If you’ve already built a digital family tree, you may be wondering if there’s a point in importing that tree as a GEDCOM (the standard file format for family tree data) to MyHeritage. The short answer is: absolutely.
When it comes to genealogy platforms, it truly doesn’t have to be either/or. You can enjoy all the benefits of your hard work on the other site — and also import your tree and enjoy all the unique benefits of MyHeritage. Uploading a GEDCOM file to MyHeritage from another platform is completely free, so there’s really nothing to lose. Here’s how to import your GEDCOM to MyHeritage.
Below are some of the important benefits you will have access to when you upload a GEDCOM of your family tree to MyHeritage:
1. Utilize Smart Matches™ and Instant Discoveries™ to expand your tree
Smart Matches™ scans the profiles in your tree and suggests possible matches to profiles in other trees that were built on MyHeritage. You may have family members who have built extensive family trees on MyHeritage and nowhere else — and these trees may include valuable information that you don’t have on your tree yet. Using Smart Matches™, you can instantly import that information directly to your own tree.
Instant Discoveries™ takes this a step further. It can help you discover entire new branches from the family tree of a relative and add multiple new profiles to your own tree with a single click. Again, these profiles may not exist on other collaborative genealogy platforms.
Click here to learn how to use Smart Matches™, and here to learn how to use Instant Discoveries™.
2. Discover new photos of your ancestors
With the Photo Discovery™ feature, you may even be able to find never-before-seen photographs of your relatives. MyHeritage locates matching profiles in other trees and brings you photographs from those profiles that you can choose to add to your own tree.
What’s more, MyHeritage is the #1 platform for working with old family photos. Our revolutionary Photo Enhancer and MyHeritage In Color™ features — which bring photos into sharp focus and colorize black and white images — can show you your ancestors as you’ve never seen them before.
Click here to learn more about Photo Discoveries™.
3. Have new historical records delivered to your inbox with Record Matches
MyHeritage boasts a huge collection of searchable historical records — and some of them are exclusive to our platform. You can search the records without having a family tree on MyHeritage, but when you do have one, you’ll benefit from our handy Record Matching feature. The Record Matching algorithm searches the records, finds any that match profiles in your tree, and delivers them straight to your inbox. We add millions of new records to our collection every month, so Record Matching helps you keep up and saves you the trouble of having to search over and over again.
Click here to learn how to use Record Matches.
4. Receive Record Matches from other languages — in your own language
Thanks to our Global Translation Technology™, you’ll even receive Record Matches when the original language of the record is different from your own. But when you view those records, you’ll also see the basic information from the record translated or transliterated into your own language. This can be a game-changer for genealogists who have encountered brick walls due to language barriers.
Click here to learn more about cross-language Record Matches.
5. Make your tree more accurate with the Consistency Checker
MyHeritage’s family tree Consistency Checker is one of the most comprehensive in the industry, with 36 different checks to ensure that your tree is accurate and error-free. Even the most seasoned genealogists sometimes make mistakes, and those mistakes can compound as your tree grows. Running the Consistency Checker on your family tree regularly helps make sure that your tree is as accurate as possible.
Click here to learn how to use the Consistency Checker.
6. Produce a beautiful family tree chart
On MyHeritage, you can turn your family tree into a beautiful customized family tree poster — absolutely free. The family tree chart feature offers a wide variety of formats and styles that you can customize with your favorite designs, fonts, colors, and preferences. Once you’ve produced your print-ready PDF, you can share it as a digital file, print it on your home printer, or get it professionally printed.
Click here to learn about how to create a beautiful family tree chart on MyHeritage.
7. Tap into the MyHeritage DNA database and advanced DNA tools
You can upload more than just your GEDCOM to MyHeritage. If you’ve taken a DNA test with another company, you can also upload your DNA data to MyHeritage for free and tap into MyHeritage’s global DNA database. With a paid subscription or an unlock fee, you can also take advantage of MyHeritage’s advanced DNA tools and utilize your DNA matches to make even more discoveries about your family.
Click here to learn how to get started with your DNA Matches on MyHeritage.
When researching genealogy, it’s always a good idea to cast as wide a net as possible. By uploading your GEDCOM to MyHeritage, you’ll enjoy access to a wide range of useful tools and features that can help you reach new horizons in your family history research.
Click here to learn how to import a family tree as a GEDCOM to MyHeritage.
