FamilySearch.org

FamilySearch.org is one of the most popular genealogical resources in the world. The site is sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and is free and available to the public. Since launching in May 1999, more than 150 million people have visited FamilySearch.org to learn more about their family heritage.

Online Records
Visitors to FamilySearch.org can search billions of digital images and indexes of records from all over the world. These records include government and church records for births, marriages, and deaths; censuses; probate records, land records, draft cards; and so forth. Millions of new records are published on a weekly basis.

Many of the records on the FamilySearch website are indexed, making them easier to search. The indexes are created by volunteers, partners, or vendors. Currently, there over 125,000 active indexers around the world who complete about one million names a day. Anyone can help with this effort, regardless of their age, religion, or technical background; all that is needed is a computer and an Internet connection. The free online application is available in seven languages.

Digital Library
The FamilySearch Digital Library is a large online library of genealogical resources. Visitors to FamilySearch.org can search hundreds of thousands of online books from all over the world. These books include family histories, county and local histories, directories, gazetteers, genealogy magazines, obituaries, transcriptions, and yearbooks. Titles are provided by the FamilySearch Family History Library in Salt Lake City, FamilySearch Family History Centers, and partner libraries in several countries. Partner libraries include libraries with some of the largest genealogical collections in the United States, with growing content from throughout the world.

Digital books are full-text searchable. Easy to use result filters and powerful Boolean search operators help focus on the most relevant books. Public domain books can be downloaded for offline reading. The book viewer includes many easy-to-use controls.

Research Help
FamilySearch.org features several resources to help people learn how to discover their family history. For example, this Wiki is an interactive online encyclopedia for family history research. This site contains research helps, guides, and advice from FamilySearch experts, but is also a place where anyone can share what they know about genealogy. Visitors to the site can search by geographic area or to get tips and helpful information on climbing their own family trees.

Through FamilySearch Forums, individuals can post questions about their own research and FamilySearch staff or anyone from the genealogical community helps answer them.

Free online classes available on the FamilySearch website can be taken anytime from the comfort of home.

The length and format of the classes vary by subject, but usually include video of the presenter, a PowerPoint presentation, and class handouts. Many of these classes are taught by experts at the renowned Family History Library in Salt Lake City, but FamilySearch has also partnered with individual genealogists and facilities like the Midwest Genealogy Center in Independence, Missouri.

Quick Facts
Here are some quick facts about FamilySearch.org, as of January 2020:


 * Searchable Names in Historical Records: 7.77 Billion
 * Digital images published in FamilySearch's Historic Collections online: 1.41 Billion
 * Digital Images published only in the FamilySearch Catalog online: 1.73 Billion
 * Indexed records published, 3 year rolling average: 273.2 Million
 * Number of searchable historic record collections online: 2,724 Collections
 * Number of searchable records: 4.93 Billion
 * Number of digital books: 481,000


 * Visits per day: 416,000
 * Pages viewed per day: 6.8 Million
 * Registered FamilySearch users: 14.6 Million


 * Family Tree contributors: 5.17 Million
 * Photos: 35.4 Million
 * Stories: 2.5 Million
 * Family Documents: 6.8 Million
 * Sources in the Family Tree: 1.4 Billion
 * People in the Family Tree: 1.21 Billion