If you receive an error message when attempting to view your tree in the vertical view, it may be due to relationships in your tree.

Why this happens

This error usually happens when related people marry each other and now have multiple family roles in a tree. For example, if someone marries their cousin, they become both a spouse and a cousin. The tree then tries to display them in both family roles but can't, so an error is displayed instead.

You may be able to fix this problem by switching the tree from the vertical view to the horizontal view; or by adjusting their relationships so that they're only related in one way.

Switching to the horizontal view

A tree in the horizontal view has descendants extending to the left and ancestors extending to the right .

If your tree has relationship mistakes, try fixing those first. If your tree is correct, switching it to the horizontal view should allow you to view it again.

If you can see your tree
 

1. Go to your tree.
2. In the toolbar on the left, click the View button and choose Horizontal.

If you can't see your tree
 

1. Click the Trees tab and choose Create & Manage Trees.

2. In the Tools column for that tree, click Tree settings.

3. In the top-right corner, click Find in tree.

4. Click List of all people and click on anyone in the list.

5. In the top-left corner of their profile, click the tree's name and choose View tree. 

6. In the toolbar on the left, click the View button and choose Horizontal.

Fixing the vertical view

A tree in the vertical view has ancestors extending upward and descendants extending downward .

To see your tree in the vertical view again, you have two options. You can either:

1. Disconnect one of the relationship connections between the people with multiple roles in your tree so that they're only related in one way.
2. Or, intentionally create a duplicate version of one of them in your tree to hold the second relationship.

For example, if you had cousins who married each other, you could:

• Disconnect one of them from their parents and siblings.
• Disconnect the marriage between the cousins. 
• Intentionally create a duplicate person not connected to anyone and have them appear in the marriage.

To fix the vertical view
 

1. Either disconnect one of the relationships causing people to have multiple family roles, or intentionally create a duplicate person. For help and instructions, select what you want to do:
   • Disconnect a relationship
   • Intentionally create a duplicate person
2. Return to your family tree.
3. In the toolbar on the left, click the View button and select Vertical.

Other tree errors

Missing tree or missing people in your tree
If you don’t see your tree when you click the Trees tab, you may have a duplicate account or are signed in to the wrong one. Even if you see your name or username in the top-right corner, try signing out and back in again to see if your tree is there.

If you can open your tree but don't see any people in it, see our article about missing family trees.

If you can see your tree, but notice a specific branch or group of people is missing, see our article about missing people.

Problems with the home button
If clicking the home button takes you to someone other than you or the primary person for this tree, see Assigning a Home Person in a Tree. 

Problems with the relationship calculator
If the relationship calculator is missing on person profile pages in your tree, try Assigning Who You Are in Your Ancestry® Tree.

Adding relationships
If you need help adding stepfamily, adopted family, unmarried parents, or other relationship types, see our article about adding people.