How do I suggest a new place to FamilySearch Places?

Article Id: 13542
January 09, 2024

You can suggest that we add a place to the FamilySearch database of standardized places.

Places have a connection with a life event. A standardized place has a specific format. Standardized places makes searching easier.

Before you start

A place in FamilySearch is a location with value to the entire community. The address of a person’s home, for example, is too specific for standardization.

Every new place requires a parent place. The parent place is the next larger geographic boundary. For example, the parent place for Manhattan is New York City.

Steps (website)

  1. Go to FamilySearch Places and sign in.
  2. In the top left, click + Suggest a New Place.
  3. Click a place category.  To learn more about a category, click the circle next to the category. A definition appears.   
  4. Click Next. 
  5. Enter the name of the new place.  
  6. In the next field, enter the Parent Place. A parent place is the next larger geographic boundary that includes the place. 
    1. You see place-type hints for the parent. You are not limited to the suggestions.
    2. Click a standardized option.
  7. Verify that the Language field reflects the language of the name that you are suggesting, rather than the native language of the place. 
  8. Click Next. 
  9. To help reduce duplicate suggestions, FamilySearch checks to see if the place already exists in our database. If you see the place in the search results, click Select. No further action is necessary.  
  10. Click Create Place. 
  11. (Optional) Add the geographic Location and the Source Web Address (URL). A place without this information cannot be a parent place to other places. 
  12. Add Additional Information to add value to the place and the suggestion. 
  13. Click Submit.

Acknowledgement of the submission is not available. We will begin email acknowledgement in the future. When available, you will be able to reply directly to the internal team should you have questions or have feedback.

Steps (mobile app)

The tool is not available on the mobile app. Please use a browser to suggest and correct standardized places.

Steps (Family Tree Lite)

The tool is not available on Family Tree Lite. Please use a browser to suggest and correct standardized places.

Select a parent place—tips

Your place suggestion requires an approved parent place. As you type, a list of approved Parent Places appears.

  • If the correct parent place does not appear, return to step 1 and suggest the parent place as a new place. High-level parent places are not available as parents. This helps preserve the fidelity of the place data and limit duplicates. If a province, state, or larger parent place is needed, please submit the suggestion to placefeedback@familysearch.org. 
  • FamilySearch assumes that the language of your browser is the language of your suggestion. If necessary, use the Language of Place Name field to identify the correct language.  

Add details—tips

Details connect the place to sources to help confirm the place. Examples include a historical record, newspaper article, or other reliable document. Add details to one or more of the available fields.

  • Location. Enter the latitude and longitude for the place. Or navigate on the map and the system will add the coordinates. 
  • Source Web Address (URL). A link to a website that refers to the place.
  • Additional Information. An explanation or citation to other sources. 
  • After a search at https://FamilySearch.org/research/places/, below the map and to the right, is a pencil icon and the words "Improve this place". You can click the icon to send feedback.

If your place suggestion is not accepted

Please send an email message to placefeedback@familysearch.org. 

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How do I correct or edit a place in FamilySearch Places?

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