Attaching Sources
Records/Sources
Attaching Sources
Attaching records is the foundation of accurate, reliable family trees.
They verify life events for our ancestors
Properly attached sources prevent incorrect merges and duplicate records.
Records/Sources
Attaching Sources
In family history, records are documents created at or near the time of a person’s life events that provide evidence about who they were and how they were connected to others.
Records can tell us things like:
Types of Records
Attaching Sources
• Birth, marriage, death certificates�• Give dates and places�• Provide parents, spouses, witnesses�• Confirm identities and relationships
Vital Records
Census Records
Newspapers & Obituaries
Vital information:
Church Records
Cemetery Records
(Findagrave.com)
Military Records
Take Time to Read the Original Record
Indexes can be wrong�Names, dates, and places are often misread or mis transcribed
The original record shows more�Marginal notes, witnesses, occupations, addresses, and relationships may not appear in summaries
Context prevents mistakes�Reading the full record helps distinguish between people with the same name
Clues are often hidden in plain sight�Neighbors, godparents, informants, and witnesses often point to family connections
Bottom line:�📜 The index points you to the record — the record tells the story
FamilySearch-Research Helps
Attaching Sources
Record hints are automatically generated by FamilySearch when information in a person’s profile (name, dates, places, family members) match details found in historical records.
Research Helps
Help identify sources that can document a person’s life
Save time by pointing researchers to likely matches
Record hints are suggestions, not confirmations
Review each hint carefully before attaching
Attaching Hints:�A record needs multiple points of agreement. One matching item is not enough.�
Attaching Sources
Be extra cautious with:
Names:
Dates:
Locations:
Relationships
Identify and Resolve Conflicts Thoughtfully
Not all mismatches are deal-breakers.
Acceptable discrepancies:
Concerning conflicts (pause and investigate):
Attaching Sources
Tap on Record Hint
Tap on “Review and Attach”
Source Linker�Source Linker is a FamilySearch tool that connects a historical record to the correct person in the Family Tree.
It helps prevent mistakes and duplication.
It is a matching and attaching tool:
Use Source Linker to:
who the record belongs to
Comparing Records:��Left Column: Displays the details contained within the record��Right Column: Shows information sourced from the individual's FamilySearch profile���Together, these columns invite a thorough comparison.�
Tap on the Purple Attach Arrow to begin the attaching process
Record
FamilySearch Tree
Verify the details from the record against the Family Tree data.��If the information is consistent, proceed to tap “Attach” to confirm the match.��The record will subsequently be linked to the individual’s sources on their profile page
Record
FamilySearch Tree
Compare Names
Compare Dates and Places
Compare Places
Compare:
Names
Dates
Places
Relationships
Attach next record��*The green highlight signifies the record has been successfully attached
Compare Relationships
Review and Attach the next record
Compare:
Names
Dates
Places
Relationships
After attaching the records, check for “Others on Record”
Tap “Change Person” on the blue bar to change the focus person
Choose the new focus person
The source linker now reflects the Person of Record, their spouse and family relationships.
Move the individuals under “Others on Record” to the correct spots to continue to attach the source by left clicking on their name and dragging them to the correct spot
Review and attach all records
Notice the green highlights, signifying all the records have been attached
Adding or correcting information on Source Linker
Notice a birth place is included in the record that is not found on the FamilySearch profile
Tap on the pencil icon to edit
Type the additional information in the correct box
Adding a new person from Source Linker
Adding a New Person
Tap on ADD +
A pop-up window will appear with some information automatically filled in.
Review all fields, adding missing details and correcting any inaccuracies.
Tap on CREATE NEW PERSON
A new profile with a PID is created for the individual
Add the source information and Attach
New PID
What to do when a record is already attached to someone else in FamilySearch
Merge or Detach
Merging
Notice the different PID numbers.
Compare both profiles to see if they are duplicates
Compare Profiles
Add additional sources
WWI Draft Registration Card for Charles Garfield Evans
Birthdate close match
Place matches
Relationship looks like a possible match
Quick Check of Mary’s sources show that she went by both Mary and May
Add information from Record
Next step is to Merge Profiles
Tap on possible duplicate
Tap on Review Merge
How to access new merge experience
Use the same criteria for merges as for adding records. Check for:
Names
Dates
Places
Relationships
Merging one person often leads to merging other family members
Detaching Records
After reviewing the record and confirming it belongs to a different individual, tap
Detach
After tapping Detach, enter the reason for detaching the record in the pop-up window, then again tap Detach
Continue by adding the record to the correct individual
Tap Tips and Resources to access the�Source Linker Learning Center�
Source Linker Learning Center�has tutorials on how to use Source Linker
Attaching Records
Tuesday, Jan 13 at 6:30pm
Sunday, Jan 18 at 4pm
Tuesday, Jan 20 at 10:30am
�
Class Schedule
Practice Sessions
�Tuesday, Jan 20 at 6:30pm
Sunday, Jan 25 at 4:00pm
Tuesday, Jan 27 at 10:30am
Ways to Practice Attaching Records
Attach Sources from Record Hints on the FamilySearch home page
Find new people by attaching records from the “Grow Your Tree with AI Research Assistant”
experiment
Tap on View Experiments under the FamilySearch Labs
Tap on TRY IT
Tap on START EXPERIMENT
FamilySearch AI will search your tree for new records that will help you grow your tree
Tap TUTORIAL to learn more
Attach “Unfinished Attachments” under an individual's sources
Notice the right spouse is now listed
Left Click on the spouse under “Others on Record” and drag to the correct spot
Attach the
record