How to Upload GEDCOM Files
GEDCOM files hold all of your family tree information so you can transfer it from one program to another. You can even use the file to upload information to a genealogy website such as Ancestry or WeRelate. GEDCOM, an acronym for Genealogical Data Communication, is the common language of genealogical data, according to WeRelate. If you'd like to show your family tree information online for the rest of your family to see, you can upload the GEDCOM file to make the process easier.
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Instructions
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Uploading to Ancestry
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Export the GEDCOM file using your preferred genealogy and family tree creation program. Though the process varies among programs, exporting is usually performed from the "File" menu at the top of the program's main screen.
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Log in to your account on Ancestry.com, then navigate to the main Online Family Tree Web page from the Ancestry main screen. Click "Upload GEDCOM Now," which is toward the bottom of the page.
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Enter the title of the family tree in the "Description" field. This usually is the family name, although you can choose whatever works best. Click the "Browse" button and search for the GEDCOM file that you had saved on your computer when you exported it from the previous program. Click "Open" when you find it.
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Click the "Upload GEDCOM" button to upload the chosen file. This may take awhile, depending on the size of the file.
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Click "Return to the Online Family Tree" to go back to your Online Family Tree page. The information from the uploaded GEDCOM file will be in the list of available family trees.
Uploading to WeRelate
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Export your GEDCOM genealogy file from the program of choice. Save it on your computer in a location you will remember.
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Log in to your WeRelate account. At the top of the main account page, click "Add," then choose "Import GEDCOM."
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Click the "Browse" button and search for the GEDCOM file that you exported earlier.
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Choose a family tree that you want to add this information to. If you haven't yet created a family tree with WeRelate or want to create a new one, you can do that from this screen as well.
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Click "Import GEDCOM" when you are ready to import it into your WeRelate account.
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Tips & Warnings
Most online genealogy programs will leave information about living people off your GEDCOM file upload, since you shouldn't publish information about living people online without their permission.
References
- Photo Credit family tree image by Judy Ben Joud from Fotolia.com
