Start with what you can confirm
Begin with yourself, your parents, and your grandparents. Record names as your family uses them and add dates only when you are confident they are correct.
Leaving a field blank is better than turning a guess into a family fact. You can always return when a relative confirms the detail.
Collect the details that matter most
For each person, focus on the information that helps distinguish them from someone with a similar name.
- Full name, including maiden or previous names
- Approximate or confirmed birth and death dates
- Places where the person lived
- A portrait or family photo when available
- How they connect to the people already in your tree
Add one relationship at a time
Build outward from a person you know. Add their parents, spouse, and children before moving to more distant branches. This keeps the structure easier to review and makes duplicate entries less likely.
In Family Tree App, use the family tree builder to add people and connect close relationships directly from your iPhone.
Review names with a relative
A short call with an older family member can resolve nicknames, remarriages, and dates that are hard to infer from photos. Ask open questions and note uncertainty rather than forcing a precise answer.
After the conversation, search the people in your tree and correct the relevant branch while the details are fresh.
Make the tree a living record
A family tree becomes more valuable as it gains context. Add photos, keep spellings consistent, and review a branch whenever someone shares new information. Small updates are easier to verify than a large one-time import.