A few days ago, I published an article titled FamilyTreeDNA Tree Integration with MyHeritage – Step by Step Instructions, and now there is a companion webinar available, here, courtesy of Legacy Family Tree Webinars.
In addition to topics covered in the earlier article, in the webinar, also titled FamilyTreeDNA Tree Integration with MyHeritage, I’ve added additional problem-solving information, clarified several items, created a decision-aid chart, and updated information.
This tree transition, only a week old, has been amazingly smooth. Nothing is perfect out the gate, and this integration is no different. For most people, this process runs quickly and seamlessly.
Updates and Clarifications
A few people may have noticed a glitch or two during the first few days. The balance of the known bugs are expected to be resolved by early next week.
- If your transfer got “stuck” and never completed, or completed with an empty tree, try again early next week.
- At FamilyTreeDNA, Family Matching took a day or two to kick in again, but the backlog has cleared and it’s working as expected after matches are linked on your tree at MyHeritage.
Additional items that are being resolved or have been clarified:
- All trees transferred to MyHeritage will receive the 90-day gift of being able to expand the tree beyond 250 people without restriction or cost. This includes trees transferred to existing MyHeritage accounts that do not currently have a subscription. Those accounts are currently incorrectly restricting users to 250 people. MyHeritage will have this fixed in the next few days and the fix will be applied retroactively to anyone who transferred a tree to an existing MyHeritage account that does not have a subscription.
- You can no longer start a new tree on the FamilyTreeDNA platform. New trees will be started on the MyHeritage platform. This also means that if you delete your tree at FamilyTreeDNA, you cannot upload a new one to FamilyTreeDNA before transferring to MyHeritage.
- MyHeritage will return tree information periodically to FamilyTreeDNA for research purposes for trees originating at FamilyTreeDNA:
- Trees transferred from FamilyTreeDNA to MyHeritage will return information to FamilyTreeDNA. Default option is yes, but you can opt-out.
- New trees begun at MyHeritage through FamilyTreeDNA can have information returned to MyHeritage. The default option is no, but you can opt-in.
- MyHeritage will NOT return tree information to FamilyTreeDNA from the trees of anyone linking their FamilyTreeDNA account to an existing MyHeritage tree. There is no consent or opt-in option.
- While an initial consent box was not displayed on the transfer page, there was a consent option in the tree preferences section at MyHeritage. This was a bug, and MyHeritage will have it removed shortly.
- Anyone who linked their FamilyTreeDNA account to their existing MyHeritage tree with the understanding that their tree data would be provided to FamilyTreeDNA should disconnect their account at FamilyTreeDNA from MyHeritage and relink it to their transferred FamilyTreeDNA tree. Instructions are in both the blog article and the webinar.
Decision Aid
The included and downloadable webinar syllabus includes a Decision Aid in chart and list format to help you sort through your various tree options and which would be best for you, including combinations of features such as:
- Tree size
- Subscription
- 90-day tree expansion gift
- Retention of linked matches
- Data returned to FamilyTreeDNA
Enjoy the webinar, here, and your new tree functionality, no matter which option you choose, at MyHeritage
PS – Upload Your DNA Too
Transferring your tree has absolutely nothing to do with uploading your DNA, but this might be a good time to upload your DNA file to MyHeritage if you haven’t done so already.
Having your DNA results at both companies assures that you receive the most matches possible. Both uploading and matching are free.
I’ve written step-by-step upload-download instructions for major companies, here, and specifically both FamilyTreeDNA and MyHeritage, below:
- MyHeritage Step by Step Guide: How to Upload-Download DNA Files
- Family Tree DNA Step by Step Guide: How to Upload-Download DNA Files
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Genealogy Products and Services
- MyHeritage Subscription with Free Trial
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- DNA for Native American Genealogy – by Roberta Estes, for those ordering the e-book from anyplace, or paperback within the United States
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- The Complete Guide to FamilyTreeDNA – Y-DNA, Mitochondrial, Autosomal and X-DNA
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- Genealogical.com – Lots of wonderful genealogy research books
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I notice there is no mention of prices for membership in My Heritage. If your tree is more than 250 people, the cost goes up to around $300. It was too expensive for me so I had to abandon it which means I cannot merge to My Heritage. All the work I did at MH is now useless to me and now FTDNA has decided this. I am not a happy camper.
