The internal process for reviewing probable ancestor ordinance requests submitted by guests aligns with the public‑facing knowledge article and provides a consistent workflow for determining whether requests meet the established criteria.
Tickets for probable ancestors are sent to the English Data Quality group in Zendesk. Follow the instructions below to complete the review and approve or decline the user’s request.
Internal Instruction
Requests for Probable Ancestors should be sent to the English Data Quality group in Zendesk. You do not need to reply to the guest.
Initial Review for Completeness
The purpose of the initial review is to confirm whether the requester submitted everything required. Do not verify accuracy at this stage. Each request, which can include a family cluster (parents and children), must include each of the following items:
- Probable ancestor names and Family Tree person identification numbers (PIDs)
- Related ancestor names and Family Tree PIDs
- Guest’s stated relationship to the related ancestor
- Explanation of uncommon surname
- Evidence of small locality
- Research on record availability or lack of records
If any of the required items listed above are missing:
- Send the Request More Information macro. Include only what the requestor needs to provide. Remove any required information that was provided by the requestor.
- Mark the ticket as Solved. The requester’s reply reopens the ticket.
If all the required items listed above are included, do the following:
- Send the Acknowledgement Receipt macro.
- Leave the ticket in the Data Quality group.
Before Completing a Full Review
Verify whether the probable ancestor is part of a small tree or is connected to a larger tree.
- Use the provided PID to view the probable ancestor in the FamilySearch Family Tree.
- From the pedigree view, review the size of the pedigree.
- Going forward in time through descendants, look for living descendants.
- If the tree appears to be part of a larger tree and there are, or likely are, numerous living descendants, decline the request, and send the Declined: In Large Tree macro.
Accuracy Review and Verification
The purpose of the accuracy review is to verify the reasonableness and validity of the requester’s claims. This is not original research, but brief validation may be conducted.
Complete each ticket in the order received. Select the next ticket in the queue to be reviewed. Verify the accuracy of each submitted claim. This is not a research activity but is only to verify what the requestor submitted. Complete a full review. Note any discrepancies from the requirements that need to be sent to the requestor once the review is complete.
If additional information was previously requested, verify that the information was provided. If the additional information was not provided, decline the request, and request the specific information again.
Review the Probable Ancestor Record
Use the provided PID to view the probable ancestor in the FamilySearch Family Tree.
- Review the completeness of the record for:
- Data problems.
- Sources to be attached.
- Vital dates and locations on the record.
- Note the surname, time period, locality, and family structure to be compared with the related ancestor.
Review the Related Ancestor
- Confirm that the related ancestor lived at the same time and in the same locality as the probable ancestor.
- Confirm that the surname of the related ancestor is the same or related to the surname of the probable ancestor.
- Verify the relationship of the related ancestor to the requestor.
Verify Uncommon Surname Claim
- Determine if the requestor’s explanation is reasonable.
- Optionally, conduct a brief validation using the following tools and assessments.
Tools to Use
- Search for the probable ancestor surname at Forebears.io for surname frequency.
- Try a Google search, such as “How common is the surname X in [locality] [time]?”
- Look up record collections in FamilySearch, Ancestry, MyHeritage, or other locations.
- Find records for the specific or close locality.
- Perform a search on the probable ancestor’s surname.
- Perform searches on common surnames for the area.
Assess
- Are the search counts low? (As a guideline: dozens or low hundreds would be considered uncommon; thousands would be considered common.)
- Did the surname appear frequently in the region's records?
Verify Small Locality Claim
- Determine if the requestor’s explanation is reasonable.
- Optionally, conduct a brief validation using the following sources and assessments.
Sources to Consult
- FamilySearch Research Wiki—Go to the country or county page (or equivalent), and look for information on the size of the specific location.
- Wikipedia—Search for that locality’s page.
- Google—Do a general search. Google the size of the location in population and land mass at a specific time.
- Historical and modern maps—Look at Google maps to understand the size of the locality today. Find a historical map (such as David Rumsey Map Collection) to compare.
Assess
- Population (as a guideline, under 5,000 is typical)
- Geographic size (as a guideline, small area or larger area with few in population)
- Historical context
- Record infrastructure
Verify Record Availability
- Determine if the requestor’s explanation is reasonable.
- Optionally, conduct a brief validation using the following sources and assessments.
Sources to Consult
- FamilySearch Research Wiki—Go to the country or county page (or equivalent), and look for information on available records for the time period of the probable ancestor.
- Catalog searches—Conduct searches in repository catalogs. Use FamilySearch, Ancestry, or another repository’s catalog that fits the location in question.
- Archive finding aids—Repositories often have finding aids that specify what records are available in a time and location (much like the FamilySearch Research Wiki).
- Look for indexed or nonindexed collections.
- Look for digital collections as well as onsite collections.
Assess
- Whether the guest conducted a reasonably exhaustive search
- Whether records exist that could establish a connection that the guest overlooked
Decision
After completing all previous verification steps, determine the appropriate outcome.
Approve All Requests
Conditions
- All criteria were met.
- Evidence is strong.
Actions
- Add ordinances to the requestor’s reservation list.
- Send the approval macro.
Decline All Requests
Conditions
- One or more criteria are not met.
- Evidence is insufficient.
- Requestor did not provide requested follow-up information.
Actions
- Send the decline macro, with list of unmet criteria. Remove from the macro any criteria that were met.
Mixed Outcome (Some Approved, Some Declined)
Conditions
- Some requests qualify, while other requests do not.
Actions
- Add the approved requests to the requestor’s ordinance reservation list.
- Send the Partially Approved and Declined email macro.
- Include the unmet criteria in the email. Remove from the email any criteria that were met.
Handling Special Cases
DNA Evidence
- DNA is currently not accepted as a stand-alone justification.
- Decline the request with the explanation, “DNA does not replace traditional forms of family history research. It is complementary to research documentation for a family tree. We do not use DNA as the only source for documenting a possible family relationship.”
Requests from Professional Genealogists
- Review the request the same as any other request.
- If the request is approved, the ordinances must go on the client’s reservation list.
- Professional genealogists must provide information about their client to reserve and add ordinances.
Extraction Projects (Declined)
Be aware of blatant extraction projects. They may look like this:
- Bulk surname projects—every surname
- Entire town or region projects
- Requests based on “everyone from this location”
- Personal or spiritual claims
- “No one will do this work” reasoning
Review the request the same as any other request. The requestor must provide the same information and follow the submission requirements.
Declined Request Checklist
The following decline checklist may be helpful for tracking all unmet criteria sent to the requestor.
Probable ancestor names and PIDs are still missing.
Related ancestor names and PIDs are still missing.
The guest’s stated relationship with the related ancestor is still missing.
The explanation of uncommon surname is not supported.
The evidence of small locality is not supported.
Research on record availability showed available records.
The probable ancestor is part of a large tree.
There are unresolved data issues or source hints.
There are no sources on the probable ancestor.
There are no sources on the related ancestor.
The request is part of an extraction project.