Finding out the history of your family isn’t something you typically do in one single day. You’ve likely heard of someone and want to know who this person is and how they fit into your family tree. Perhaps a relative has contacted you and offered to help you develop a family tree, or there have been disputes over who is or isn’t related. 

Alternatively, you may have filled out a family history questionnaire and, as you were trying to complete it, realized that some answers don’t match up with your memories.

The difficulty comes when you start to look for answers to questions you have regarding your family. For example, many people are having difficulty finding answers to the question “Where do I begin?” Photo albums will only answer some of your questions. 

Talking to your parents and grandparents will also provide you some answers, but their memories will likely not be complete, and as they age the accuracy of those memories will decrease. Finally, many people who start to look deeper into their family trees feel that this is something only a historian or professional can help them do.

FamilyTreeNow is one of those great free tools that you find when you’re looking for something and it doesn’t put you through dozens of hoops just to start. You enter a name (and perhaps a city), and immediately, there is an entire world of information about your query. All of the information in this “web” didn’t exist five minutes ago. 

This won’t be a technically-perfect, polished breakdown; instead it will be like walking through the process with someone who has used this tool—what went well, what seemed odd and where the tool is genuinely useful as you are trying to assemble your family history.

What is FamilyTreeNow?

FamilyTreeNow is a free genealogy site (and public record sources of information) that provides users with an easy-to-navigate resource of many datasets that already exist in other public record archives. You won’t have a clean, completed family tree when you use FamilyTreeNow; rather, you will be provided with clues to build your tree (names, approximate age, and other known relatives and past addresses). 

What makes FamilyTreeNow stand out from other genealogy websites is the very little friction in using it. You do not have to create an account, verify an email, or make any type of commitment to use FamilyTreeNow. You simply access the website, type in a name and location, and within seconds receive a list of results from many public record archives. The overall simplicity is one of the biggest reasons most users test FamilyTreeNow first, especially if they are just beginning their research. 

When you view a list of results from FamilyTreeNow, most users will be shocked by how in-depth the data contained within the records can actually be. For example, most results will show an individual’s full name and approximate age, current/previous addresses, and a list of possible relatives (depending on whether there are any relatives listed in the public records). 

Many times, users will also find links to additional records contained in the public records, such as property records and other sources of public records. The user will most likely find the results to be very disorganized, but enough information will be provided for you to begin to connect the dots.

Despite this, it is best not to overestimate how much information you will find from FamilyTreeNow because the sources available (we’ll cover those later) are far more limited than what you would find on sites such as Ancestry.com or MyHeritage. There will be no historical documents (such as census records), no detailed family trees, and no verified lineages. 

FamilyTreeNow should merely be viewed as a tool for quick access to, and an easy starting point for, genealogical research – not all genealogy resources will provide you with full stories (or pictures) but will point you in the right direction.

What Happens When You Use It

FamilyTreeNow is very user-friendly and easy to use on your first visit. You simply enter a name, and then search the possible results in a matter of seconds, without the need to sign up or register. It does not take long for the information you want to show up on the screen.

One of the first observations you will make about FamilyTreeNow is that you will not be sitting there waiting, looking at a loading screen. You will receive the results of your initial request in only a few moments. The results will list the profiles that contain your name you typed in, inclusive of an approximate age range, the last available city you were searching the results for, and preview of each person’s relatives.

This will take some time to zero in on the person you are searching for as it is typical to see that many people have the same name.

You will see a list of potential profiles that look similar to your initial submission. Depending on the area where you are searching, you may find several names with age brackets around the same range. 

You will need to review each profile carefully, as you cannot assume that the first profile you see is the real person you were looking for.

Once you start narrowing down your search, the hunt is on for patterns. If one entry has a name of a family relative you know, or an address that matches something you’ve already come up with, it becomes less about simply searching and more about trying to put together the pieces of the puzzle of who your ancestors were. 

