Family Tree Maker, one of the world’s most popular genealogy programs, also allows users to upload their tree straight from their data file, to the Ancestry.com website. Uploading a tree from Family Tree Maker to Ancestry.com differs depending on your version. Please follow the instructions below if you have Family Tree Maker 2008, 2009, or 2010.

Family Tree Maker 2008, 2009, or 2010 allow you to upload your file directly to Ancestry.com through the program.

1. Open the program and click on the People section at the top

2. Click on the Share button in the upper-right corner and select Upload to Ancestry…

3. Decide what options you would like to upload your file with, and click OK. You can choose between Entire file and Selected individuals on the left, as well as different Privacy and Media options on the right

  • Checking Privatize Living People will change the name of anyone considered by the software as living to Living Surname. Facts and Shared Facts for living individuals are also not exported. However, Ancestry.com automatically privatizes living people for you
  • Include private facts uploads all facts. Private facts are not private on Ancestry.com. They are treated as regular facts. Privacy is handled by privatizing the tree file itself. You will be given this option when you upload your file to Ancestry.com
  • Include private notes uploads all notes. Notes are always treated as private on Ancestry.com, and can only be viewed by the owner of the tree and those invited as Editors.
  • Files uploaded to Ancestry.com have a limit of 75 mb. Media files, such as photos, can add a lot of weight to a file. If you are having a hard time uploading your file, try un-checking Include media files

4. The file will be processed and uploaded to Ancestry.com. An Internet window will then open titled Upload Your Family Tree Maker Tree with various options

  • Tree Name is a required field. Please type in a name for your tree. It would be best to name your tree using only alpha-numerical characters. Using other characters such as slashes and commas can cause issues loading your tree
  • Allow others to see my tree as a public member tree allows you to adjust the privacy of your tree. By default, this box is checked, which means your tree will be a Public tree. If you want your tree to be private, please un-check this box
  • Description allows you to type in a description for your tree. This isn’t a required field
  • The checkbox labeled I accept the Submission Agreement is required to be checked. If you would like to read the Submission agreement, you can click on it to view that, or also view that by clicking here
  • Click the Upload button to finish this process. You’ll then be taken back to your Home page with a screen that says your file is being transferred to Ancestry.com and will be available shortly

Click the Upload button to finish this process. You’ll then be taken back to your Home page with a screen that says your file is being transferred to Ancestry.com and will be available shortly.

Visit the Ancestry.com website for more Questions and Answers relating to Family Tree Maker, and using the Ancestry.com online trees.

[Please note, a portion of this blog post has been copied from the Ancestry.com Help file]