If you have matches turned on, you’ll get a list of matches (other AncestryDNA® members who share DNA with you). Your matches are based only on your DNA—we don't consider your family trees. (Learn how we find matches.)
To see the possible relationships based on the amount of shared DNA, see DNA match categories.
Fill out your tree and link it to your test
For the best chance of learning about your matches, fill out your family tree as completely as you can, make it public, link it to your DNA results, and make sure you have an Ancestry family history membership.
Look for a family tree
Your matches’ family trees can be a valuable resource. They may be able to share information about how you’re related through common ancestors, matching surnames, and more.
When looking at your DNA matches, icons show the status of their family tree:
Lock icon: Tree is private. 
Solid tree icon: Tree is public. 
Dotted tree icon: Tree isn't linked to their DNA results.
Crossed-out tree icon: No family tree on Ancestry. 
Three people icon: Common ancestor found in your and your match's trees.
You’ll also see how many people are in the tree.
To see a match's public tree:
- From your list of matches, click the name of a match whose tree you want to view.
- In the middle of the page, click the Trees tab.
- Above their tree and to the right, select Expand tree.
- Above the 7-generation preview of their family tree, click View full tree.
To see a match's private tree or their entire public tree (without an Ancestry family history membership), contact them and ask if they'd share their tree with you.
Contact your matches
Message your DNA matches to see if they know how you might be related.
Invite your biological parents to take an AncestryDNA® test
When at least one of your biological parents takes an AncestryDNA test, your matches will be labeled with which side of your family they’re from, either maternal (mother’s side) or paternal (father’s side). If only one biological parent is tested, only matches from that side will be labeled. Matches not linked to that parent are likely from the other parent's side, and you can organize them into custom groups for labeling and future filtering.
This method also works when other known family members like an aunt, uncle, or half-sibling take the test. Select on a match with a known relationship connection (like an aunt, uncle, or half-sibling), and see which matches you share. For example, if you pick your uncle on your dad’s side, you’d know that the matches you share are also likely from your dad’s side.
View your shared matches
A shared match is a match you have in common with another match. Once you’ve figured out how you’re related to some matches, check your shared matches to see where others might fit in your family tree. To view shared matches, you need two-step verification turned on and an Ancestry® family history membership. Then, you can click a name on your list of matches and select the Shared matches tab. For more information, see AncestryDNA® Shared Matches.
Explore matching ancestor birth locations
If you know where specific ancestors are from, check the birth locations of people in your matches’ trees to find clues about how you may be related.
To see shared birth locations, you need two-step verification turned on and an Ancestry® family history membership.
- From your list of matches, click the name of a match with a public tree or tree you’re invited to.
- In the middle of the page, click the Trees tab.
- Scroll down to the map showing Ancestor Birth Locations.
- Use the Filter by tree menu to compare information from your tree, their tree, or both.
