How To Link Family Trees On Ancestry

Imagine finding a cousin you never knew existed

You’re scrolling through Ancestry, minding your own business, when a little green leaf pops up. That leaf is basically a treasure map, and it might just lead you to a distant relative who’s already done half the detective work for you.

Linking family trees on Ancestry is like snapping two puzzle pieces together—except the picture is your entire lineage. It’s the difference between staring at a lonely branch and suddenly seeing the whole forest of your family history.

What does “linking” actually mean?

In plain English, it means merging your tree with someone else’s—but not by deleting anything. You’re connecting your ancestor to a person in another tree, like attaching a “this is the same person” label.

Once linked, you can see their photos, stories, and records that you never had. It’s like getting a backstage pass to your own family’s private concert, and you didn’t even have to pay for the ticket.

Think of it as social media for dead people—but with way better gossip and fewer cat videos.

Why bother? Because it’s pure fun

The real thrill comes when you link to a tree with 10,000 people and suddenly find third cousins in Australia. You’ll spend an entire Saturday just clicking through name after name, saying, “Wait, THAT’S my great-great-uncle?”

It turns a boring hobby into a game of virtual hide-and-seek. Your own tree becomes a lively neighborhood, not a lonely cemetery.

Step one: find a tree worth stealing (er, linking)

Go to any person in your tree, then click on “Search” and choose “Member Trees”. A list of other people’s trees that contain that same ancestor will pop up like magic dandelions.

Look for trees with lots of hints—those little green leaves mean the owner has attached records, photos, and stories. A tree with zero leaves is like a library with no books.

Step two: the actual link (it’s easier than baking a frozen pizza)

Click on the person in the other tree, then hit the button that says “Compare” or “Review”. Ancestry will show you both trees side-by-side, and you’ll check if the names, dates, and places line up.

If everything matches, click “Link to My Tree”. That’s it. You’ve just built a bridge between two family universes.

Step three: watch the magic unfold

After linking, you’ll start seeing a new icon—a little person with a chain—next to your ancestor’s name. That means you’re now connected to another researcher who might have a photo of your grandmother’s childhood home.

Send them a friendly message: “Hey, we’re cousins! Tell me everything!” Some of the best family stories come from these random connections. I once got a 1942 postcard from a man who turned out to be my fifth cousin twice removed.

What if you pick the wrong person?

Relax. It’s not like you’re marrying them. You can unlink in two clicks, no harm done, no awkward Thanksgiving dinner. Mistakes are part of the fun—they make you feel like an actual archaeologist, dusting off bones and guessing which one is Grandma.

The secret sauce: collaboration

The real treasure isn’t the records—it’s the other humans. When you link trees, you’re inviting someone else’s memories into your family story. They might have letters, recipes, or a scandalous story about an uncle who ran away with the circus.

Every link is a handshake with a stranger who shares your blood, and that’s worth more than any gold medal.

Start small, dream big

Don’t try to link your entire tree in one sitting. Pick one great-grandparent you know well, find them in a public tree, and connect. Then, grab a snack—because you’ll be glued to the screen for hours.

Before you know it, you’ll have a web of cousins, a pile of new photos, and a seriously impressive party trick for family reunions. Go ahead, click that green leaf. Your ancestors are waiting to be introduced.