Maximize Your Search Efforts on Ancestry.com

Ancestry.com is such a huge web site with many different features, that it can be daunting if you're new to it.  The site does have a search button in the top navigation bar, but you have to re-enter information every time you use it.  This is not only tedious, but if you're searching several different people, it can be hard to remember the details (or look them up) each time. 

Searching information on Ancestry.com is made much easier if you build a family tree on the site. Building a tree is easy and even free users can do it.  However, you'll have to be a paid member in order to use most of the search features.

Once you start adding a few people to your tree, you can search for records for those people.  Common records include: Death Indexes (Social Security and State), Marriage Records, Census Records, Land Records, Military Records, Public Records, etc.).   Not only do these records give you more information about each person and family in your tree, but the information in these records can be used in your searches.

In other words, by attaching these records to people in your tree, the information in them can be used to refine your search (thereby helping to ensure you're finding relevant records). Attaching records, also helps you build time-lines for each person's life (which can be viewed on a person's profile page).

Below is a sample image of a person's profile in a family tree (minus the time-line).  The "search" link is circled in red.

All you need to do, is click the search link to search for all records related to this person.  The cool thing is that the information contained in attached records will automatically be entered into the search fields - so you don't have to enter any data.  

Another trick is to limit your search even further.  Let's say that you're only interested in finding military records for this person.  But when you search, you often get census records, and other information that you're not really interested at that time. 

If you look at the left side of the page, you'll notice the types of records you can search.  Click on the link you're interested in (for example, "Military") and your search will be refined to look for military records only.

Also notice that above the record categories, is a green  button labeled, "Edit Search".  Click it, and you can edit your search criteria even further. One thing to note is that the search fields available will vary depending on which search category you're currently viewing.  

For example, if you're currently looking at military records and you click to "edit search", you'll extra search fields for military branch, ship name, etc.  If you know these details, you can add them to the search criteria and search again.

The nice thing about the "Edit Search" feature, is that you can add or remove data as needed very easily.  

You can also go back and forth selecting different record categories after you've initiated a search without having to start a new search each time.  This is a huge time saver.

Give it a try.  Taking a advantage of these features can save you hours in research time.