Family Search

Content on their site violates copyright and intellectual property laws, because members can scan and post material (current magazine articles, for example) no matter who wrote it or how recently it was written. My own work was scanned and put on their site, and I tried in vain to have Family Search remove it. Hours spent on the phone ended up with me being told I would have to track down the individual who illegally scanned and uploaded my work, to ask that person to take it down, rather than Family Search protecting themselves and upholding the rights of historians, authors, artists and researchers around the world by simply removing the article (plainly taken from a recent publication).

I was told by Family Search directly that anyone can post any article or info they want even if you have documentation to disprove it. Beware before making a tree! They don't warn you of this until you have an issue. And they will NOT allow you to remove your tree! Major flaws!

As of this date, November 13,2021, I'm new to genealogy research with online sites. I have only paid for one subscription service [GenealogyBank] that was a disappointment. I've been using the free site FamilySearch for about six months now, finding it an interesting way to spend the time during the pandemic lockdown. Right away I found mistakes in my own family tree, that were made by people who had been careless about "attaching" records to my own grandparents. They were obviously wrong, as I could tell from my own personal knowledge. I corrected them and then took up the mission of making as much of the publicly available (free) information on my ancestors correct and comprehensive.
It soon became obvious to me that certain editors on FamilySearch were interested more in volume than in accuracy. They weren't necessarily "malicious," just careless. FamilySearch does have a way to report "malicious" actors, but most mistakes I've found don't seem to be of this category.
Another annoying feature is that people can supply "evidence" in support of their ancestors to FamilySearch that is hidden behind a paywall from a paid site like Ancestry.com. If one doesn't have a paid subscription to Ancestry.com, one can't verify or challenge the supposed "documentation."
I am looking for someone who has done research on the FamilySearch site to come up with ways to verify source accuracy.

There is no other way to say it. LDS has rendered its family search site effectively useless with its new format. I used it with no trouble for a year before they "updated," meaning, created dead ends, links that don't work, columns that are hard to read., etc. If you tried to imagine a worse outcome, you would probably not be able. I would give it zero stars if I could.

I enjoyed Family Search when I first started using it but it's horrendous that verified, documented family lines can be removed at anyone's whim. It just isn't worth the hassle to argue with people. I know there's a better site run by the Morman's that's more accurate and info can't be readily changed. But only members of the church have access. I would pay to have access to it but it isn't available.
I'll give 3 examples of my frustration,
1: The woman that continually changes my mother's info insisting that she died in NY and that she wasn't my mother. She died in Colorado and most definitely was my mother.
2: The person who doesn't like that my great-great grandfathers date of birth varies by 2 years depending on which record you believe and keeps deleting his info thereby erasing his entire line. I have 16 documents proving he is who I say he is and the difference in dates is between a doctors ledger of his birth and a baptismal certificate. A minor issue but he's continually deleted.
3: This one is the strangest one but I've heard other people have run into similar issues. There is a person who doesn't like that one of our family trees goes back to a King that she feels was unchristian and doesn't want him in her line. So she keeps deleting the whole line.
I've read about people who have said they've had lines erased because others don't want anyone who has been divorced in there line.

It's an ok site to find info but it's much better to use it as a resource and build your own tree through a different site.

This used to be a good place to find genealogical records, now it is useless, people can change your tree to whatever they want with no documentation of any kind you have members who are sealing records even though they are wrong. Tried searching my French Canadian family name with no results! How can that be since they lived there for close to 200 years!

So much great information available, from the records that are ready to be attached, to the collections that are available to search through. Such a wonderful resource.
As with any resource, check the actual image against what is on the record page. Sometimes it doesn't match up or the transcription for a location is in the wrong country for example.
Regarding the one big collaborative tree, again, validate the source citations to be sure of relationships and ensure that conflation isn't occurring.

