What can I do while signed in as a helper?

When you help someone else with the Planner or the helper feature, you can use most of the FamilySearch website as if you were that person.

What you can do

• Preview the person's information in Family Tree in order to prepare a personalized lesson plan.
• View information about living people in the person's tree.
• See, add, and correct information in Family Tree.
• Upload, tag, link, and manage memories.
• Open a memory and see any comments others added.
• Manage family names for the person, including the following:
  
  • Request and reserve temple ordinances (including with the Ordinances Ready tool).
  • Print family name cards.
  • Share family names.
  • Unreserve family names.

What you cannot do

• Access the account holder's personal information in Settings.
• Use the FamilySearch messaging service on behalf of the person. The messages you send show as from you.
• Access the family groups to which the person being helped belongs. In order to maintain privacy within the group, helpers cannot do either of the following:
  
  • Send messages to a group on behalf of the person being helped.
  • View and print family name cards from the group's shared reservations.
  • View the family group tree.

  Members who need help with the above should contact the administrator of the family group instead. Family groups are a great place for families to work as a united team, which includes helping each other learn and use FamilySearch and resolve issues. Knowledgeable family group administrators can perform an important role in their families by helping with this help and training.

• Sign in to help a deceased member.
• Add comments to memories.

Start helping others

Steps (Website)

1. In the upper-right corner of the FamilySearch website, click your username.
2. From the drop-down menu, click Help Others.
3. Enter the Username and Helper Number. If you do not know their Username, click Full Name to enter their Given Name (first name), Family Name (last name), Birthdate, and Helper Number.
4. Click Sign In.
5. After you sign in as their helper, a green banner will appear at the top of the page showing “You are helping” followed by the person’s name.
6. To stop helping, click the X on the right side of the green banner. A confirmation window will appear asking you to confirm that you want to stop helping that person.
7. If you want to help someone you have helped before, click the question mark icon in the upper-right corner of the FamilySearch website. Then, click Helper Resources in the pop-up window. Their name should be listed in the panel on the right side of the page.

Note: For instructions on finding a helper number, see Where do I find my helper number?

Steps (Mobile)

1. Open the Family Tree app and tap the three lines in the lower-right corner.
2. Tap Help.
3. If you want to help someone you have helped before, tap Helper Resources to find your Help List. To help someone new, tap Help Someone.
4. Enter the Username and Helper Number of the person you want to help. If you do not know their Username, tap Birth Date to enter their first name, last name, birth date, and Helper Number.
5. Tap Start.
6. After you sign in as their helper, a red banner will appear at the top of the page showing "Helping" followed by the person's name.
7. To stop helping, tap Stop on the right side of the red banner.

Related articles

Can I send messages or add comments as a helper?
How do I use the Planner to view another person's information in Family Tree?