GEDCOM Import and Export

Overview

GEDCOM Import

How to Import a GEDCOM file

A GEDCOM import will construct a family tree focused on a particular person.

  • If your GEDCOM file contains one or more people who have already been added to Geni, the easiest way to begin is to find that person's Geni profile and then choose "Import GEDCOM" from the Actions pull-down menu. (Be aware that this may result in dozens of duplicate profiles that must be merged before you can continue the import!)
  • If your GEDCOM file contains only people who have never been added to Geni (or if you're not sure), use Geni's Create a Branch feature (found on the Research menu) to create a profile for one of the people represented in the GEDCOM file and choose "Import a GEDCOM for this person" when saving the form.
In either case above, the import process will guide you through selecting the record in the GEDCOM file that corresponds to the Geni profile on whom the import is focused. You may also jump directly to the GEDCOM Import page and either select the focus person or create a branch in the first step.
Note: In order to prevent duplication in the historical branches of the World Family Tree, your import must start with yourself or a profile for a person born after 1800. The import will not continue to branches for people born before 1600. The importer will stop on branches that appear to match profiles already on Geni, and you must resolve those matches before the import can continue on that branch.

GEDCOM Export

How to Export a GEDCOM file

A GEDCOM export must start with a particular person in the tree. If the export will be focused on you, you may jump directly to the GEDCOM Export page to begin the export. If you wish to export a GEDCOM file starting from a profile other than your own, the easiest way to begin is to find that person's Geni profile and then choose "Export GEDCOM" from the Actions pull-down menu. (Note: you may only export a GEDCOM file focused on profiles that you added to Geni.)