You will click into the entry, review the details of that entry, then return to the previous one and compare it to see if it also has matching details.

There will be some moments of frustration whilst you are searching through the various entries. For example, sometimes an entry can appear old and/or an individual may have two or more separate entries, both with variations in data.

But you will also have some pretty surprising moments where you will find the name of a relative that you had not seen in years or will discover that your connection to someone you’ve heard of fits the stories you’ve heard from your family.

While it’s not completely straightforward, it’s very interesting. You are reading data, but you’re trying to figure it out, making a decision on whether or not it has meaning based on your need to have evidence of what your ancestors did and your need to have evidence of any relationships that you may have with the individuals that you’ve found. 

You will be able to create a more complete picture of your family as you continue with the research of your ancestry.

Key Features of FamilyTreeNow

Once you look deeper within FamilyTreeNow, you’ll realize that this is much more than simply a “search” tool; it’s made with integrity around one or two core principles to help you find pieces of someone’s past when combined.

People Search:

Generally the first point of contact for nearly everyone using FamilyTreeNow is People Searching; you will enter your person’s name, optional city/state they might live in, and the website generates possible results.

While it may be fast, the results seem to be unpolished. For example, if you were to conduct a People Search for “Rohit Sharma” who lived in Delhi you may get dozens of search results back. The more details you provide in your original request (middle name, estimated year of birth, etc.), the smaller, more manageable your list of results will be.

Another characteristic that reaffirms the validity of the results displayed when searching for a person through FamilyTreeNow, is that most all of the results displayed will give some level of confidence by which a user can identify a relationship to the person they are searching for (e.g., their names present in the “possible relatives” section).

Reverse Address Search

In reverse address searching, instead of trying to locate a person by name, you’ll use an address to locate that person. Perhaps you have an old address of somewhere you lived as a child and want to see if any of the residents currently or previously at that address match up with your memories. Oftentimes, you’ll see a lot of different names and addresses from years ago that will help you piece together what has happened in terms of the time you or your parents lived at that address.

Sometimes this will not give you all of the people who lived there because of overlaps in time, but it will provide a good picture of who may have lived there from years ago.

Possible Relative Mapping

This is where it starts to get fun! Each profile on the directory will often have a list of “possible relatives,” and this is how the connections will start to be made.

For example: if you searched for one individual, you may see names that are familiar to you as a possible uncle, cousin or grandparent. These are not considered a verified family tree but almost look like pieces of one.

You can almost jump from one profile to the next like a link in a chain. One profile will connect you to another, and before you know it, you can create a small web of relationships. Although this is not typically a clean procedure, it is definitely a fun process!

Age and Timeline Information

When entering (or finding) an age, the information tends to be given as ranges instead of exact birthdates; e.g., you read something like “Age 45–50” instead of seeing an actual age.

Although this appears vague, it provides a quick way to filter profiles based on age. For example, if you’re searching for a profile that matches the approximate age of a person in their 60s, you can quickly weed out profiles that don’t match based on this range.

Moreover, another timeline element is added by using address history as a timeline. This provides an estimated timeframe of how long you have lived in each place (as well as how long you likely will continue living there) based on how many times you have moved.

No Login Required

One of the greatest benefits is that you can do everything without any sort of login required, resulting in a much faster and less committal way to experience everything. You can perform as many searches as you like, without ever worrying about subscription fees or hidden costs.

On the flip side of this is that there is no way of saving your search history or creating your own personalized dashboard/monitoring program; therefore, you must keep track of your search independently. If you close your tab, you have lost all of your previous searches and will start over from scratch.

This is a great way to accomplish immediate projects but not a very effective long-term search option.

How Accurate is FamilyTreeNow?

As you use FamilyTreeNow over time, you’ll notice one thing right away: it does not provide reliable results. It has moments where it appears very accurate, almost too accurate, and then it also has periods of producing black and white answers to questions; so the information you may see could be reliable in one instance, but out of date or not relevant in another instance.