I have been using the website since it first came out. They keep trying to improve it. Some changes I love, some not so much. I love that they allow me to see their historical records that they are constantly adding to for free, no charge. They give me record hints. They are hints that a computer identify as a possible match. Most match, some do not. I love that I can add all my sources I find, both from this site and from other websites all in one place.
The purpose of FamilySearch is to have one big family tree. Unfortunately, there are people who make mistakes. To help stop mistakes, add documentation in sources. Still having people making changes that are not correct, try using Collaborate and add a note and check the Alert Note box. This adds a warning across the details page where people edit information.
You can make your contact information private by clicking on your name in the top right corner of the page and click on Settings. You can mark most setting private by clicking on the edit pencil and change your settings to private. You can also turn off notifications. Check out the Settings to make them to your liking.
You should always use another software program like Roots Magic to keep track of your own personal information or use another site like Ancestry where you can make your own personal tree private. This site is intended for people to work together on the world-wide tree.
FamilySearch has other website that they partner with such as Ancestry, My Heritage and many, many others. These partner sites often share their information with FamilySearch such as Ancestry sharing Find A Grave and Newspapers. FamilySearch also shares their information with other sites.
FamilySearch does not police their website. If there is an error, they expect the users to make the corrections by clicking on the Edit icon that looks like a pencil and making the correction themselves. If you do not know how to use the site, click on the Help icon, a circle with a question mark inside it, in the top right of the screen and learn how to use the website.

Familysearch is run by the same silly people who operate FINDAGRAVE. If you enjoy bickering with non family members over great great great Aunt Tillie having 5 kids instead of 4 go for it. Some people r tuned into havoc and general foolishness.

Seems like FamilySearch does not care how accurate or truthful the information posted on their site is. Provided rebutting evidence from a superior court, certified county records and diocesan records refuting the illegitimate claims to no avail. Tried to delete information, but that one other individual keep reposting the false info. One of the entries could result in an illicit attempt to extort money from my parents' estate. Irony is we never posted anything on this site, it was disseminated from another site we had used. In short, be very careful about anything you post on the internet.

Please do not enter or try to update your family tree on Family Search. Anyone can enter conflicting information you have uploaded, even though they may not have any relationship to the family members or may not know anything about them. There are countless errors in my tree entered by others, There is only certain information that can be changed. Once the other erroneous information is there, you can't change it or delete it. Also, it's very difficult to navigate the website. I scheduled a 20 minute chat with Family Search and the information given to me was incorrect on how to upload a file. I called the help phone number and the directions given to me was completely opposite from the original. Don't waste your time. Use Ancestry.com instead. That way you have total control over your tree.

I have three branches on my tree that all end up back with Jesus and Mary Magdalene in my ancestry. Does the LDS church support this theory or do they have evidence.

I submitted my family tree long ago to the familysearch.com website and returned recently to see much of my accurate information wrongly changed by people who aren't even on my family tree. (I've been researching for 40 years and alive when many of the people on my tree were also alive.) I'm not talking about small changes either. People are being given the wrong parentage. I'm able to change it back, but there have been a few unrelated people who keep changing the information and will do it again. The site is GREAT for gathering records for free, but their family tree system is horribly flawed. People who use one source for information changes and do not look at all the information available as a whole are the problem. (Especially where illegitimate and adopted children are involved.) I'm also seeing people on Ancestry importing this same wrong information to their Ancestry trees. This is really frustrating when you need other trees to be accurate for Ancestry's DNA ThruLines. So, if you're looking for records, definitely use the site. But adding a tree or using the information from FamilySearch's user-submitted trees should be a hard pass. Also, keep in mind, that once you add tree information to their site, you cannot delete it.

I was able to find quite a bit of info on my family and my boyfriends family. However, the info it provides is not always accurate. I searched myself and found a lot of wrong dates and yes It was me because everything else was correct (ie: place of birth, places I lived, parents names... etc). It can be a helpful tool if you are careful to research farther. I do like that I was able to find old u.s. census documents (originals) for my family from 1920-1940. Some other sites make you pay to see those. It is better than the pay sites, but just be careful to make sure some info is actually correct.

