In 2021, during the first virtual RootsTech, over a million people from over 200 countries and territories logged on to the RootsTech.org site to join the world's largest genealogy conference. In the years since, the RootsTech conference has seen millions of visitors return each year, either in-person or virtually.
What if some of those people were your DNA matches? If you’ve taken a DNA test from a company like 23andMe, Ancestry, MyHeritage, Family Tree DNA, or Living DNA, some of them probably were your matches.
As the founder of Your DNA Guide, I come across many DNA testers who wish they had another way to connect with and contact their DNA matches. And maybe you wish you knew how to contact your DNA matches too! Maybe you’re curious about how you’re related, or you might want to exchange family history photos or stories. Maybe you hope to learn something about your shared heritage.
Unfortunately, for several reasons, it can be challenging to contact your DNA matches through your testing company's website. So look for your DNA matches at RootsTech this year!
How to Sign Up for Relatives at RootsTech
To connect with your DNA matches at RootsTech, all you have to do is sign up for Relatives at RootsTech. Relatives at RootsTech is a social network powered by family tree connections on the FamilySearch Family Tree. When you build yourself into this free global family tree, the Relatives at RootsTech tool will connect you with other RootsTech attendees who have also opted in and share common ancestry with you on the family tree.
There are 2 ways you can sign up for Relatives at RootsTech:
Method 1: Register for RootsTech
One way you can sign up for Relatives at RootsTech is by registering for RootsTech. It’s free, and it’s easy—in fact, I was surprised at how easy! At the registration link below, type your name, click a few more times, and you’re IN. Make sure you select the free online event. (If you don’t have a free FamilySearch account yet and need to create one, it will take you a couple of extra steps, but I promise, it will be worth it.)
Go ahead and register for RootsTech. I’ll wait.
Great. Now that you’re registered, set aside some time at the end of February and beginning of March, when the RootsTech conference is usually happening. Got your calendar alert set? Good. You’re ready to attend the party!
Now all you have to do is go to the Relatives at RootsTech site during the conference and sign in!
Note: Sometimes Relatives at RootsTech is available earlier in February, but it is always a smart idea to log in and check it during the conference. Many people attending the conference will join Relatives at RootsTech and be active on the site chats at that time—and some of them might be your relatives!
Method 2: Sign Up at the Relatives at RootsTech Site
You can also sign up for Relatives at RootsTech by going to the Relatives at RootsTech site, as soon as it is live. This usually happens sometime in February before the conference starts.
Using Relatives at RootsTech to Contact Your DNA Matches
Once you are on the Relatives at RootsTech site, you can find your list of relatives by clicking on the View Relatives button.
Some of these relatives on your list may have taken DNA tests and could therefore be on your DNA match list. You share DNA with your biological second cousins 100% of the time, and with your fourth cousins about half the time. (With second cousins, you share great-grandparents; with fourth cousins, you share 3x great-grandparents.)
Once you have signed up for Relatives at RootsTech and can see your list of relatives, start comparing it to your DNA match list on your testing company's website. Watch for familiar initials, names, and profile pictures that you recognize from your match list.
If you find any matches on both lists, click on their name in your Relatives at RootsTech list to see how you’re related to them (according to the FamilySearch Family Tree). That’s often what you don’t see on your DNA testing company's website. Then reach out to your match by clicking on Send a Message to see if they’d like to have a conversation.
One of my team members at Your DNA Guide tried this last year at RootsTech. She was so pleased to learn how some of her mystery DNA matches fit on her family tree. Better yet, she was able to chat for the first time with some who hadn’t responded to her messages on the DNA testing website. (One of those relatives even said something like, “Sorry, I never check my messages over at the testing site.”)
Of course, tree data always requires verification to be sure those family relationships are right. DNA matches provide one more piece of evidence when you can confirm that the amount of DNA you share is consistent with your proposed genealogical relationship.
What to Do if You See No Connections
What if you have taken a DNA test but don’t recognize any matches on your Relatives at RootsTech list? Keep checking your list. As more and more people sign up for Relatives at RootsTech, your relatives list will update with more people who could possibly be your DNA matches. You can also watch for people on your list who are fourth cousins or closer and reach out to them by clicking on their name and sending them a message. After getting to know them, ask if they’ve taken a DNA test and with what company they took it through.
- If they tested at the same company as you, get their DNA profile name and search for them on your DNA match list.
- If they tested at a different company, consider testing or transferring your DNA to that company if you want to explore your DNA relationship.
- If they haven’t tested but are interested, tell them where you tested, and invite them to test there too. Consider sharing tips about getting started with DNA testing.
Some people may be reluctant to talk about DNA connections, for privacy or other reasons. Be respectful and polite, and let them know you’ll be happy to hear from them in the future. Your conversation through Relatives at RootsTech will be stored confidentially on your free FamilySearch account, so you can return to it after RootsTech 2022 is over.
How to Prepare to Contact Your DNA Matches
What can you do between now and RootsTech to get ready to connect with your DNA matches? Extend your family tree on the FamilySearch family tree as best you can. Try to add at least 4 generations on all branches, if you can. In each generation, add your ancestors’ siblings and their families since your DNA matches may descend from those branches. Your DNA Guide offers free DNA tips through their monthly newsletter so you can make more meaningful discoveries. Click here to learn more.
What is RootsTech?
RootsTech is a place to learn, be inspired, and make connections through family history. Hosted by FamilySearch and sponsored by other leading genealogy organizations, we have hundreds of expert classes, tips and tricks videos, and inspiring stories that can help you experience family history like never before. Visit our on-demand learning library, or make plans to join us for our next virtual or in-person conference event.