Though there is a possibility that you may receive accurate information, it is based on how FamilyTreeNow works. 

It does not have its own verified database of information; rather, it uses publicly available databases (such as census data or underlying address histories) that are available on the internet. 

Therefore, its level of reliability (no matter what term you use to define it) is solely based on the quality of the public records it gathers from and whether or not they have been updated recently.

There are also times where it gets things right with an astonishing amount of accuracy as well. 

Users find their correct family members, addresses from the past, and connections that they never expected before until they searched for them; they also find years worth of address histories and relationships between family members that are almost identical.

The problem of mixed profiles (mixed results; mixed names) has been around since the dawn of time—so when you have two people with the same first name, last name and age, they may be blended together in one result, resulting in making connections that do not exist. Examples include:

An age discrepancy that doesn’t feel right

Multiple listings for one person

An old address showing up as the “current” address

A relative who doesn’t match your true family

As such, some data platforms are generally called “hit-or-miss,” based upon how well their records were kept, and how current they are. Genealogy specialists have also indicated that records on these sites should be utilized with caution, unless you have other confirmation to substantiate them.

The difference in how paid tools like TruthFinder or Spokeo present their data can clearly be seen when compared to free websites. 

They provide an easier to read structure, provide more up-to-date information, and they even sometimes validate parts of their records. However, neither of these types of sites are perfect—they simply provide less guess work.

FamilyTreeNow is intended to be a source of information, but not a conclusive answer. If you utilize the service as a “lead” generator, your output will increase in value and verify the original data. Use the site to locate an individual or family member, find their last known address or locate potential relatives; then verify the information through other means, such as public records or media sources. 

It is important to check and confirm your original research as these processes can help create confidence in the documents you have and will ultimately lead to trustworthy sources.

Is It Really Free? What’s the Catch?

FamilyTreeNow presents itself as an entirely free genealogy research site. You can access a considerable volume of genealogical data entirely free of charge and without requirement to set up an account first. The only significant means by which it differs from other genealogy research sites with signup requirements to access basic features is that there are no signup requirements. 

However, once you spend a little more time on FamilyTreeNow, the extent of the free offerings becomes apparent. 

The primary limiting factor is not the amount of data provided but rather the detail of the data retrieved. While FamilyTreeNow will provide you with general genealogical data (such as names, estimated age ranges, possible family connections), you are not able to obtain the detailed genealogical records required for serious genealogical research, including public record documentation, verified family trees, or historical archives. As a result, what you receive is a sampling of genealogical data and not a complete genealogical data resource.

You’ll also notice that specific areas of the option value FamilyTreeNow provide and will direct you toward pay sites. You will find certain link(s) or other functionality that will provide you with an option to view more complete genealogy records; unfortunately these link(s) will also lead you to paid sites. 

FamilyTreeNow uses these pathways on purpose to sustain itself as an entry point into genealogy and provide you with enough genealogical data to generate interest but not enough genealogical data to be able to conduct deep level genealogy investigations; instead you will be directed to paying sites to complete those genealogical investigations.

One of the highlights of FamilyTreeNow is being able to use it without having to log in first. As such, users can perform instant searches without entering their email and/or needing to sign up for any kind of subscription. The ability to do this gives the service a light and instantaneous feel—and that’s exactly what most people expect when starting their search.

The model itself is quite simple. FamilyTreeNow pulls together publicly-available information (i.e., records that already exist across multiple public record databases) and then formats that data to be easily searchable. Since they are not producing or verifying original data, they are able to provide access at no charge but will earn revenue through referrals and partnerships.

So yes, it is free. However, it’s important to know that this is essentially an entry-level product and not a complete view of your family tree.

Privacy Concerns You Should Know

Most people don’t anticipate finding their own personal data on FamilyTreeNow.