Well I will say this my whole family tree was ruined by some ignorant person with no actual proof took 12 generations down I even got a little angry and asked why do they allow these things to happen I got so sick and tried of people putting in false information about my grandmother I even filed a complaint and I got told I was acting inappropriately these people are idiots I have found accurate information off the TV show finding my roots look for a private genealogist your better off so much fraudulent records they can fly off I'm done deleted and freed

I have found Family Search (not my only source) very helpful. On my mother's paternal side, I had completed research back several generations. One of the FS contributors, was able to take my research and trace her lineage information back to the 1700's on her grandfather's side. I was able to verify what was offered via my own research the tracing backwards through known people. Very grateful for the major lift on ancestors.

As a long time researcher of my personal family records, I know that this takes a ton of time. I try to get more than one source on most data points (unless it's an obvious correct data point). I haven't had any data lost (I am sorry to hear some have). I do print out every record I find.
Family Search has also found several photos I had no knowledge of. Amazing!
I have been blesseed with great support from Family Search.
I do recommend family geneaology researchers use more than one source for breakthroughs in your research. I have even found information in area libraries with genealogy centers: 1) one library had a book on Polish immigration records. It led me to a traditional spelling of a Polish great grandfather's name (Josef vs Joseph) and another data point which led to a link back to Europe; 2) in another local rural library, I discovered little index boxes with obituaries attached. I was delighted to find the obituary and burial location of my paternal grandmothers father. 3) One of my aunts went to a Wisconsin library where she was able to resolve a question on her mom's birth year, finding a legal birth record which she shared with me. I've also gone to county offices for records as well as out of state offices.

I'm afraid today we rely too heavily on online resources. Even after decades now of researching, I'm still learning something new all the time. Good luck to all!

I began my tree years ago and all was well for a while. No longer so. As it's a public domain anyone can post on your Family Tree without support or evidence, and tell outright lies under assumed names. Case in point, an LDS member and vindictive divorcee of my brother, using bogus names posted inserted, changed, and lied about various deceased family members whom she had never known. She also sunk so low as to report as a Source, "I was at his funeral". The funeral of her 2 year old grandson. She was not, and all in attendance would state same. However, FamilySearch accepted this post.

My other complaint is "we found a new relative" emails I receive. Most if not all are totally false, being persons not at all related to my family. Yet accepted as gospel by FamilySearch. Trying to verify or delete via their so called Support is a total waste of time.

I've been to the Library in Salt Lake City. A wealth of information and worthwhile. But the FamilySearch function now stinks. I'm thru with it.

Because it is free site everyone can add a bit of genealogy. If it matches other ancestry they will alert you. Records can often go back into the 1400s and earlier. Its a great rabbit hole to go down.

Not sure about anyone else but here's why I gave FS 1 star. This is from an old email I found recently.

I love the record hints.

For a free genealogy resource website it's quite amazing. It provides access to billions of records not just images but also searchable records that have been indexed. My most used feature is the Record Hints which uses the information I've inputted into my tree and cross checks it with FamilySearch's searchable records data base. This feature has found so many of my ancestors. With 2 records hints I found 8 new ancestors (being Portuguese, the Portuguese parish records do hold lots of information so that helped too). I also use MyHeritage which has a similar feature but I've found the Record Hints on FamilySearch to be more accurate, at least for my family. Plus it's free.

I love that not only does FamilySearch.org give quite accurate record hints, it only gives you access to search through so many records. I am able to help friends this way search for their family anywhere in the world as FamilySearch.org holds so many records worldwide.

Information about myself isn't even accurate and I can't search further back than my own father; making the entire website utterly useless.

FamilySearch is a fraud and should never be able to practice their crap. I only put in my name and my dads and wallah, my whole family tree was filled in right back to Adam and Eve within a day... bull$#*!! I have asked for my account to be deleted and still there and no response from them other than ask for my email to confirm deletion which I gave them, but they already had on the form I filled out for deletion. Steer clear of this site as it is total bull$#*!! I only gave it one star because I had no choice not to give any.

This site monitors your emails, photos posted and documents. EXPECT NO PRIVACY! They will delete! Sources provided contain errors. Their interpretation of the original document has errors. Their original document attached does not belong to the ancestor you are researching( someone unknown). This is a TERRIBLE PLACE to enter your loved ones names! REMEMBER FREE COMES WITH A COST! I AGREE TOTALLY WITH THE NEGATIVE REVIEWS!