There are a couple of separate items here. First, you CAN transfer your tree from FamilyTreeDNA to MyHeritage under your existing account, regardless of your existing tree, size, or subscription status. Your transferred tree will receive the 90 day free trial. You can expand that transferred tree to any size within that 90 days. You can add any number of people, so that you can link any of your matches at FamilyTreeDNA to your transferred tree at MyHeritage. So while you may have abandoned your existing tree at MyHeritage, that does not affect your transferred tree. Second, a subscription for a tree up to 2500 people costs $89 per year, and unlimited is $149. You can see their prices here. I did not discuss prices because there are 5 different options and it’s reduced the first year. https://www.myheritage.com/pricing
Thank you for this post and your previous article. I would not have known about this otherwise, and I am happy to be able to add my large, updated FTDNA tree to my account at My Heritage, even though I don’t currently have a subscription there.
I am so excited to read this blog and follow up with the Legacy Family Tree Webinar!
Thank you for all the great information you share with us!
Thank you for taking time to say thank you.
Thank you for the wonderful and helpful DNAeXplained details – especially in this latest “sharing ” “paring” tree info. From the beginning first announcement, I made a decision to not touch a thing, until the bugs were mostly worked out.
Is my waiting a bit Okay? I still have 365 tree corrections at MyHeritage to do . Thank you
Yes, I would just wait a bit. Good choice.
We so appreciate the details you give us, especially on the new MyHeritage tree sharing. I am waiting a while to touch it, hoping that will be less stressful while MyHeritage works out Bugs.
(I have 365 corrections to do on my tree there).
Thank you so much for this blog post and accompanying webinar. Could you please advise me what to do about a situation I didn’t find covered in either one. I want to transfer and link my FTDNA tree to MH. However, my existing tree at FTDNA has about 325 fewer people than my “working” tree that lives in RootsMagic on my own computer. I’m thinking about privatizing my RM tree as to living persons, private events, etc., then uploading it to FTDNA and using it as the FTDNA tree to transfer to MH. That would include the additional people not in my current FTDNA tree. My concerns are:
1. Do I need to delete my existing FTDNA tree before uploading the one from RM?
2. I assume I’ll lose the linked matches in the old FTDNA tree, but I have only a few and could relink them before uploading the new tree to MH. Would I lose anything else? (I don’t have any bucketed matches at FTDNA, so nothing to lose in that regard.)
3. Does deleting my current FTDNA tree and uploading my larger RM tree to FTDNA before linking the newly uploaded one to MH seem like my best option?
Thank you for any advice you can share.
Best wishes,
F.T.C.
1. Yes, you can only have one tree at a time. Keep in mind that you will have to relink anyone who is currently linked.
2. If you don’t have bucketed matches, it’s becuase you haven’t linked many people, or any people upstream of yourself.
3. You can no longer upload trees to FamilyTreeDNA. That’s considered a new tree and new trees must be started at MyHeritage.
4. You don’t need to privatize your tree because anyone living or less than 100 and not marked as deceased are automatically privatized. If you privatize everyone, no one at either site will be able to see the people.
Please note that I revised my answer to #3 because I verified with FamilyTreeDNA this morning that you can no longer upload trees to FamilyTreeDNA. That’s considered a new tree and new trees must be started through MyHeritage.
Thanks so much for this additional information, Roberta.
If you can no longer upload an updated “golden” tree (mine is a Legacy tree on my computer) to FTDNA, I presume the only option is to upload a revised tree to MyHeritage, delete the prior connection to the previously transferred tree and then connect the new tree loaded to MyH. As you said, however, the option to send statistics from a MyH tree back to FTDNA no longer exists. I think this is what I was hearing.
Yes, that’s accurate.
I have updated information. You can no longer start a new tree on the FamilyTreeDNA platform. New trees will be started on the MyHeritage platform. This also means that if you delete your tree at FamilyTreeDNA, you cannot upload a new one to FamilyTreeDNA before transferring to MyHeritage.
How does this affect The family tree maker software, Mackiev I have that and thought I was safe from changes. I would rather not download .
There’s no effect to anything other than your tree that’s already at FamilyTreeDNA, and your MyHeritage account. If you want Family Matching at FamilyTreeDNA, you need to link your kit to a tree at MyHeritage or transfer an existing tree at FamilyTreeDNA to MyHeritage.