The typical person typically uses the site out of curiosity. They look up their name, only to find their date of birth, previous addresses, and potentially relatives listed on the site. 

This is a moment that most people go from being inquisitive about the site to being slightly uncomfortable.

The main reason you will find your personal data on FamilyTreeNow is very clear as they don’t use traditional private collection methods but rather through the use of public data. 

This generally comes from sources like property records, utility records, and any data that is allowable as a public record. This data exists as independent entities in their respective systems and FamilyTreeNow connects and presents them in a searchable manner allowing for the data to present a higher level than it directly exists in an isolated source.

That said there are legitimate concerns to be aware of.

The most obvious example of this would be the history of addresses where a person has lived over time. Address history can be found on FamilyTreeNow using the “timeline” view, which shows you a general outline of where someone lived throughout their life (even if it is not 100% current). 

People often feel as if their privacy has been violated in this way because it allows others to see how often they have moved within certain areas.

Another example of this type of connection is the “possible relatives” feature within FamilyTreeNow. This service connects you to family members who might not even realize that they are listed with one another in a public online database.

When it comes to using FamilyTreeNow, make sure not to jump to conclusions and panic, but also don’t ignore these things as well. FamilyTreeNow is not always 100% accurate, but enough of the information is accurate for people to use or misinterpret it.

The good news is that there is a way for you to request to have your information removed from any listing on FamilyTreeNow. Here are the steps to remove your information:

Find your profile on FamilyTreeNow

Request to have your information removed

Receive a confirming email once your request has been received.

While some people will experience delays between when they submit their removal request and when they actually want their information to be removed, many people successfully remove their data from FamilyTreeNow.

The main thing to keep in mind about FamilyTreeNow is that this site was created to assist people in their research, but it is also a great example of how much data about us is already in the public domain and how we can easily access that information as long as all of the data is located in one place.

How to Use FamilyTreeNow Effectively

It can be an act of ease to casually use FamilyTreeNow; however, there is a greater level of intention that is required to effectively utilize the available resources. The major difference between the two lies in the way a person performs a search and how they validate the results of their respective searches.

The majority of the time, the most common error people commit is to not perform searches with an appropriate level of specificity. When searching for a common name with no filters, you’re likely to scroll through hundreds or thousands of people with similar names and little or no detail about them. 

It is much more effective if you start your search for as much detail about the person as you can (this includes their full name, middle initial if you have one, and at least one known address). In some instances, adding just a state rather than a city can have a huge impact on your final results.

For example, searching for “John” in FamilyTreeNow is virtually the same as not searching at all. Searching for “John California” (or similar) or with a middle name will give you a manageable tree to work with.

One final note: when searching for someone in FamilyTreeNow, filtering by location is crucial because nearly all of the information contained in FamilyTreeNow is based on  treet/neighborhood addresses. 

If you have an old address of a person you are trying to locate, it is likely that this address will still be a valid address for that person (or some version of this address) if the person may have moved since the time of that address being entered into the system.

After creating a list of potential candidates, avoid jumping to conclusions. Relative verification is very important here. Open up the profile and check the possible relatives list; are there any names on that list that you have already encountered elsewhere? If you find a name you are familiar with, it can help to confirm that you are looking at the right individual.

So here is a simple and effective workflow to follow:

1. Start with a search using the person’s full name (include their middle name if available).

2. Apply a location filter using any known or previous addresses.

3. Instead of zeroing in on one profile, create a shortlist of 2–3 profiles with the greatest degree of confidence in their likelihood of being correct.

4. Open each of the shortlisted profiles. Verify at least one of the relatives or addresses for each profile matches your expectation before making assumptions about accuracy.

Once you have verified the above, you should not stop with FamilyTreeNow. It should be used as your first step in collecting clues. You can take those names and/or addresses and look them up in a simple Google search. You may find that public records, social networking profiles, or directory listings confirm the information you have found.

