Online Genealogy Help

Online genealogy consultations are free, 20-minute consultations via Zoom (40 minutes for DNA consultations). They are designed to provide you with research guidance, methodology, and next steps. Visit our booking page to schedule an appointment.

You will first go to our scheduling page, which you can find by clicking on the Schedule Help button on this page. You will then select the type of consultation that fits your needs and select a date and time that fits your schedule. Upon scheduling you will receive an email with a Zoom or Google Meet link to join the meeting at the appointed time. The consultant will receive your information through an email and will prepare suggestions for your meeting.

We offer consultations in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, French, Italian, German, Dutch, Russian, Japanese, Korean, Samoan, Swahili, and Thai.

Use our helper page to help answer your question or help decide what kind of consultation to sign up for.

Due to contractual obligations, we cannot show any restricted records. Some contracts permit the sharing of a few records. For tips for reviewing restricted materials click the following links: Tips for viewing restricted books, and Tips for viewing restricted microfilms.

We offer consultations for geographical areas, DNA, and FamilySearch.

If you are new to FamilySearch, select Navigating FamilySearch.org.

If your question relates to DNA, select DNA.

If you don't know the hometown of your immigrant ancestor, select Immigration and Locating the Ancestral Hometown.

If you already know your ancestor's hometown, select the (modern) country where he or she lived.

Please only schedule up to one consultation a week to allow others an opportunity to receive genealogy help.

The booking form asks for information that will help the research helper be better prepared to provide you with the best suggestions possible.

Consultations are not for translations; for translation help, please post your question in the FamilySearch Community.

Consultations are given by specialized genealogists from the FamilySearch Library, BYU Library Family History, and other places around the world. Many of our consultants are accredited genealogists or have similar genealogy research skills.

Since 2020, we have provided more than 18,000 consultations. Of those surveyed after doing a virtual consultation, 99 percent of our guests said they would recommend our service to others.

Here are a few of the comments we have received:

"The consultant was very well prepared and while we only had 20 minutes, she was able to give me many ideas about my continued research. She did not speak above my understanding, but she was educational and extremely helpful. I was anxious going into it and she put me right at ease!"

"This was very easy to set up and meet with a consultant. He went through other possible places to look and made sure I understood how to access them."

"I have a fairly difficult issue/brick wall and the consultant was able to give me some serious ways to try and break it down."

"The consultant was very knowledgeable, easy to talk to and we quickly zeroed in on what I have to do to find my paternal grandfather."

"The consultant was very personable and made me feel like my need for information was important to her. She also gave me more places to look which helps me keep hope alive that I will find what I am looking for."

"Wow, I was blown away with all the information and advice provided, thank you. The consultant was professional, polite, well informed and a pleasure to meet!"

"I was amazed how the consultant was so well prepared and directed me to some outstanding resources in so short a time together. Will follow up before long with results of research and further guidance sure to be needed."

"The specialist was excellent, and we were able to brainstorm on a very difficult roadblock. I came away with more ideas of where I might find the needed info."

"Incredibly helpful! The consultant explained that the birth and death records I've been searching for for years do not exist. She suggested alternative documents to search as well as another approach altogether that I hadn't thought of. The session was very valuable."

"My experience today was exceptional. I was able to take notes and have many sites to search to find my ancestor. I look forward in making another appointment for next week after I work on what has been suggested so far."

"The specialist was very knowledgeable, efficient and helpful. We didn't solve my problem, but she gave me some new ideas to try. Appreciative!"