Open a GEDCOM file in three steps
- Export your tree as GEDCOM from the program or website where it lives (see below).
- Drop the .ged file onto the box above, or click “Choose a .ged file”.
- Explore: drag to move around, pinch or Ctrl+scroll to zoom, type a name in “Find a person”, and click anyone to see their details and how they are related to the home person.
The opened tree is saved in your browser, so it is still here next time. It also appears in the family tree maker, which is the same editor — you can add people, change styles and print from either page.
Where to get your GEDCOM file
| Where your tree is | How to export it |
|---|---|
| Ancestry | Tree Settings → Export tree → Download your GEDCOM file |
| MyHeritage | Family tree → Manage trees → Export to GEDCOM |
| Findmypast | Tree settings → Export tree (GEDCOM) |
| Geni | Share → Export GEDCOM (limits apply on free accounts) |
| FamilySearch | No direct whole-tree export; use a certified desktop program to sync and export |
| Gramps, RootsMagic, Legacy, Family Tree Maker, MacFamilyTree | File → Export → GEDCOM |
Menu names change from time to time, but the export is always somewhere under tree settings or the File menu.
What the viewer reads
0 @I1@ INDI
1 NAME Walter /Brooks/
1 SEX M
1 BIRT
2 DATE 1935
0 @I2@ INDI
1 NAME June /Ellis/
1 SEX F
0 @I3@ INDI
1 NAME Anne /Brooks/
1 SEX F
1 BIRT
2 DATE 1966
0 @F1@ FAM
1 HUSB @I1@
1 WIFE @I2@
1 CHIL @I3@
1 MARR
2 DATE 1961
GEDCOM files are plain text, with one fact per line and a level number showing how lines nest. The viewer reads individuals (INDI) with their names, married names, nicknames, sex, birth, christening, death, burial, occupation and notes, and families (FAM) with partners, children, marriage and divorce. Continuation lines (CONT, CONC) are joined back together, so long notes come through intact.
Media links, source citations and program-specific custom tags (the ones starting with an underscore) are skipped. They stay in your original file — nothing here changes it.
Printing a tree from a GEDCOM
This is the main reason many people end up here: most online services print only a few generations, or only what fits on screen. Click Download and choose PDF. Pick a paper size from Letter to a 36×48 inch poster, or split a big poster across home-printer pages. The dialog shows how large the names will print so the result is readable. For very large files, print one branch at a time with “Around the home person”.
Privacy
A GEDCOM file usually contains living people’s full names, birth dates and birthplaces. Uploading it to an unknown website is a real risk. This viewer is built so that never happens: the file is read with your browser’s own file reader and stored only in your browser’s local storage. When you share or print, the “Hide details of living people” option removes dates and places for anyone still living.