I just watched your Webinar – thank you! – great information as always. I have one question you touched on only in a brief mention. I manage 10 family members’ kits – it sounds like you transferred a tree for each of your managed kits from FTDNA to a “new” FTDNA tree at MyHeritage (you were talking about your own and your mother’s tree I think). Was that to preserve the links to each DNA kit’s matches? If I were to transfer just one tree and that tree had links to my matches, would I be able to link anyone else’s matches to the newly transferred FTDNA tree? What if I linked each of my managed kits to my existing tree at MyHeritage — can I manually link the DNA matches for more than one kit to that tree if I sacrifice all the links to the FTDNA trees and just use that one, i.e. can I link my father’s and my aunt’s and their cousin’s and my cousin’s and my siblings DNA matches and my own matches to that tree? I would really like get out of updating everyone’s individual trees, which has been kind of a nightmare at FTDNA with a different tree for every kit. I think it would be a lot less work to redo the links to the DNA matches for this one time, rather than to have to do them for every new match I can place in my tree, as I do now. Also would be nice for when I discover a “new” ancestor or have to lop off a branch of my tree based on new-to-me information — I have found it’s a huge chore to update the appropriate subset of my 10 kits’ trees. Thanks! Cheryl
Let me give you two answers. Theoretically, yes you can use one tree but right now, there’s a bug where you can’t link the home person beyond the first person. Eventually, that bug will be fixed. The down side is that if you do use one tree, FamilyTreeDNA will never be able to receive any of your tree information back from MyHeritage to improve their features.
I would like to do exactly what Cheryl K mentions, that is make one “FTDNA tree” on MyHeritage for all my 20 FTDNA kits, so that I don’t have to update 20 trees when I find a new match who is related to them all. Are you saying that if I transfer only one of my trees from FTDNA to MH, and then link the other kits to that tree instead of transferring each tree, that FTDNA will not receive information back from MH? If so, I don’t understand. If they are all linked to a tree that originates from FTDNA, why wouldn’t FTDNA receive the information?
No, that’s not what I’m saying. If you transfer a tree and link to that tree, it’s fine and FTDNA does receive the information back. But if you link to an existing MyHeritage tree, they do not.
Thank you for clarifying that! This is the information I have been missing until now. Some of the previous information made me believe that every kit needs its own tree transferred to MH for FTDNA to be able to get the information back. But if I can transfer just one of my trees and then link the other kits to that tree, then I’m happy! It will require that I build out some branches that are not in my own tree right now, but it will be totally worth it when I only have one tree to update later!
I already have family trees on both sites, but with different lines more extensive than others. How do I search for duplicates or clean up the trees?
There’s no good way to clean them up other than one person at a time.
As always a very informative webinar. Thank you for providing the information.
I wonder if you have any information on how to get past the “Oops something went wrong An error occurred. Please try again later.” screen I have had at MyHeritage for more than a week… Sigh
Jim
I would suggest disconnecting and if that doesn’t work then call FTDNA support.
Reading your answer to Cheryl K: I already subscribe to both My Heritage and FTDNA. On FTDNA I manage kits for myself, my mother, and my brother and several others. I linked the kits for me, my mother, and my brother to my one tree. If I disconnect all three of these kits from my main tree and then transfer them as new separate trees, would that be a better idea?
Yes, in terms of FamilyTreeDNA being able to receive information back from MyHeritage.
ccsmits asked:
“If I disconnect all three of these kits from my main tree and then transfer them as new separate trees, would that be a better idea?”
I’m not understanding. I thought it was no longer possible to create a new tree at FTDNA. If that’s correct, could you please outline the process to “transfer them as new separate trees” after disconnecting the linked kits from the person’s main tree at FTDNA?
I very much want FTDNA to be able to receive information back from MH for all of the kits I manage.
Thank you, Roberta, for helping so many of us navigate this transition.
F.T.C.
Creating a new tree means starting one from scratch. If you had one at FTDNA, and disconnect from your MyHeritage tree, it resets things. Your tree at FTDNA is still there just in case you change your mind. It did not get deleted.
I’m still struggling. I have one tree of about 750 people at FTDNA to which I’ve linked my own matches to my sibling, a deceased sibling’s children, and a couple of cousins who match me in the 2C1R to 3C range. I never uploaded trees for the sibling, niece and nephew whose kits I manage at FTDNA. I now realize that may have been a serious error, because it apparently leaves me unable to link people who match them but not me to a family tree.
