Everything on FamilySearch is designed to help you do your family history work as conveniently as possible. This includes how you view your tree. FamilySearch offers different types of views that each have their own unique benefits and help answer the question of “What do I work on next?”
Watch the How-to Video
Want to see the different views for yourself? The video below provides step-by-step instructions on how to change the view of your family tree. Now you can find which view you prefer and which one is most helpful for your family history work.
Helpful Notes and Takeaways
When you click the option to change your tree view, you will see several different types of views to choose from.
- Landscape View helps you see the children of each couple in your direct line.
- Portrait View shows a more tree-like visual of your family.
- Fan Chart View makes it easy to identify places you can add missing information.
- Descendancy View, unlike the other views, allows you to see all your distant cousins and not just your direct line.
See the Gaps in Your Tree That You Can Fill In
One of the main purposes of the different tree views is to help you get a better idea of what you can focus on next in your family history work. The Fan Chart View can be particularly helpful for this. It clearly shows the gaps in your tree lines that you can fill in. It also shows you the number of sources (historical material), stories, and photos per person. If there are family members in your tree that have zero, or only a few, sources in their profiles, your next family history project can be to find and add sources to those people. The Fan Chart View can really help take the guesswork out of what you can add to the tree next.
Another feature worth noting in the Fan Chart View is the option to view Research Helps. When you select this option, your family members are coded by colors, indicating if they have data problems, record hints, or research suggestions. FamilySearch is actively trying to help you add information to these family members, and these Research Helps can help you get started.
