Back up an Ancestry family tree beyond the GEDCOM

The short answer

Export the tree owner's GEDCOM from Tree Settings, unzip and preserve the downloaded file, then save media and source documents separately. An Ancestry GEDCOM contains tree information, but it does not place photographs and other media inside the file.

An online family tree is convenient for searching, hints and collaboration. A separate export gives you a copy that can be opened by compatible genealogy software and preserved outside one account.

The essential limitation is easy to miss: downloading a GEDCOM is not the same as downloading a complete visual copy of everything attached to the online tree.

Export the tree from the owner account

Ancestry's current support instructions say that only the owner of a family tree can export and download it. A membership is not required for the upload or download action.

The current path is:

1. open the tree;
2. open the tree's settings;
3. choose the export option under tree management;
4. wait while the GEDCOM is generated;
5. download the resulting file;
6. unzip the download before trying to open the GEDCOM.

Interfaces change, so use Ancestry's current uploading and downloading instructions rather than relying on an old screenshot.

Name and document the export immediately

Browser downloads often have filenames that become meaningless after several months. Rename the preserved copy without changing its extension:

`Carter-Family_Ancestry-owner-export_2026-08-30.ged`

Beside it, keep a plain-language note with:

• the Ancestry tree name;
• the owner account—not the password;
• whether the tree was public or private at export;
• export and download date;
• approximate people count shown before export;
• important known gaps or uncertain branches;
• where the related photos and source images are stored;
• which program successfully opened the test copy.

Do not place passwords, raw DNA files or private details about living people in that note.

Know what the GEDCOM contains

Ancestry describes GEDCOM as a text-only family-tree exchange file. It contains facts and information for the tree. Photos, media and similar items are not embedded in the GEDCOM.

Ancestry also states that GEDCOM files created there after November 2022 can contain information about where media is stored on Ancestry, allowing the service to relink available media if the file is uploaded again. That reference is useful, but it is not an independent copy of the media bitmap.

This means a durable backup plan needs two separate jobs:

• preserve the genealogical structure in GEDCOM;
• preserve media and source documents in a controlled archive.

→ Understand why GEDCOM photos may be missing

Preserve photographs and records separately

For photographs, certificates and downloaded record images that you are permitted to retain, keep the original file outside the online tree.

Use stable identifiers such as:

`SRC-2026-0042` for a record image;

`PHOTO-0198` for a family photograph.

Connect that identifier to the person, event, citation and provenance in your catalogue or research log. Avoid relying only on the filename supplied by a website.

Some record images are provided under repository or subscription terms. An organizational guide cannot decide reuse rights for a particular image. Review the applicable terms before redistributing material beyond your private research archive.

→ Organize digital genealogy files and source images

Test the export without changing the original tree

Do not test by uploading the file over your only working tree. Open it in a compatible local program or import it into a clearly named private test tree.

Check a deliberate sample:

• the starting person and immediate family;
• one family with adoption, multiple partners or another complex relationship;
• names with accents or non-English characters;
• several event dates and places;
• notes and source citations;
• a private or living person;
• one branch with many generations.

Record what transferred and what did not. A successful import means the receiving program could interpret the file; it does not prove that every platform-specific field travelled perfectly.

GEDCOM export versus Family Tree Maker sync

A direct Family Tree Maker link and an Ancestry GEDCOM export solve different problems.

GEDCOM export is broadly portable and text based. It is suitable for preservation, migration and exchange, but does not contain the media files themselves.

Family Tree Maker sync can maintain a richer linked workflow between a local Family Tree Maker tree and Ancestry. It still requires a proper Family Tree Maker backup and careful media management.

If Family Tree Maker is your working database, begin with the native backup, not with GEDCOM alone.

→ Compare Family Tree Maker and Ancestry before choosing the master tree

→ Build a dependable Family Tree Maker backup system

Protect living people before sharing

A private backup and a shareable export are not always the same file. Before sending a tree to a relative or uploading it to another service:

1. decide which branch is necessary;
2. review living-person settings;
3. remove private notes and sensitive identifiers;
4. inspect attached media and source descriptions;
5. name the recipient and purpose in your archive note;
6. keep the original private export unchanged.

DNA data requires its own privacy decision. A family-tree GEDCOM is not a raw DNA backup and should not be used as one.

A practical Ancestry backup package

Keep one dated folder containing:

• the unmodified GEDCOM download;
• the export note;
• an inventory of preserved media and source files;
• a read-only copy of your research log;
• a short summary of current research questions;
• a checksum or file list;
• a simple PDF tree or narrative for relatives who do not use genealogy software.

Store another trusted copy in a separate location and test the GEDCOM periodically. A backup that has never been opened is only an assumption.

Official reference

• Ancestry: uploading and downloading trees
• FamilySearch: what is a GEDCOM file?
• Software MacKiev: backing up a Family Tree Maker tree

Wiserta is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Ancestry, Software MacKiev, Family Tree Maker or FamilySearch. Product and company names belong to their respective owners.