In a family tree, someone can have more than one spouse or set of parents. You can choose which spouse(s) or parents are shown when viewing your family tree. 

Choosing which parents are shown

In some tree layouts, like the horizontal (pedigree) and fan views, you’ll only see one set of parents for each person, typically biological parents, unless other parents are marked as preferred.

To mark parents as preferred:

1. Go to your tree, find, and click on the person with multiple parents.
2. In the opened card, click Profile.
3. In the top-right corner of their profile page, click Edit and then choose Edit Relationships.
4. Under the preferred parent, click Make preferred. The preferred parent(s) will remain set until you change them.
   • Only one mother and one father can be made preferred.
   • If you don’t see “Make preferred,” they’re already set as the preferred parent.

Choosing which spouses are shown

In some tree layouts, like the vertical view, you can view all relatives of the person whose tree you’re viewing. In tree views like these, you can show one, some, or all spouses.

To show one or all spouses:

1. Go to your family tree. If it’s not already in the vertical format, switch to the vertical view.
2. In the toolbar on the left, click More (three dots) and select Tree viewing options.
3. In the opened side panel, choose to show one or all spouses for everyone in your tree by toggling the "Always view all spouses" switch "on" or "off."
   • On: Shows all spouses for everyone in your tree.
   • Off: Shows one or more spouses for everyone in your tree. To select which spouses are shown, skip to step 4 of the next section.

To show only certain spouses: 

1. Go to your family tree. If it’s not already in the vertical format, switch to the vertical view.
2. In the toolbar on the left, click More (three dots) and select Tree viewing options.
3. In the opened side panel, next to Always view all spouses, make sure the switch is in the "off" position.
4. In the top-left corner of someone with multiple spouses, click the spouses/partners menu icon . If you don’t see this option, add another spouse.
5. Choose who you want to show or hide.
   • To show someone, turn the switch “on” to the blue position.
   • To hide someone, turn the switch "off" to the gray position.
     Note: At least one spouse must be shown. If you try to hide all spouses, the last one will remain visible until you show a different one. 

Frequently asked questions

How do I add another mother or father to someone in my tree? 
To add another mother or father to someone:

1. Go to their profile page.
2. In the top-right corner, click Edit and then choose Edit Relationships. 
3. Click + Add Alternate Mother/Father.
   • To select someone in your tree, enter their name and select it when it appears, then click Save.
   • To add a new person, click Add new person, enter their information, and click Save.

How do I specify the type of relationship between a child and their parents, like adopted, biological, and unknown, or between others like spouses, partners, and friends?
For help specifying the relationship type between two people, see Defining Relationship Types within a Family Tree.