Family tree: draw up your tree and find your ancestors
Click a cell and write down what you know: name, years of life, place. The empty cells are your search plan. The AI will suggest whom to ask and what to ask, and which archives to write to.
- What were the names of your parents, grandparents?
- Where and when were you born?
- What was the maiden name of your mother and grandmothers?
- Where did the family move, and why?
- What did your parents do for work?
- Which relatives fought in the war or served in the army?
- Which documents have been kept at home?
- Are there old photos with captions on the back?
- Where are the older relatives buried?
- Did you have brothers and sisters, and where are they now?
- What family stories were told at home?
- Who else should be asked?
Help me make a plan to search for my ancestors. What I already know: Me – Ilya Ivanov, 2012, Ensk; Dad – Igor Sergeyevich Ivanov, 1983, Ensk; Mom – Anna Petrovna Ivanova, 1985, Ensk; Paternal grandfather – Sergey Nikolayevich Ivanov, 1956, Ensk; Paternal grandmother – Galina Ivanovna Ivanova, 1958, Ozyornoye village; Maternal grandfather – Pyotr Alekseyevich Petrov, 1955–2019, Ensk. Empty cells: maternal grandmother. Lay out the steps: which family documents to look for at home, what to ask relatives, what to request from the civil registry office (ZAGS) and the regional archive, and when to search the church metric books and the military databases. Tell me which empty cell to start with. Don’t make up anything about my relatives.
The AI does not search databases and knows nothing about your relatives: it works with what you enter. Free on the Starter plan.
Searching for ancestors in the archives: a 5-step plan
Go from the nearest sources to the most distant ones: each document you find gives a name, a date and a place for the next request.
- Step 1
Family documents
Certificates, work record books, letters, photos with captions. Write down everything the older relatives remember.
- Step 2
Civil registry office (ZAGS)
Records of births, marriages and deaths of relatives. The AI will help you write the request.
- Step 3
Regional archive
It holds old civil records, company documents and censuses.
- Step 4
Church metric books
Before 1918, parishes recorded births, marriages and deaths. You need a place and an approximate year.
- Step 5
Military databases
Open databases of war veterans: awards, reports, places of service. Search by surname, first name and year of birth.
How to write a family tree: what to put in a cell
The more precise the cell, the easier it is to search by surname and first name. Four rules that noticeably simplify the search.
A family tree for school: a template for 4th grade
The “My family tree” project is easier to do together: the child asks relatives and draws the tree, and the AI suggests questions and helps prepare a 2–3 minute story.
My family tree
Write the name, the year of birth and one word about the person in each cell: their job or hobby. You can stick a photo next to it. Draw the template by hand on an A4 sheet following this scheme, so the project is your own.
In the “School project” mode the AI will suggest questions for grandparents and a plan for a spoken story in simple words.
Family tree online – free
Starter – 0 ₽
30 units of energy. The search plan, the interview questions and the tree as text are text requests, and they are included in the free plan. You can send a photo of an old document to the chat to make out the handwriting. For longer work there is Lite for ₽690 (150 units of energy) and Basic for ₽990 (200 units of energy).
FAQ
How do you draw up a family tree?
Start with yourself and your parents, then move on to the grandparents. Write down what you know, and fill in the empty cells after talking to relatives and sending requests to the archives. The AI will help with questions and a plan.
Can AI help find ancestors by surname and first name?
The AI does not search archives or databases, and it does not know your relatives. It will tell you where to look by surname and first name, which details a request needs, and help you write it.
Where do I look for ancestors in the archives?
First at home and with relatives, then at the civil registry office, then in the regional archive. For the period before 1918, look in the church metric books; for war veterans, look in the open military databases.
Is there a family tree template to fill in?
We do not provide files to download. You can fill in the tree on this page online, and in the chat the AI will write it out as text by generation – easy to copy or redraw by hand.
How do you make a family tree for school?
Choose the “School project” mode: the AI will suggest questions for grandparents and a plan for a 2–3 minute story. The child draws the tree from a scheme of three generations.
Can AI read an old document?
Send a photo to the chat: it will try to make out the handwriting and explain old words and abbreviations. Old handwriting is not always legible, so check the unclear places yourself.