancestry members.
- Some additional AncestryDNA® features (learn about AncestryDNA® and Memberships).
What’s not included:
- AncestryDNA® kits. You can buy AncestryDNA® separately.
- Pro Tools and its features. You can buy Pro Tools as a separate add-on to this membership.
- Some Ancestry records. Upgrade your membership or purchase pay-as-you-go credits in groups of 10 (as needed) to view excluded Ancestry records (1 credit per record). Pay-as-you-go credits are one-time, non-refundable purchases and do not automatically renew.
- Records on our other sites. To view records on our other sites, like Fold3® and Newspapers.com™, you’ll need their membership or an All Access membership.
Activating membership and linking accounts
Activating your membership also links your Ancestry and FamilySearch accounts. Each FamilySearch account can only be linked to one Ancestry account.
To activate your membership and link your accounts:
- Visit https://www.familysearch.org/en/access/.
- On FamilySearch, SIGN IN or CREATE AN ACCOUNT using your Church account (not your Ancestry account). For help, contact FamilySearch.
- Still on FamilySearch, under Ancestry, click JOIN FOR FREE, then confirm by clicking JOIN FOR FREE again on the next page.
- Now on Ancestry, select Continue as [name], Sign in now, or Sign up now.
- For “Sign in now,” use your Ancestry account to sign in. For help, read Signing in to and out of Your Ancestry® Account.
- For “Sign up now,” create a free Ancestry account by signing up with Google, Apple, or your email address. For help, read Creating a Free Ancestry® Account.
- To switch to a different Ancestry account, click “Sign in to a different Ancestry account” or “Create a new Ancestry account” and follow the on-screen steps.
- Or, to unlink an Ancestry account from FamilySearch, click “Unlink FamilySearch.” Note: each FamilySearch account can only be linked to one Ancestry account. You can unlink and relink your FamilySearch and Ancestry accounts at any time.
- Check the box to accept the membership, then click Start your membership.
Importing a FamilySearch Tree
While signed in with linked Ancestry and FamilySearch accounts, you can create a new Ancestry tree by importing up to 4 generations of your FamilySearch tree, starting with yourself. (You can add more people and generations from linked trees later.) This import will include names, dates, and other facts about your ancestors, but will not include photos or documents. After the import, you’ll need to download any related photos or documents from FamilySearch and upload them to Ancestry.
To import up to 4 generations of your FamilySearch tree to Ancestry:
- On Ancestry, click the Trees tab and select Import tree from FamilySearch.
If asked, click Sign in and enter your FamilySearch details (not Ancestry) to renew the FamilySearch authorization. For help, contact FamilySearch. - Enter a tree name, select a privacy setting, and click Save.
- Check the box to make your tree public and viewable by others.
- Leave the box unchecked to keep your tree private, viewable only to you and those you invite.
Important: - You can change your tree’s privacy settings anytime.
- “Living” people and religious ordinances details are protected and hidden.
- Only you can edit your tree unless you invite others to work with you as editors or contributors.
- Only you can see religious ordinance details unless you invite editors who also have a Church of Jesus Christ-Ancestry® Membership.
- Learn more about how we protect your privacy.
- Click Continue to import up to 4 generations of your FamilySearch tree, starting with yourself, into a new tree on Ancestry. When it’s done, you can find the tree in the Trees menu.
- (Optional) Download photos and documents from FamilySearch and upload them to Ancestry.
Linking people between Ancestry® and FamilySearch
If a deceased person appears in both your Ancestry and FamilySearch trees, you can link their profiles together. Living people can’t be linked, and their ordinance information won’t be shown on Ancestry, even if it’s you.
Once linked, you can:
- Request ordinances
- Compare to or view their FamilySearch profile
- Add missing relatives from FamilySearch
To link and unlink people:
- Go to the profile of a deceased person in your Ancestry tree.
- In the top-right corner, look for the FamilySearch icon .
This will only show if:
- You have a Church of Jesus Christ-Ancestry® Membership.
- You're looking at a deceased person's profile.
- They're in a tree you own or can edit.
- Click the FamilySearch icon and choose to link, add, or unlink a person to FamilySearch.
- To link: Find and select the best match in FamilySearch, then click Connect Person.
- To add: Click Add to FamilySearch. Family relationships will be added too.
- To unlink: click Disconnect person from FamilySearch and then Disconnect. They’ll stay in both your Ancestry and FamilySearch trees, but won't be linked anymore.
Available actions:
After linking, click the FamilySearch button on a deceased person’s profile to:
- View the status of their ordinances:
- Available: Ordinances can be requested on FamilySearch.
- In Progress: Ordinances are currently in progress.
- Needs more info: Missing details to request ordinances.
- Complete: Available ordinances are done.
- Unknown: Status is unclear. Unlink and relink them between Ancestry and FamilySearch, then try again.
- Compare person on FamilySearch: View the similarities and differences between Ancestry and FamilySearch and transfer information.
- View this person on FamilySearch: Open their profile on FamilySearch.
- Add relatives from FamilySearch: Add missing relatives from FamilySearch, either one immediate family member at a time or up to four generations at once (if no parents).
