How do I fix data problems in Family Tree?

When Family Tree detects impossible or unlikely data for a person, it displays a data problem icon, which is a red square with a white exclamation mark: .

For example, this icon would appear if detail information shows that a child was born before a parent, or if details show that a person lived over 120 years.

Where Family Tree displays data problems

Data problem icons appear in Family Tree on the FamilySearch.org website in the following places:

  • On the Landscape, Portrait, Descendancy, and First Ancestor views. You can choose whether these icons are displayed. Click the Options icon: or and click Data Problems to hide or show them.
  • On the Fan Chart, you can display records with research helps. People whose records have data problems are highlighted in red.
  • On the Research Help section on the Person page.

Neither the Family Tree mobile app or Family Tree Lite display data problems.

Steps to resolve data problems

  1. Investigate the data problem, and determine whether the record contains an error.
    • Tip: Parent-child relationships can affect some data problems. If the data problem, for example, states that the child was born after the mother's death, the system used the biological mother's death date.
  2. If the record contains an error, correct it. Family Tree removes the data problem icon when the problem no longer exists. If the record does not contain an error, you might be able to dismiss the data problem.

What are all the possible data problems in Family Tree?
How do I dismiss a data problem from a person in Family Tree?
How do I change vital information in Family Tree?
How do I solve a looping pedigree in Family Tree?
How do I resolve a "stillborn" data problem in Family Tree?

Was this helpful?