Written by Generation Archives. The checklist works with paper, a spreadsheet, or any tree program. We make one tree app and mention it where it fits, but you do not need it to follow the steps.

How to start a family tree: a beginner checklist

Published by Generation Archives on November 5, 2026.

Starting a family tree is less about software than about a few habits: write down what you know, ask the right people, keep track of where each fact came from, and protect what you collect. This checklist walks through those habits in the order most beginners need them. You can finish the first part in an afternoon.

Before you begin: pick a goal

"Build a family tree" can mean many things. Decide which of these is closest, because the answer changes what you do first.

Record my close family so photos and names do not get lost. This is the easiest goal and the one most people should start with.
Trace one line back as far as the records allow, for example your mother's mother's family.
Make something for a reunion, a wedding, or a milestone. You need a clear, readable chart more than a deep one. See family tree for a reunion or obituary.
Preserve a collection of photos or letters you have inherited.

Write the goal at the top of a page. When you drift into an interesting side branch six weeks from now, you can check whether it serves the goal.

Step 1: write yourself and your parents on a page

Open a notebook or a blank document and write:

Your own full name, birth date, and birthplace.
Your parents' full names, including your mother's maiden name.
Their birth years and places, as far as you know them.
The names of your siblings.

This is your starting point. Do not look anything up yet. The goal is to see what you already know.

Step 2: add all four grandparents

Add your grandparents next, with the same details. If you can only name three, write the three and mark the fourth as unknown. If you can name only a first name, write that and ask someone for the rest. How to start a family tree when you only know your grandparents goes through this stage in more depth, including what to do with a partial name.

A printed pedigree chart is a good place to put these names, because the empty boxes show you right away what you have not yet found. For each couple that had children, a family group sheet records the brothers and sisters that the chart leaves out.

Step 3: gather what the family already has

Before you search anything online, collect what exists in people's homes and drawers:

Photographs, especially ones with writing on the back
Letters, postcards, and greeting cards
Funeral cards, wedding programs, and newspaper clippings
Family Bibles, baby books, and address books
Old documents such as certificates, passports, military papers, or deeds
Recipe cards, school reports, and report cards, which often hold names and dates

Photograph or scan everything before you do anything else with it. A phone camera is enough to start. If you can, scan at a higher setting for photographs you care about. How to organize family photos for a tree explains a naming habit that makes this manageable.

Step 4: talk to your relatives

A conversation is usually the fastest source of new names and the only source for stories. Choose one or two relatives to begin with, ideally the oldest ones, and make a time to talk. Bring a short list of specific questions, and record the conversation if they agree. Our guide to interviewing relatives for family history has questions organized by topic.

Two cautions:

Write down who told you what. People disagree, and you will want to know who said which.
Ask before you record or share. A relative who is happy to talk may not want a recording passed around.

Step 5: record sources as you go

This is the habit that separates a tree you can trust from a tree full of guesses. Every time you write a fact, write where it came from: "Aunt June, phone call, 12 March 2019," or "back of the wedding photo." You do not need a formal style. A sentence is enough. See how to cite a photo, letter, or interview for examples.

A related rule: if you are not sure, leave it blank or mark it as uncertain. A blank is a to-do item. A confident guess can spread to every copy of your tree.

Step 6: decide where the tree lives

Once you have more than a page of people, pick a home for the tree. Your options:

Paper charts and sheets in a binder. Simple and durable, but hard to share and easy to lose.
A spreadsheet. Flexible, but you have to build all the structure yourself, and relationships are awkward.
Desktop software. Powerful and offline. You manage the file and backups.
An online tree. Easy to share and available on any device. You rely on the service, so choose one that lets you export your data.

If you decide on an online tree, ask four questions before you commit: Who can see it? Can I export it? What does it cost over time? Can I invite relatives to help? Free family tree websites compared looks at several free options honestly.

Generation Archives is one choice. It is free to use, private by default (visible only to you and relatives you invite), and imports and exports GEDCOM. Photos can be linked from a public address at no cost, or hosted by us for $1 per GB per year. You can try the demo without signing up. It has no historical records or DNA matching, so if you need those, pair it with a research site.

Step 7: handle living people with care

Include living relatives thoughtfully. A tree that other people can open should not hold addresses, full birth dates of children, or private health and family details. What to record about living people explains what to include and what to leave out.

Step 8: back it up from the first week

Do not wait until you have ten years of work. Export a copy, keep your scans in a folder you control, and store a second copy somewhere else. How to back up your family tree explains a simple routine.

A one-page summary

Pick a goal.
Write yourself, your parents, and your grandparents.
Gather photos, letters, and documents that already exist.
Interview one or two relatives.
Write the source next to each fact.
Choose where the tree lives.
Be careful with living people.
Back it up.

Common beginner mistakes

Starting with a famous ancestor. Start with yourself and work backward.
Trusting other people's trees. Treat them as clues until you find the document.
Merging two people with the same name because the dates are close.
Putting only married names for women. Record birth names wherever they are known.
Skipping the unglamorous branches. A grandmother's brother who never married is still family.
Waiting to back up. Do it now.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to start a family tree?

It can cost nothing. You can use a paper form, a free tree app, and the photos and documents your relatives already have. Costs usually come from record subscriptions, DNA tests, or paid hosting. None are required to begin.

Do I need a DNA test?

No. A DNA test can help with some questions, such as finding relatives you did not know about, but it is not required for building a family tree from what you and your family know.

What if I cannot find any records?

Start with people instead of records. Interviews, photographs, and the objects relatives kept often contain the names you need. Records are easier to search once you have a name, a place, and an approximate date.

Which should I use first, paper or software?

Use whichever you will keep up. A paper chart is a fine first step, and moving to software when the tree outgrows the page is normal. If you choose software, check that it exports GEDCOM. See what is GEDCOM.

How long does it take to build a family tree?

You can have a useful first version in a weekend. A deeper tree takes months or years, and it is never really finished. That is fine. Each new fact makes the tree more useful to the next person.

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