Media files uploaded to Ancestry® must be 15 MB or smaller. The following file types are supported:

• Photos: .jpg, .jpeg, .png, .tiff, .bmp, .jif, .tif
• Stories: .doc, .docx, .rtf, .pdf, .txt

If you upload files to a public tree that you later make private or delete, your files may continue to exist publicly or privately on the family trees of people who saved them to their trees while your tree was public. For help adding profile photos, see Adding or Changing Profile Photos.
 

Uploading photos or documents

The steps below explain how to add files from your computer to your tree. To find photos that other members have added, see Searching for Photos.
 

1. From a family tree, click on a person.
2. In the person card, click Profile.
3. On their profile page, click the Gallery tab. 
4. In the top-right corner, click Add Media and select Upload Photos, Upload story or Upload Audio.
5. On the Upload page, click Choose files, select the file on your computer, then click Open or OK. Or drag and drop your file into the designated space labeled "Drag or click here to upload." 
6. Add information about your file (title, media type, date, place, and description).
7. If you want to link it to another person in your tree, click +Add, begin typing their name, and select it from the list that appears.
8. Click Done.

 

Adding or changing profile photos

To add or change a profile photo for someone on your tree, go to the person's profile page and click on the profile photo (or profile photo placeholder). For more information, see Adding or Changing Profile Photos.
 

Adding your own records

You can add your own records to your Ancestry® family tree from the Facts tab on a person's profile page. For more information, see our article about managing sources in trees.

1. From a family tree, click on a person.
2. In the person card, click Profile.
3. On their profile page, make sure the Facts tab.
4. In the Sources column, click +Add and select Add Source.
5. In section 1, click the create a new source.
6. Enter any information you have. Leave anything you don't know blank.
7. Click Save Source.
8. In section 2, enter any information you have.
9. In section 3, select the facts or events related to the source you're adding (if none, leave blank).
10. Click Submit.

11. To add an image of the source, in the Sources column, hover over the source you just created and click the View button that appears.

    

12. On the left, select Media.  
13. In the top-right corner, click +Add media to source.
14. On the Upload Media page, click Choose files, select the file, and enter details about the record. You can also drag your file to the space on the page that says Drag or click here to upload.
15. Click Done.

 

Removing photos or documents

1. From a family tree, click on the person whose photo or document you want to remove.
2. In the person card, click Profile.
   
   To remove a photo, click the Gallery tab and choose the media your want to delete. Look for the trash can icon and select Delete media. To confirm, click Delete.
   
   To remove a document, click the Facts tab, hover over a source (sources are in the middle column), and click the View button that appears. On the card that open, look for the trash can icon  and click Remove.  To confirm, click Remove.

 

Frequently asked questions

Who can see the photos and documents I upload?
Photos and documents you add to your tree follow the privacy settings of your tree:

• If your tree is public, your photos and documents are visible to other Ancestry members, but files connected to living people are private and not shared.
• If your tree is private, your photos and documents are visible only to you and those you’ve invited to your tree.

For help changing your tree’s privacy settings, see Family Tree Privacy.

When will my uploaded photos and documents show up in my family tree?
Once uploaded, your files should appear within a few minutes, but it can take up to 48 hours for them to appear.

What if my uploaded files don’t appear within 48 hours?
If your photos don’t appear within 48 hours, make sure you’ve followed the upload instructions above and that your photos are:

• 15 MB or smaller
• Supported file types
  • Photos: .jpg, .jpeg, .png, .tiff, .bmp, .jif, .tif
  • Stories: .doc, .docx, .rtf, .pdf, .txt