How do I search all historical records collections at once?

Article Id: 1470
June 14, 2023

We have a wide variety of historical records. Many are digitized, indexed, and published online. You can search our record collection and learn more about your family. 

Steps (website)

  1. Sign in to FamilySearch. 
  2. At the top of the page, click Search. 
  3. Click Records.
  4. Enter your search terms, and click Search. 
  5. On the right, you can further refine the search results.
  6. Click an item in the search results that interests you.

Steps (mobile app)

  1. Open the Family Tree mobile app.  
  2. On an Apple iOS device, at the bottom of the screen, tap the 3 menu bars. On an Android device, at the top of the screen, tap the 3 menu bars.
  3. Tap Search Historical Records.
  4. Enter your search terms, and tap Search. 
  5. Use the panel on the right and refine your search results. To reset the results, tap Search.
  6. Tap the search result that interests you.

Steps (Family Tree Lite)

You cannot search and attach historical records through Family Tree Lite. Please use the regular FamilySearch website or mobile app.

Search tips

  • Have a goal. Know what you want to find. 
  • Search for deceased people who were alive in 1950 or earlier.
  • Start with a broad search. 
  • Expect records and indexes to contain errors, spelling variations, and estimations.
  • Try your search several times with variations:
    • Increase or decrease the date range.
    • Use the advanced search options and add or remove information. For example, if you searched with a birth city and county, try just searching with the county.
    • Search for a family member instead
    • Search for women using their maiden and married names. You can also search with just the woman's first name and the names of her spouse or parents.
    • Estimate dates and places
    • Add a second spouse, father, mother, or other person to your search criteria. To do so, click the link for Spouse, Father, Mother, or Other Person. Doing so opens up an additional search field.
  • When an image is available, look at it. Record images often have more information than the index contains.

Search tips for Historical Records
How do I search historical records by place or by using the world map?
How do I find and search a specific collection in historical records?
How do I view a list of all record collections in Historical Records?
How do I find an image in an unindexed collection in Historical Records?
Getting the Most from Your Search: Understanding the Search Records Page

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