Step by step
- From any page, click "Trees" and select your tree.
- In the toolbar on the left, click "More" (three dots) and select "Tree Settings".
- On the right, under "Manage your tree", click "Export tree". If you already see "Download your GEDCOM file", go to the last step.
- Click "Export". The button spins while it says "Generating a GEDCOM file".
- When it stops, click "Download Your GEDCOM File". Unzip the downloaded archive to get the .ged file.
Labels in quotes are copied from Ancestry's help pages; if a screen looks different, those pages are the reference.
What the file carries
- The people in your tree, with their facts and relationships.
- Facts, notes and sources are usually retained, according to Ancestry's help.
What it leaves out
- Photos and other media: Ancestry describes the GEDCOM file as text only. Files exported since November 2022 note where each photo is kept on Ancestry, but not the photos themselves. Save the photos you want from the site, then add them to 7gens after the import.
- DNA results: they are not part of the tree file.
If something goes wrong
- Still "Generating a GEDCOM file" after ten minutes? Refresh the page and click again; if it happens again, clear your browser's cache and cookies.
- If a button does nothing, clear your browser's cache and cookies.
- If you see "This site can't be reached", remove special characters from the tree's name and try again.
- Can't find the file? Look in your Downloads folder or on your desktop, or search your computer for ".ged".
Good to know
- Ancestry's account data page offers a second route: in "Your trees", select the tree and click "Download". That file is a plain .ged, and its link expires the next time you change the tree.