Synchronizing your tree is easy!
Once you link trees between Ancestry and Family Tree Maker, the two trees can be synchronized so that changes made in either tree can be applied to the other tree automatically or manually.
Note: You cannot link two existing trees.
Getting started
You can upload your tree from Family Tree Maker to Ancestry by clicking Upload and Link to Ancestry from the Plan workspace.
Or if you already have a tree on Ancestry, you can download and link it to a new tree in Family Tree Maker by clicking Download from Ancestry on the New Tree tab in the Plan workspace.
Once linked, the Online Sharing panel in Family Tree Maker will display the synchronization status of the two trees.
Privacy and control
You are in complete control of your online tree at Ancestry. Before uploading your tree, you will have the option to make your tree public or private once online. Even after your tree is online, you can change its privacy settings and invite family and others to access your tree as you desire.
Information about living individuals is always protected
—Whether your tree is public or private, information about living individuals is only viewable
by you and those you specifically invite to your online tree.
Notes are always treated as private online and can only be seen by you and others you invite with the role of editor.
Key benefits
Having your family tree on your desktop and having it linked to your online tree at Ancestry will expand your own access and your opportunities for sharing with others, enabling the following benefits:
Access and build your tree online, on your desktop, and from your iPhone or iPad.
Share your tree with family and others
Collaborate from your desktop with online users
Note: it is free for you and those you invite to access your online tree at Ancestry.
What Information is Synchronized?
The core data in your linked trees is synchronized in both directions. Some types of data that are unique to Ancestry Member Trees or Family Tree Maker, although not synchronized, can be used fully in their native system.
| Core data that is synced | Unique data that is not synced or transferred | |
|---|---|---|
People
NotesPerson notes (only viewable by tree editors)Sources
Media
Note: Media files are updated in the background after your tree data has finished syncing. |
From Family Tree Maker
|
From Ancestry
|
| Data that is transferred but not synced | FTM data that is not viewable online but is transferred so it can be downloaded back into Family Tree Maker if needed | |
StoriesA story created on Ancestry will become an .htm file, which can be viewed in a Web browser, in Family Tree Maker. You can edit the text in a word-processing program. Smart StoriesSmart Stories created in Family Tree Maker will become .rtf text files on Ancestry. The story cannot be viewed within your Ancestry tree but the file can be downloaded. |
Notes
Source data from templatesSource information entered in template fields that are not available on Ancestry. |
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