On FamilySearch, some images have restrictions or limitations that determine who can see them or where you can see them. Guests without the necessary permissions see a restricted icon and a message such as “Unable to Display Image Group.” Guests can view some images at a third-party company site, sometimes for a fee. In some cases, you can gain access by visiting a FamilySearch center or an affiliate library.
Note: In the catalog, if you hover your mouse over a camera icon with a key over it, you see a generic message. To learn what restrictions exist, click the icon.
Here is a list of the possible restrictions that you can see as you use historical records.
| Image Status Message | Who Can View the Image |
|---|---|
| No image available | FamilySearch has an index of the records available. Another website could have the images. |
| Image Unavailable—appears after you click to view images. | The images are not currently available to view online. The message usually appears when permissions for record collections are changed and not all portions of FamilySearch are up to date yet. Check back from time to time to see if the images are available. |
| Images Available To view these images, do one of the following:
| The images are available on FamilySearch. Sign in at a FamilySearch center or affiliate library to see them |
| Images Available To view these images, do one of the following:
| The images are available on FamilySearch in a FamilySearch center. Sign in at a FamilySearch center to see them |
| Images Available To view these images, do one of the following:
| The images could be available on one or more third-party sites.
|
| Unable to Display Image We don't have permission to share this image. Access is usually determined by the record's creator or custodian or by data privacy laws. | You lack permission to view one or more images. |
| Image Group Not Found We were unable to find this image group. | The image was not found. Typically, the problem is an invalid or broken URL. |
| Cannot Display Image Group Try refreshing the page, or come back later. | The image could not be displayed. A corrupt browser cache could be the cause of this error. Try refreshing the page, clearing the browser cache or cookies, or using a different browser. Or, try viewing the image later. |
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