Trace your rootsA Family Tree

Have you ever wondered if you have relatives you didn’t know existed–or how exactly you’re connected to your third cousin in Ohio? Your family tree can unlock fascinating stories about your ancestry and help you build connections through generations. 


What is a family tree?

A family tree is a genealogy chart that illustrates the descent of individuals, their family members and the structure of how they are related. The chart is arranged from oldest generations moving down to younger generations.

How is a family tree used?

A family tree is a genealogy chart that maps out the relationships between family members over time, arranged from older generations moving down through the younger generations. With a family tree you can see a visual representation of how your family members are related to each other and to you.

Image of the 23andMe family tree interface

How is a family tree used?

People can use family trees in many meaningful ways, whether for personal discovery or preserving family heritage. Some common uses include:

  • Visualizing family connections – Easily track relationships, and easily visualize how a distant relative is related to you.
  • Documenting family history – Create a permanent record of names, dates, and key life events that future generations can cherish.

Uncovering unknown relatives – Connecting a family tree with DNA testing results can reveal relatives you never knew about, expanding your family story in exciting ways.

How does the 23andMe Family Tree work?

23andMe automatically generates your family tree for you. We create a visualization of your genetic relatives that have opted-in to the 23andMe DNA Relatives feature.

Who Appears in your 23andMe Family Tree?

  • Close relatives (third cousins or closer) who have been genotyped by 23andMe and opted into DNA Relatives will appear automatically.
  • Anyone you manually add to your family tree from your match list.

What else can I do with my 23andMe Family Tree?

Once you have your family tree, you can personalize and enhance it.

  • Add notes – include ancestor names, important dates, and photo
  • Edit relationships – make adjustments to your connections based on your family knowledge
  • Share your tree – you can share your family tree with up to 5 other people
  • Involve more family members – lt helps to get family members on board–by using a 23andMe service, they may be able to tell you even more information to your family tree.

Ancestry Service

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Unlock more with 23andMe+ Premium

You can do even more with your family tree with our Records & ArchivesSM feature, which you can access through our 23andMe+ Premium membership. If you purchase our Ancestry Service, or are an existing customer, you can easily upgrade to 23andMe+ Premium, and gain access to this feature.

Image of the Records and Archives feature on a

How does Records & Archives work?

Enter a relative’s name and birthdate and Records & Archives will search through historical documents to find a match and new information via ‘hints’. These hints can also suggest possible family members, helping you create a fuller picture of your heritage.

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