GEDCOM Included

What is a GEDCOM file?

A family tree is never complete - there is always something to find, a new relative to discover and a GEDCOM file is the ideal foundation as you continue your search.

A GEDOM file is a means of transferring family tree data from one genealogical website or software to another. GEDCOM is an acronym for Genealogical Data Communication and the original GEDCOM file specification was released in 1984 with the latest version, GEDCOM 7.0 released in 2021. It is a constantly evolving software.

At the conclusion of our work with you we will supply you with a GEDCOM file. You can then subscribe to a genealogy website for just a few pounds a month and upload this file. All of our work will then automatically upload for you which will then give you the opportunity to delve deeper into your extended family.

All major family history software products and websites support the GEDCOM file format allowing you to choose any genealogical website.

As a file a GEDCOM will look like gibberish as GEDCOM files use the ‘.ged’ suffix (just as a Word document, for example, has the suffix ‘.doc’). Once I have shared the .ged file with you, then you will need to upload it to a family tree website or software to be able to read it.

How does GEDCOM work?

The GEDCOM specification is just an agreed format for building a database, which is essentially what a family tree is. For example, it will have a field for someone’s first name and another field for someone’s surname that will be recognised by all family tree programmes that support GEDCOM files. It also recognises family structures and groups people and sources together.

The GEDCOM is not a complete history of your family all on one simple file as sadly there are limitations with GEDCOM and over the years new versions have tried to iron out some of these problems including limited ideas of what constitutes a family unit, for example same-sex marriages. The format is also used slightly differently by different products which can cause problems when exporting and importing. Some products may not import some of the more free form notes fields, for example.

This means it is important to be aware that not everything I may have added to your family tree will import into a new programme from a GEDCOM file - Its purpose if to give you an excellent foundation to continue your own research. Many genealogists will not give you this file as they want you to keep returning to them but I am more than happy to supply it for you completely free.