When you index, you can see information that is difficult to read. Use these guidelines as you index unreadable information:
- One character. If you are unable to read 1 letter or number, use a question mark (?) to replace the unreadable letter or number. In the example below, we cannot tell if the fourth letter in the surname is an "R" or a "V." The surname should be typed as Ste?ick.
- Multiple characters. For consecutive unreadable letters or numbers, use an asterisk (*) to replace the unreadable group of letters or numbers. The surname below might be "Bennett" or "Burnett." The name should be typed as B*ett.
- Examples of incorrectly indexing the surname above include the following:
- B???ett
- B...ett
- Marking the field unreadable
- One field. When all of the information for one indexing field is unreadable, mark the field as Unreadable. Click in the field, and press Ctrl+U.
- Entire record. When all of the information in an entire record is unreadable, including the name, date, and any information for other required fields, mark the record as Unreadable. Press Ctrl+Shift+U or use the Unreadable Entry icon to mark the entire record as being unreadable.
- Entire image. If you cannot read any of the information on the image, as in the smudged image below, mark it as having no Extractable data. In Step 1: Images, choose No, No Extractable Data.
The only option available is to click No Extractable Data for that image in the Identify All Images field.
If a batch contains only the unreadable image, submit the batch. If the batch contains other readable images, finish indexing the other images, and submit the batch. Unreadable images are reviewed by FamilySearch when multiple volunteers report them as being unreadable.