I’m planning to transfer my FTDNA tree to MH, where a few years ago I uploaded one tree via GedCom and DNA data from FTDNA for myself, my sibling, niece and nephew. The MH tree is almost identical to my FTDNA tree. I currently don’t have a MH subscription.
I understand that transferring my FTDNA tree to MH will preserve the links to testers who match me and allow MH to send data to FTDNA periodically. Am I correct in thinking that applies only to my own linked matches and not to any relatives who happen to match my sibling, niece or nephew (but not me) because I didn’t create separate trees for them and link their matches at FTDNA while it was still possible to do so? Is there any way to rectify this situation now?
My specific problem is that I’ve identified one deceased 3C1R at FTDNA who matches my sibling but apparently doesn’t match me well enough (longest block 7 cMs) to show up in my current match list. (He was in my match list previously). His FTDNA kit is apparently not being monitored by its administrator, whom I’ve not succeeded in contacting. He’s key to my proof argument for a brick wall ancestor, so I’d very much like to have him linked to an FTDNA tree at MH in order to have him included in any data sent back to FTDNA. Is there any way to accomplish that goal without losing permission for MH to send data regarding the cousins who match me but not my sibling, niece and nephew?
The one possible solution I’ve thought of would be to start a new MH account through FTDNA, then start identical new trees at MH for my sibling, nieces and nephews (by uploading the same GedComs that I used for my existing tree at FTDNA), linking their matches to their respective new trees, and selecting Consent for MH to share data with FTDNA for each of them?
Would that work? If not, do you have any other suggestions, or did I simply miss my chance?
Thank you so much for your help!
F.T.C.
No, you haven’t missed your chance. Please call FamilyTreeDNA support.
I am admin for a couple of FTDNA projects with both limited (mostly) and advanced accesses, many of which are not actively managed or that I have actively helped, both in and outside of my projects. I also manage some close relatives’ kits who are not in my projects. In both categories, some are deceased, and some are not. The question is which tree transfers should go into my original MH account, and which transferees should I create a new MH account for themselves? Also, does MH allow using the same email and/or password for multiple accounts? Thanks for your blog and webinar on transfers. Stellar as usual.
The above article mentioned step by step instructions for transferring FTDNA trees and DNA which is great but my problem is that I can’t figure out how to connect my uploaded DNA to my uploaded tree at MyHeritage. Is there a solution of is that not possible? It would be great if MyHeritage matches could also refer to my tree.
What do you mean by your uploaded DNA to your uploaded tree? You connect your DNA AT FTDNA to the tree you transfer FROM FTDNA to MyHeritage. If you upload your DNA to MyHeritage, then it’s no longer at FTDNA and you link the DNA file at MyHeritage the same way you link any other DNA file at MyHeritage. MyHeritage doesn’t care which tree you link yourself to.
Okay, now the date has come and gone.
Since folks said MyHeritage originated trees where you link FTDNA kits to will not be reported back to FTDNA’s system- so you had to transfer your FTDNA tree to MyHeritage to keep it working. Swell.
So, what do we do now for new testers, who do not have a FTDNA tree to transfer to MyHeritage, and can no longer upload their tree to FTDNA so they have something to transfer?
This applies to any tree originating through FamilyTreeDNA. I also checked today and it looks like there’s a new option for MyHeritage trees that you can select. .
Hello from Canada,
I think there are some instances where not all of the family tree people (family identified) on my FTDNA tree moved over to the My Heritage site. I would hate to have to check each and every contact. Is it me, or have others had that?
Also, if I do have to then create them again on My Heritage, can I still access all the info and people on my previous FTDNA tree, or will those all disappear as of tomorrow? Just want to know if the FTDNA tree totally disappears or will still stay there but just can’t be added to or modified?
Very nerve wracking, especially if you are not computer savy and have worked hard to get the FTDNA tree to where it is today.
Yes, your tree is still at FTDNA, you just can’t modify it or link matches to it. You can still transfer it to MyHeritage.
