We are pleased to announce a major upgrade of the FamilySearch beta site that provides some of the important features (listed below) patrons have been requesting. Many important features will be provided in upcoming releases before beta replaces RecordSearch and the existing FamilySearch site (www.familysearch.org). Try this new functionality and let us know how it meets your research needs.
Design Overhaul
- New header and footer design and labels – More intuitive navigation
- New color schemes - Enhanced contrast for easier reading
- Visited link color change – See where you’ve been on the site
Historical Records Collections Enhancements
- Records, Records, Records – Everything found at RecordSearch plus some—450+ collections!
- Alphabetized Browsing – Quickly find the collections you’re looking for
- Prioritized Collection Categories – Select categories and collections on the left to quickly filter your results
- Sorted Search Results – Broad searches return the most valuable collections first
- Browse Image Only Collections – Easily navigate through a collection of images
- See Previous or Next Image – A must for census or probate records
- Household Groupings - Census results include all household members
- Browse Only Indicator – Identify “Image Only” collections from collections list
Site Access
- beta.familysearch.org – Goodbye fsbeta!
Search Improvements
- Apostrophe Support – Supports searches with apostrophes for names like O’Hara.
- Ancestral File Event Year – Find individuals in Ancestral File by event year (included under Trees in the search interface)
As our work on the beta site continues, we will be resolving outstanding issues.
Please try the FamilySearch beta experience and tell us what you think.
Invite others to enjoy the enhancements found at FamilySearch beta.
