When opening a batch of records for indexing, you might instead receive an error message. This can happen for several reasons:
- The indexing project you are trying to access is nearing completion, and there are only a limited number of batches remaining. By the time you click to accept the batch, someone else has already opened it and started indexing.
- A restriction is in place that prevents you from viewing the images. An example of this would be a contract between FamilySearch and the custodian of the records that allows only people living in a specific country to index the records. This should not normally happen, but periodically projects show up by mistake that you do not have access to.
- The project previously available is being updated and is temporarily unavailable. If you had batches already checked out, the system may have automatically returned them. Projects are normally fixed and made available again within a few days, at which time you will be able to resume indexing in that project.
- You have exceeded the maximum number of batches that can be checked out—either for the project or for indexing in general. There is a limit of 10 batches per person that can be checked out at any given time. There are also some projects that have a limit that is fewer than 10. For example, if a project has a limit of 4 batches, you cannot check out a fifth batch of that project. But you can check out up to 6 batches from other projects for an overall total of 10.
These are the most common reasons why you might see an error message. In some cases, it might just be a bug, or error, in our computer systems. If so, our engineers are working on it. Thank you for your patience as we try to resolve the issue. In the meantime, please consider indexing a different project.
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