You may also use Facebook or LinkedIn to verify someone’s identity. Multiple confirmations of a name, city, and a connection will provide confidence in the veracity of the person’s identity.

Pros and Cons (Quick but Honest)

Having utilized FamilyTreeNow for a while has revealed both strengths and weaknesses. FamilyTreeNow is a helpful tool but only if you know what it does best and what it does not do so well.

Pros:

1. The main pro is that FamilyTreeNow is completely free. You do not have to worry about having a subscription or additional payment for an extra search; you can do unlimited searches using their site. This makes FamilyTreeNow accessible to anyone who is just starting out.

2. FamilyTreeNow has no signup requirements. You do not have to create an account or even provide personal information to begin using FamilyTreeNow; you simply arrive on their site and can begin your search instantly.

3. Speed is another pro – results load quickly and switching between profiles is relatively fast, allowing users to test out different methods of searching and refining their approach.

4. FamilyTreeNow works well as a starting point if you only have minimal information and wish to explore possible connections, enabling you to obtain sufficient data to build a rough idea of what your potential connection could look like.

Cons: 

The most troubling part about this service is an inconsistency in factual content on the website. Dislikes also stem from an inconsistency in the depth and completeness of this information.

If you are not comfortable with your information being online, then you have a right to be concerned about the amount of publicly available sensitive or private information on this site (family members- addresses).

Also, you should know that this service shall/ may not have sufficient/ detailed official record documentation available to you for your family. 

There may not be sufficient genealogical information available about your family line(s) for you to develop & demonstrate your family tree(s).

Who Should Use FamilyTreeNow?

FamilyTreeNow is primarily intended for use by individuals who are starting their genealogy journey or have an interest in genealogy for the sake of curiosity. 

If you are new to genealogy then FamilyTreeNow is a great place to begin, because there is no investment of time or energy in researching family lines, and you do not need to have previous experience, subscriptions to a genealogy website, or any technical knowledge; all you need is a name and a little bit of information about the person you are trying to find.

You are likely to benefit from this site if you want to quickly look up someone (to reunite, verify their history/age, or determine if there is a connection between you and them).

Another group of individuals would be those who are just curious about what information is publicly available about other people or themselves at large. This site provides an excellent answer to this question—how many records are available on an individual from public sources.

On the other hand, this site does not apply to people who are engaged in serious or professional genealogy research. 

If you are interested in building a verified family tree (or tracing your ancestry back through multiple generations), or accessing historical records, then this is not the website for you. 

Additionally, it is important to note that FamilyTreeNow should not be relied upon for legal, financial, or official purposes but rather only used as a resource, as it may not contain complete or current information about an individual.

Alternatives Worth Trying

FamilyTreeNow is a great place to start your family history research but you will want to transition to something with more organization and research power as your research progresses.

If you wish to create a detailed family tree, Ancestry.com is typically the first site people consider. Ancestry.com has an extensive collection of historical records such as census records, birth certificates, and immigration records and allows you to compile all of your information into a proper tree. 

This website is best utilized once you begin your search with a base of information you already have and would like to obtain a reliable source to further grow your family tree.

For families from multiple countries or with mixed heritage, MyHeritage is a good choice because of its flexibility. 

It has many international databases and is very useful for research on family members living in different countries at the same time. It also has features that allow users to quickly find connections through automatic suggestions and less time-consuming ways.

Next is Findmypast, which offers a wide range of historical documents. It is particularly useful for tracing ancestors from older records such as military records, parish registers, and early census data. This tool is helpful when the goal is to get back many generations to understand your family’s history.

Both of these tools help you at different times in the research process. FamilyTreeNow helps you find your starting point, while MyHeritage and Findmypast help you verify, expand, and compile your research more methodically than FamilyTreeNow.

Final Thoughts – Is It Worth Using?

FamilyTreeNow doesn’t have a definite answer to whether or not it’s useful—it’s based on how you plan on using the site.

