Does a GEDCOM file include photos?

The short answer

A normal `.ged` file usually does not contain the photograph files themselves. It may store media references, filenames, captions or web links created by the exporting program. The images must normally be preserved and transferred separately. FamilySearch GEDCOM 7 also defines GEDZIP, a `.gdz` package that can bundle the GEDCOM dataset with local media when both programs support it.

The distinction matters when you download an online tree, move to another program or give a family-tree file to a relative. A successful GEDCOM import can recreate names and relationships while every photograph remains absent.

What a normal GEDCOM can store about media

GEDCOM is structured genealogical data. Depending on the version and exporting program, it can contain media records that identify an external file and describe it with information such as:

• a local or relative file path;
• a web address;
• file type;
• title or caption;
• links between the media record and a person, event or source.

That information points to the media. It does not prove that the image bytes are inside the `.ged` file.

If the referenced path is `media/grandmother-portrait.jpg`, the receiving program still needs access to the real `grandmother-portrait.jpg` file in the expected location.

→ Open and inspect a GEDCOM without changing the master tree

Why photos disappear after import

Photos are commonly missing for one of four reasons:

1. the export created only a `.ged` text file;
2. the media references point to folders that exist only on the old computer;
3. the images were stored online and were not downloaded with the export;
4. the receiving program does not interpret the exporting program's media structure in the same way.

A thumbnail visible in the original program is not enough evidence. Open several files at full size and locate the originals in Finder or File Explorer before moving the tree.

GEDCOM and GEDZIP are different packages

FamilySearch GEDCOM 7 defines two related formats:

GEDCOM (`.ged`) is the structured text dataset. Media records can refer to external files or URLs.

GEDZIP (`.gdz`) is a ZIP-based package containing `gedcom.ged` plus the local files referenced by that dataset. It can carry media in one archive when the exporting and receiving software support the format correctly.

Do not rename an ordinary ZIP file to `.gdz` and assume it is a valid GEDZIP. The package has defined structure and path requirements. Also confirm that the receiving program supports GEDCOM 7 and GEDZIP before relying on the package.

What happens with Ancestry exports

Ancestry describes its downloadable GEDCOM as text-only. Photos and similar media are not placed inside the GEDCOM file.

Ancestry says exports created there after November 2022 may contain information about where media is stored on Ancestry. That information can help the service relink media that remains available when the GEDCOM is uploaded again, but it is not an independent copy of the photograph.

Preserve permitted photographs and record images separately if you want an archive that is not dependent on one account or service.

→ Build an independent Ancestry tree backup

What happens with FamilySearch exports

FamilySearch supports the GEDCOM 7 standard and its GEDZIP capability, but the exact export matters. FamilySearch's current Family Tree Export page explicitly says that its export does not include photo files.

Do not infer the contents from the version number alone. Inspect the downloaded file extension, read the export description and test the package in a separate tree.

Preserve the media as a separate archive

Create one controlled media folder beside the preserved GEDCOM:

`Carter-Family_2026-08-30/`

• `Carter-Family_2026-08-30.ged`
• `media/`
• `export-note.txt`
• `media-inventory.csv`
• `validation-note.txt`

Use stable filenames and keep the originals unchanged. Record the person, event or citation connected to each file, where the item came from and any restrictions on sharing it.

The export note should name:

• source program and version;
• export date and settings;
• GEDCOM version;
• whether media references were included;
• whether the download was `.ged`, `.zip` or `.gdz`;
• location of the actual media folder;
• receiving program used for the test import.

→ Organize digital genealogy files and media

Test media transfer before relying on it

Import a copy into a new test tree. Do not merge it directly into the master.

Check at least:

1. a portrait attached to a person;
2. a photograph linked to several people;
3. a document image attached to a source citation;
4. a file with spaces or non-English characters in its name;
5. media stored in a subfolder;
6. one web-linked item;
7. captions, dates and source information associated with the media.

Record which files transferred, which were only referenced and which lost their links. This result is more useful than assuming that every program interprets the same optional structures identically.

Before you share a GEDCOM and photos

Review living-person information, private notes, photograph permissions and repository terms. A shareable family package may need fewer people and fewer media files than the private archive.

Avoid sending a full media folder merely because the GEDCOM mentions the files. Decide which images the recipient needs and is allowed to receive.

→ Create a privacy-safe GEDCOM share copy

Official references

• FamilySearch GEDCOM 7 specification
• FamilySearch GEDCOM technical FAQ
• FamilySearch Family Tree Export
• Ancestry: uploading and downloading trees

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