Exporting Info from Ancestry.com

June 2, 2019 8:52 AM

We were given a .GED file that was exported from Ancestry.com. Does the .GED file only contain the people names and family tree structure? If so, is there any way to export all of the additional profile information and documents for each family member from an Ancestry.com family tree in bulk without having to manually print each?

Also, can anyone recommend their favorite shareware software that we can use to view the .GED file that will not make the information public on the internet?

Thanks!

posted by The Architect to Computers & Internet (4 answers total)

This is where ancestry.com ropes you in. No, you don't get to download the documents with a GED.

I've used an app called Heredis on my ipad. You can link it to the web but you're not obliged to do so. It's easy to import your ancestry.com GED into it, but it won't include the dox.
posted by zadcat at 9:01 AM on June 2, 2019 [1 favorite]

Best answer: GRAMPS is free and runs locally, and is actively developed.
posted by wenestvedt at 9:27 AM on June 2, 2019 [2 favorites]

Here is a description of the gedcom file format. It should include data like date of birth etc for the individuals but it won't have all the linked records like copies of census data.
posted by metahawk at 10:04 PM on June 2, 2019

Sadly, Ancestry.com is kind of a roach motel: you can put a lot of work into it, but none of that comes out.

Data that's stored outside of Ancestry.com doesn't have access to all of their pre-built stuff, but it also lasts beyond your subscription. For me, that's a big deal. My uncle did a bunch of searches and built a family tree there, but he dropped his subscription so now none of us can get to it.
posted by wenestvedt at 10:33 AM on June 3, 2019