As a starting point, FamilyTreeNow can provide quick access to a variety of records, including names, relatives, and addresses. This information is almost always sufficient to start conducting further genealogical research. Accessibility to this level of information is very appealing to both newcomers and casual users alike.

It is also important to understand that FamilyTreeNow does not offer full genealogical information, nor should it be viewed as a completely reliable source of information without at least some form of verification. There is often a lot of inconsistency in the records available at FamilyTreeNow, and verification takes time.

The most useful way to use FamilyTreeNow is as a first step in the process of genealogical discovery. 

Once you discover a few hints, you should search for further confirmation of those hints through other genealogical techniques. Cross-check names against known relationships and look for evidence, such as marriage records, to verify those relationships.

When you use FamilyTreeNow in this manner, it can be an invaluable tool for genealogical research. While it may not provide you with 100% of the answers you will need in order to conduct thorough genealogical research, it will help you develop your own questions.

Frequently Asked Questions – FamilyTreeNow?

1. What is FamilyTreeNow?

FamilyTreeNow is a website where users go to search for and find public records, see if they have other relatives and to discover genealogy ties. Most users visit this website to find out where to begin their research.

2. What does it cost to use FamilyTreeNow?

The search features are 100% free, including searches on names of people and viewing their profiles and relationships.

3. Do I need an account to use FamilyTreeNow?

No, one of the best features about FamilyTreeNow is that a user can conduct a search without needing to register.

4. How does FamilyTreeNow get its data?

FamilyTreeNow obtains its data by collecting public records from previous addresses a person has lived at, voter registration, and any other public record databases that have been released to the public.

5. How accurate is FamilyTreeNow?

Accuracy is not guaranteed. Results will vary; some results may have an accurate report, while others may have out-of-date, duplicated, or mixed data from other individuals.

6. Can I build a family tree on FamilyTreeNow?

Not really. FamilyTreeNow would not provide you with a designated family tree (as a custom genealogy website would), but it will provide information on possible relatives that can give you some starting points for building a family tree.

7. What causes me to find different records or profiles for the same individual?  

It’s usually from how data was aggregated from various databases that included inconsistencies in data entries; therefore, there are times when the same individual is listed multiple times under a record because of the small variation found among data sets.

8. Is it possible for me to request the removal of my personal information from FamilyTreeNow.com?  

Yes, you can opt-out through our removal system which will be processed for your request to delete your name from our database.

9. Is using FamilyTreeNow safe?  

It’s generally safe to use FamilyTreeNow.com; however, you may also be exposed to other users’ database information via public searches using the site.

10. What type of information can I expect to find on FamilyTreeNow.com?  

On FamilyTreeNow.com, you can find First Names; Approximate Birthdates; Current and Prior Addresses; and possible relatives for the person (not including Spouse(s)).

11. Can I find e-mail addresses and/or telephone numbers for individuals listed within FamilyTreeNow.com?  

Only minimal access to contact records, compared to those found on paid sites that specialize in retrieving contact information, will be provided on FamilyTreeNow.com.

12. Why do some of the details in the database have outdated information?

Outdated information is generally due to the fact that this data source utilizes public records, and the refresh rates on those records vary.

13. Can FamilyTreeNow be used for legal purposes such as court proceedings or government documentation?

All of the records in this database are not verified to the degree that legal, financial, or other documents may be accepted in a legal context.

14. What are the better alternatives to FamilyTreeNow for genealogical research?

If you are seeking in-depth genealogy, other genealogy-based systems will provide far more thorough and trustworthy results than FamilyTreeNow including, but not limited to; Ancestry.com, MyHeritage, and Findmypast.

15. How do I effectively utilize FamilyTreeNow?

Use FamilyTreeNow as an initial tool to gather names and locations along with genealogy connections, and then confirm that information from other sources such as a search engine or another genealogy website prior to using in this database.