My Generations Book

How ready is your tree for a book?

Upload a GEDCOM file of your family tree and get a free readiness check in under a minute.

A .ged file, or the .zip it downloaded in. Don't have one yet? Here's how to get it.

Checking your tree also adds you to the My Generations book waitlist — we'll email you when books are available. Unsubscribe any time.

Your file is only used to score your tree — nothing is shared or published.

How to get your GEDCOM file

A GEDCOM (.ged) file is the standard way to save a copy of your family tree from a genealogy website or program. It holds names, dates and places — not photos.

What to include: download 7 generations of your family tree, with you as the starting person. Making a family book for your children? Start with one of them instead, so both parents' sides are included.

From Ancestry

  1. Click Trees and open your tree.
  2. In the toolbar on the left, click More (···) → Tree Settings.
  3. Under Manage your tree, click Export tree, then Export.
  4. When it's ready, click Download Your GEDCOM File.

Ancestry exports your whole tree rather than a set number of generations — that's fine; you'll pick yourself as the starting person when you upload here. It downloads as a .zip, which you can upload as it is. Only the tree's owner can export it. Ancestry's help article

From FamilySearch

FamilySearch doesn't offer a direct GEDCOM download, so we recommend RootsMagic, which you can try for free:

  1. Download RootsMagic for free and install it.
  2. Click Download a Tree and choose FamilySearch, then sign in with your FamilySearch account.
  3. Start with yourself and choose 6 generations of ancestors and 1 generation of descendants — that's 7 generations in all.
  4. Choose Export → GEDCOM and save the file.

Making a family book for your children? Sign in to FamilySearch with one of their accounts and start with that child instead of yourself. FamilySearch only shows both parents' sides of the tree from your child's account.

Other FamilySearch-compatible programs work too — see FamilySearch's Solutions Gallery.

From other sites & programs

Most genealogy websites and programs — MyHeritage, Family Tree Maker, RootsMagic, Legacy and others — have an Export or Download GEDCOM option, usually in the tree's settings or the program's File menu. If it lets you choose, start with yourself (or one of your children, for a family book) and include 7 generations.

Stuck? Email [email protected] and we'll help.

See inside a My Generations book

A real six-generation book, made from one family's tree. Use the chapter buttons to jump around.

My Generations books are coming soon

Not ready to check your tree yet? Join the waitlist to be the first to know when they launch.

Join the Waitlist