How do I add a parent in Family Tree?

Article Id: 1259
May 31, 2022

One of the most direct ways to add parents is by linking them to a child already in your tree. You can also add parents directly from the First Ancestor view.

Steps (website)

Landscape, Portrait, Fan Chart, and Descendancy Views

  1. In the top menu, click Family Tree, and then click Tree.
  2. Find the child of the parent you want to add.
  3. Click the child's name. In the details that pop-up, click the child's name again. You will be taken to that person’s page.
  4. Click the Details tab.
  5. Scroll down to the Family Members section.
  6. Under Parents and Siblings, click Add Parent.
  7. Enter information about the parent, and click Next, which is available after you click Deceased. (If you know the ID of the parent, click By ID Number.)
  8. If Family Tree found people who match your search, it lists them. Indicate whether you need to add a matching person or create a new one:
    • If the person is already in Family Tree, click Add Match.
    • If the person is not in Family Tree, click Create Person.
    • To adjust your search, click Refine Search.

First Ancestor View

  1. While signed in to FamilySearch.org, click Family Tree, and then click Tree.
  2. Navigate to the child of the parent you want to add.
  3. Above the person's picture, click the + icon.
  4. Click Add Parent.
  5. Enter information about the parent, and click Next, which is available after you click Deceased. (If you know the ID of the parent, click By ID Number.)
  6. If Family Tree found people who match your search, it lists them. Indicate whether you need to add a matching person or create a new one:
    • If the person is already in Family Tree, click Add Match.
    • If the person is not in Family Tree, click Create Person.
    • To adjust your search, click Refine Search.

Steps (mobile app)

  1. In the Family Tree mobile app, navigate to the Person page of a child of a parent you want to add.
  2. Tap the Parents tab.
  3. Tap Add Parent.
  4. Enter information about the parent, and tap Continue. (If you know the ID, tap Add by ID or Find by ID.)
  5. Review the search results. If you find the right parent, tap Add Match.
  6. If you do not see the person in the search results, tap No Match.
  7. Review your entry, and tap Add or Add This Person to create a new record.

Steps (Family Tree Lite)

  1. While signed into Family Tree Lite, navigate to the Person page of a child of a parent you want to add.
  2. Click View Family.
  3. Under Parents and Siblings, click Add Parent or Add Another Parent.
  4. Enter information about the parent, and click Next. (If you know the ID of the parent, click Find By ID Number.)
  5. Review the search results. If you find the right parent, click Add Person. If you find both the mother and father, click Add Couple.
  6. If you do not see the person in the search results, click Create Person.

How do I add a child to Family Tree?
A person in Family Tree has the wrong spouse
How do I identify biological, step, adopted, and foster relationships in Family Tree?
How do I restore a deleted relationship in Family Tree?
How do I switch parent or spouse positions to change the display of family lines in Family Tree?

Was this helpful?