Other lessons in this series:
There are many ways to connect and collaborate with others on Ancestry®. Here are a few ways to get started:
Discovering Ancestry® members
Member Search
Member Search helps you find other Ancestry members by name, username, or research interests such as surnames, locations, and years. It’s a great way to connect with people who may be researching the same family lines.
To use Member Search, at the top of any Ancestry page, click the Search tab and select Member Search. Once there, search by name/username, or by research interest, enter your information, and select Search. From the list of results, click a member’s name or username to view their public profile, and select Message if you’d like to contact them.
Member Connect
Member Connect helps you discover and connect with other Ancestry members who are researching the same people in their trees. You can connect to receive updates when new information is added and compare what’s in your tree with theirs.
To open Member Connect, go to someone’s profile in your tree, and in the top-right corner of their profile click Tools, then select Member Connect. From there, use the Suggested Connections tab to find possible connections. For more details, read Using Member Connect.
AncestryDNA® Matches
AncestryDNA Matches help you discover other AncestryDNA members who share DNA with you. You can view your matches, explore their public trees (with a membership or tree invitation), and contact them to collaborate. To learn more, read AncestryDNA® Matches.
Your public profile
Your public profile is where other Ancestry members can learn about you and your research interests. You can add details like your location, languages, research focus, and family trees to help others with similar interests find and connect with you. Your profile also shows when you joined Ancestry, your last active date, and you can choose whether to display a Willing to Help badge.
To access your public profile, in the top-right corner of any Ancestry page, click your name or username and select Your Profile. You can edit what appears on your public profile at any time. For more information, read Editing Your Public Profile.
Communicating with other members
Private messaging
With an Ancestry account, you can send and receive private messages with other members using Ancestry messaging.
To open the message center, in the top-right corner of any Ancestry page, click the chat 
icon and select See all messages or Go to message center. From there, you can start a new conversation or reply to existing ones. For more information, read Messaging on Ancestry®.
Public Message Boards
The Ancestry Message Boards are public forums with more than 25 million posts across 198,000 boards. They’re a great place to connect with others who share your research interests, ask questions, and exchange information.
To access the message boards, in the top-right corner of any Ancestry page, click the circled question mark, select Community, and then choose Message Boards. Once there, you can search by location, event, keyword, or even browse boards by surname to read existing threads, start new ones, or request a new board if a topic doesn’t exist yet. Use Ancestry message boards to post, search for, and read messages about specific topics. For more information, read Message Boards on Ancestry®.
Sharing trees and DNA
Sharing a family tree
You can share your Ancestry family tree with friends and family so they can view it, contribute, or help you edit details.
To share your tree, open it and in the top-right corner click Invite (on the website) or tap Share (in the app). For more information, read Sharing a Family Tree.
Sharing DNA results
You can share your AncestryDNA results with friends and family so they can view your full DNA results or regions only, collaborate, or help manage your DNA results.
For step-by-step instructions, read Sharing AncestryDNA® Results.
Getting help
Asking someone for information
You can ask anyone, with or without an Ancestry account, for help filling in details about the people in your tree. They don’t need to sign in or create an account to respond. When someone replies, you’ll get an Ancestry notification to review, compare, and decide whether or not to add their suggested details to your tree.
For more information and step-by-step instructions, read Asking Someone for Information.
The Ancestry® Support Center
If you're looking for general help using Ancestry, AncestryDNA, or our App, our Support Center is the best place to start. There you’ll find answers to common questions, step-by-step instructions, tips for family history research, and more.
To open the Support Center, click the circled question mark in the top-right corner of any Ancestry page and select Support Center, or go directly to https://support.ancestry.co.uk. Once there, type your question into the search bar to quickly find the help you need.
Working with professional genealogists
If you’d like more personalized family history support, Ancestry also offers professional services through AncestryProGenealogists® and one-on-one coaching sessions.
AncestryProGenealogists®
AncestryProGenealogists® have spent years helping clients tackle difficult family history problems, find family members through DNA analysis, and trace their family trees. Using online and offline resources and experts around the world, our professional genealogists have the experience to help you reach your family history goals. Depending on the complexity of your research goals, pricing may start as low as $3,700 USD. Request a research estimate.
Discovering your family story with expert help
Have questions about your family tree? Curious about your DNA results? Stuck on a research roadblock? Our expert genealogists are ready to help. Connect one-on-one with a professional genealogist in a private, virtual coaching consultation.
In a private, 30-minute virtual session, you’ll get personalized guidance to:
- Break through research barriers
- Understand and apply your DNA results
- Navigate complicated family lines
- Make the most of Ancestry® tools and resources
Book your private coaching session