I’ve been having troubles getting my FTDNA tree transferred to my existing MyHeritage account, and I am in contact with a support person at MyHeritage. Today, when I tried once again, I noticed something different in the screen where one selects which tree on MyHeritage one wants to link to FTDNA. I have a large existing tree on MyHeritage. If I choose to use THAT tree instead of transferring my tree from FTDNA, the little box at the bottom doesn’t disappear like I seem to remember it doing earlier. The little box remains and I am able to check it, indicating my approval for MyHeritage to send tree info periodically back to FTDNA. That would be great if it really would do that. I might lose the few match links I had on the FTDNA tree, but that’s OK. So what do you think? Is it OK now to select an existing tree on MyHeritage rather than transfer one? Any downsides to this?
Yes, I believe an option has been added that you can select to send data back to FamilyTreeDNA from your MyHeritage tree after you link to it.
Thanks, Roberta. I’ll see if I can get someone at MyHeritage to confirm this. If this is true, it will make life easier for many of us. I have a few other relatives who also have FTDNA kits (but no trees on FTDNA) and whose kits I manage. It’s still unclear to me if I will be able to link all of them to one tree on my MyHeritage account or if I will have to set up separate trees for each of them. Some instructions I found on MyHeritage clearly state one can link multiple kits on FTDNA to one account on MyHeritage, but are silent on the question of trees. Do you happen to know?
Yes, you can link them to the same tree.
Just to be sure I’m understanding, can we undo any transferring and linking of FTDNA accounts and trees to MH, then start over and associate all the kits we manage at FTDNA with one pre-existing MH account and link all of those testers, as well as other FTDNA matches, to a single pre-existing MH tree?
Thanks very much!
F.T.C.
Yes
Since early October, I have been repeatedly trying, unsuccessfully, to transfer my FTDNA tree to my existing MyH account. I have been working with a representative from FTDNA, but so far even with their help, the process fails. I have been able to successfully link my FTDNA and MyH accounts, but every time I try to transfer my FTDNA tree to MyH, I get an error message or other sign that it the process was unsuccessful.
In an earlier post on this thread, I reported that a rep from MyH told me that I it is now OK to link to an existing tree on MyH and that MyH would send updates back to FTDNA. When I told my FTDNA rep about this, she said that was not true, and that I needed to transfer my FTDNA tree to MyH, period.
By the way I use the browser, Safari, on my Apple computer. Early on, I tried a different browser (Google), but I haven’t tried that recently (maybe I should).
There is something seriously wrong with this whole process!
I will try to sort this out further. I have seen the option to select your existing MH tree and to enable data to be sent to FTDNA but previously this option was removed. So I don’t know.
Dear Roberta,
Thank you for all your information.
I’d been working on updating 3 of my kits trees last week. I was a able to transfer 2 of my kits fine. I then realized I had a 4th kit where I never had a tree for it. So I tried to transfer it and tried to build a new tree adding consent. When I started to build it, listed me as the home person and then asked for my parents. This tree was for my maternal uncle so I added my maternal grandparents as the parents thinking I could then go into the tree and edit my name to my uncle’s name. Then I tried to link the home person to this tree and all it did was spin round & round and never brought up any names. I then put my uncle’s name in and again it would just spin. I then deleted everything and started over. Again I chose to build a new tree and it started with me. This time I put in my name, my parents name and then my maternal grandparents and added my Uncle’s name as their son. Again I tried to link and again it just spinned around and around. I don’t know what to do.
Any suggestions?
I don’t know. Have you contacted FamilyTreeDNA
Dear Roberta
I have had been managing my own ftDNA ID as well as that of four close family members.
I have also spent 15+ years compiling a very large tree at MH.
When the process to transfer the tree late 2023 was announced I followed the steps in your blogs – I preferred to link to my existing tree but was only able to do this for three of the five profiles – the other transfers just “hung” and this kept on happening despite many restarts.
I was able to fully link the main person and linked family members on the other three profiles but any attempt to link any of my other ftDNA matches, who are already in my MH tree, results in an HTTP failure response that appears to be an internal Server error. The message only stays up for a few seconds and are cut-off and I cannot be sure if the server error originates from ftDNA or MH.
Any further attemp to link a further match just results in a spinning wheel.
Have you come across any such behaviour?
I have reported the hanging transfers to the ftDNA helpdesk and they responded after two weeks with some questions. I have not called as they are open in the middle of the night where I am.
Hoping you may have some ideas.
Have you unlinked your tree and relinked it?
Yes, multiple times.