Overview
The FamilySearch Research Wiki is a free, online genealogical guide created and maintained by FamilySearch. It contains links to genealogy databases, websites, research strategies, genealogical guidance, and other resources to assist in the search for your ancestors. Articles include location pages around the world and topic pages that include pertinent genealogy record types explaining how to use the record, what it contains, and how to find it.
The FamilySearch Research Wiki is not designed to be a database for searching the names of your ancestors; rather, it is a research tool that helps users learn more about where their ancestors lived and provides links to records where they can search for their ancestors.
Navigating the FamilySearch Research Wiki Homepage
- Search bars: Use the search bar on the homepage or use the search bar in the upper-left corner of every Wiki page.
- List of all Localities: Click List of all Localities to open a sidebar of all location pages available in the FamilySearch Research Wiki. Click the caret on the left side of the sidebar to open locations within that area.
- Clickable World Map: Click an area of the map to open a sidebar of available location pages. Click the caret on the left side of the sidebar to open locations within that area.
- Guided Research: Click Guided Research to view location pages that offer guided research for that location. These are especially helpful when looking for birth, marriage, and death information.
Navigating the FamilySearch Research Wiki Location Pages
- Information: Location pages provide a history or description of the area and may include information about the county courthouse, record dates, record loss, boundary changes, and populated places, depending on the location.
- Online Genealogy Records: Click Online Genealogy Records to access the online records available for that location.
- Online Research Help: Click Online Research Help to access FamilySearch Community Groups and Online Genealogy Groups.
- Getting Started: Click Getting Started to access research help and links to beginning research information for that location.
- Clickable Location Maps: Some location pages include clickable maps that link to lower‑jurisdiction Wiki pages. An alphabetical list of these pages is also located below the map.
- Location Page Topics: The sidebar on the right side of the page offers help with research, record types, a background about the location, cultural groups, and local research resources.
- Beginning Research: Click Guided Research or Research Strategies to access help with research. Click Record Finder to see suggestions on what type of record to look for based on the information you need.
- Record Types: Click one of the types of records to access a list of databases or websites that offer record collections for that type of record.
- Background: Click one of the options to learn more about the history of that location and access links to online collections related to that area.
- Cultural Groups: Click one of the options to learn more about different cultural groups from that location.
- Local Research Resources: Click one of the options to find repository options available in that area.
Related Articles:
How do I search the FamilySearch Research Wiki?
What is the FamilySearch research wiki?
