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Using Source Linker to attach sources

Use Source Linker to attach historical records to your ancestors in the Family Tree. 

 

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Source Linker uses a purple Compare icon to notify you that the left column (the source) has information that the right column (Family Tree) is missing.

When Source Linker first opens, the information for the focus person will be expanded in both columns. If you decide that the columns describe the same person, you can move the information from the left column to the right column so that it appears in both columns. This is what we call attaching the source to Family Tree. Let’s take a closer look at how it works.

  1. With Source Linker open, click the purple Compare icon. If you do not see the Compare icon, the source is already attached, or it does not contain any new information. 
  2. After you click Compare, the two Source Linker columns expand so that you can see the details on the record (left column) and compare them with the details already contained in Family Tree (right column). 
  3. A new or previously unknown detail will be accompanied by a green plus button. 
  4. If they describe the same person, you can add the detail to Family Tree by clicking the green plus button.  

  5. Consider entering an explanation in the Reason field. Briefly explain why you think the record is a reliable match for the Tree person. This will help other users trust your contribution.  

     

What the purple Different tag means

In some cases, the detail in the record is not necessarily new, but it is just different from what you see in the Family Tree side of Source Linker. For example, a name could be spelled differently, or the date for an important life event could be different.

When this happens, you will not see the green plus button. Instead, the detail will be accompanied by a purple tag with the word Different inside it and a small pencil icon for editing the information in Family Tree.

  • The Different tag does not always mean a change needs to be made. For example, if a birth year on the record is an estimate, but the birth year in Family Tree came from a birth certificate, you would want to keep the birth year already in Family Tree.  
  • If you decide that the information in the left column is more accurate or complete, click the pencil icon, and make your edit.  

  • Your correction makes the Tree more accurate and reliable for other users.

      

 

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