Canceling A Church of Jesus Christ-Ancestry® Membership
The Church of Jesus Christ-Ancestry® Membership is free and doesn’t renew, but you can cancel it anytime. Canceling this membership will unlink your Ancestry and FamilySearch accounts and trees, but nothing will be deleted. You can reactivate this membership and relink your accounts later if needed.
- Go to Account Settings. If asked, sign in with your Ancestry account details (not FamilySearch).
- In the Membership section, click Cancel membership.
- Select a reason for canceling, then click Cancel my membership.
- If canceled successfully, a cancellation confirmation number will appear. A confirmation email will also be sent to your email. Save your cancellation confirmation number in a safe place.
Frequently asked questions
Select a question below to view the answer. Select the question again to hide it.
Why am I getting a “FamilySearch Authorization” message, and how do I fix it?
A “FamilySearch Authorization” message means your Ancestry account needs updated permissions from FamilySearch to complete your request. To fix this, on the authorization window, click Sign in and sign in to FamilySearch (not your Ancestry account) to renew the authorization. For help signing in to your FamilySearch account, contact FamilySearch.
Who should I contact for help with FamilySearch?
For help with your FamilySearch account, contact FamilySearch directly or visit the FamilySearch Help and Learning Center.
For help with your Ancestry account or Church of Jesus Christ-Ancestry® Membership, contact us.
How do I find or unlink the Ancestry® account linked to my FamilySearch account?
Each FamilySearch account can only be linked to one Ancestry account. To find or unlink the Ancestry account linked to your FamilySearch account:
- Follow steps 1-3 in activating membership and linking accounts.
- On the “Ancestry - - FamilySearch” page, you’ll see the Ancestry account currently linked to your FamilySearch account.
How do I fix an unknown ordinance status?
An “unknown” ordinance status usually means the person in your Ancestry tree isn’t linked to the right person on FamilySearch. This can happen when:
- People are merged on FamilySearch, changing their person ID.
- Relationships or key details (like name, birth date, or spouse) are updated on FamilySearch, creating a new person ID.
- A person was living when imported to Ancestry but later marked as deceased.
To fix it:
- On FamilySearch, find the correct person and note their unique person ID (below their name or in their person page header).
- On Ancestry, unlink them from FamilySearch.
- Relink them using the correct person ID.
How do I fix duplicate people between Ancestry and FamilySearch?
Duplicates between Ancestry and FamilySearch can’t be merged directly, but they can be merged separately on each site. After merging, update the person’s connection between Ancestry and FamilySearch.
To merge duplicates and update the connection:
- Merge duplicates on Ancestry and Family Search:
- After merging, find the correct person on FamilySearch and note their unique person ID (below their name or in their person page header).
- On Ancestry, unlink them from FamilySearch.
- Relink them using the correct person ID.
Are AncestryDNA® kits included with this membership?
No, AncestryDNA kits are not included with this specialty membership. They can, however, be purchased separately and registered to an account with this membership. Buy AncestryDNA®.
Is Pro Tools included with this membership?
No, Pro Tools and its features are not included in this membership. However, you can buy Pro Tools separately as an add-on to this membership.
I have this membership; why am I being asked to upgrade or buy a membership?
If you're being asked to upgrade, or buy a membership or pay-as-you-go credits it could be because:
- You’re not signed in. Sign in and try again.
- You’re signed in to the wrong account. If you have multiple accounts or are using a shared device, sign out and sign in to the account with your membership, then try again.
- You need a different membership. Some records are located on our other sites (like Fold3® and Newspapers.com™) and require their membership or All Access. Buy their membership or upgrade to All Access and try again.
- You need an additional membership. Features like Tree Checker and Charts & Reports require a Pro Tools membership. Add a Pro Tools membership to access its features.
What happens if I cancel this membership?
Canceling your Church of Jesus Christ-Ancestry® Membership will unlink your Ancestry and FamilySearch accounts and trees, but nothing will be deleted. After canceling, you’ll no longer be able to import or link your Ancestry and FamilySearch trees but you’ll still have a free registered guest account on Ancestry, which gives access to many free resources. For more information, read Ancestry® Accounts after Cancellation.
Important:
Pro Tools and some DNA features require an active Ancestry family history membership. If you cancel your Church membership, you'll lose access to those DNA features and your Pro Tools membership will automatically be canceled at the end of its current paid period.
What happens to my Church of Jesus Christ-Ancestry® Membership if I cancel Pro Tools?
Canceling Pro Tools will only end your Pro Tools membership—it won't affect your Church of Jesus Christ-Ancestry® Membership. You'll still have access to Pro Tools benefits until the "Expires" date on your Account settings page. To cancel your Church of Jesus Christ-Ancestry® Membership, follow the cancellation steps above to cancel it separately.
Can I apply the value of this membership to other Ancestry products or memberships?
No, the value of this membership cannot be applied towards the purchase of or as a discount for other Ancestry products or memberships.
Is Ancestry owned by FamilySearch or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?
No. Ancestry is a privately owned company.
FamilySearch is a service of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Can I pause this membership?
Church of Jesus Christ-Ancestry® memberships are free for members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints through a content partnership with FamilySearch. Since there’s no charge, the membership cannot be paused.
