Family Tree Maker Features Built for Real Research and Real Families

A useful family-tree tool needs more than attractive boxes[cite: 3]. It should help people enter information accurately, represent different relationships, protect living relatives, preserve sources and move their work when needed[cite: 3]. This page explains the family tree maker features available across the editor and account[cite: 3].

Use the feature summary to decide whether the product fits a quick school chart, an extended genealogy project, a reunion poster, a memorial or a collaborative family archive[cite: 3].

START WITH THE FAMILY TREE BUILDER

Feature Overview

Feature	What it helps you do	Why it matters
Automatic layout	Align generations and redraw relationship lines	You spend more time on information and less on diagram formatting
Flexible relationships	Record biological, adoptive, foster, step and multiple-parent connections	The tree can describe the family more accurately
Profiles and life events	Add dates, places, occupations, notes and stories	The chart becomes a family-history record rather than a name list
Source notes	Record where a fact came from	Relatives can verify information and resolve conflicts
GEDCOM tools	Import or export supported structured genealogy data	Research is easier to migrate and back up
Print exports	Create PDF, PNG or SVG output	Trees can be used for albums, posters and presentations
Collaboration	Invite viewers or editors	Relatives can contribute without making the tree public
Privacy controls	Protect living profiles and manage access	Sensitive information receives deliberate safeguards

A Visual Editor That Grows With the Tree

Add a person from the relevant relative’s profile and choose the relationship[cite: 3]. The layout reorganizes the visible branch as parents, partners, children and siblings are connected[cite: 3]. Zoom and search make it easier to work inside a large tree[cite: 3].

Undo and change history, when enabled, reduce the risk of losing recent work[cite: 3]. Important structural changes should still be followed by an independent GEDCOM backup[cite: 3].

Profiles for Facts, Stories and Uncertainty

Profiles can hold names, birth surnames, alternate spellings, life events, places, photographs, occupations, biographies and research notes[cite: 3]. Dates should support approximate or incomplete values so users are not encouraged to invent precision[cite: 3].

Family tree maker features should also distinguish confirmed information from estimates, possibilities and conflicts[cite: 3]. This is especially useful when two records report different ages, locations or parents[cite: 3].

Relationship Options Beyond a Traditional Tree

Select clear relationship types for biological, adoptive, foster and step connections[cite: 3]. Multiple partners and remarriages can be represented without forcing a family into one rigid design[cite: 3]. Before sharing, choose which labels and previous relationships appear in the visible chart[cite: 3].

Photographs, Documents and Personal Memories

Upload a profile portrait and add context such as who supplied the image, an estimated date, a location and the people shown[cite: 3]. A photograph without identification can become difficult to use within one generation[cite: 3].

Do not upload images or documents merely because they are available[cite: 3]. Check consent, copyright, privacy and relevance, especially for living people and sensitive records[cite: 3].

Sources and Research Notes

Record the document, archive, website, book or interview supporting an important detail[cite: 3]. Good citations make it possible to find the evidence again[cite: 3]. Research notes can explain conflicts, rejected matches and questions for future investigation[cite: 3].

Private Collaboration With Clear Permissions

Permission	Appropriate use	Recommended safeguard
Owner	Manage settings, exports, invitations and deletion	Use a strong password and keep an independent backup
Editor	Add or correct people and sources	Invite only trusted relatives and review major structural changes
Viewer	Read the shared tree without editing	Hide fields the viewer does not need
Public viewer	View a deliberately published version	Remove sensitive data and disable search indexing for living-person pages

Import, Export and Print Options

GEDCOM import can bring supported data into a new tree, while GEDCOM export provides a portable structured copy[cite: 3]. PDF and image exports serve a different purpose: they preserve a readable chart for printing or sharing[cite: 3].

These family tree maker features support data portability, but they do not remove the need for review[cite: 3]. Test imports, keep media separately and confirm printed output before deleting any original[cite: 3].

Privacy and Account Controls

• New trees remain private by default[cite: 3].
• Living-person details can be hidden from shared views[cite: 3].
• Owners can review and revoke invitations[cite: 3].
• Exports provide an independent copy of structured data[cite: 3].
• Deletion and retention choices are explained in the Privacy Policy[cite: 3].
• Account security controls and support channels are documented clearly[cite: 3].

Accessibility and Mobile Use

The interface should support keyboard navigation, meaningful labels, sufficient contrast and zoom without hiding essential controls[cite: 3]. Color should not be the only method used to distinguish relationships or warnings[cite: 3].

Basic editing can work on supported phones and tablets, while large-tree review is generally easier on a desktop or larger tablet[cite: 3]. Exported charts should remain readable when enlarged[cite: 3].