Help Topics

Main Help Page

Ancestor Tree

Descendant Tree

Descendant Cascade Tree

Index of Individuals

Search Tips

Help — Index of Individuals

The Index of Individuals is a list of every person in your tree.

To view the Index of Individuals, click the View menu and select Index of Individuals or just click the icon in the toolbar.

Getting Around the Index of Individuals

Change the sorting order by clicking the drop-down menu in the upper right.

Click on an individual to edit him or her.

To add more individuals:

Click a person in the index to bring up the Edit window
Use the popdown lists at the bottom of the Edit window to add parents, spouses, siblings, or children:

More Index of Individuals Questions and Answers

What does it mean when an individual changes color?
also: What does the little triangle mean?
The color indicates the currently selected individual (on some browsers, this is shown with a little triangle). You can select an individual by holding your mouse over his or her name. If you run a search or switch to a tree, the selected person becomes the primary individual in the search or the view.

What is a Primary Individual?
The "Primary Individual" is the first person displayed in a tree. The rest of the tree is drawn in relation to this individual.

In a descendant tree, this means that the primary individual displays at the top with his or her direct descendants below. In an ancestor tree, the primary individual displays with his or her direct ancestors.

How can I switch to a tree?
Click the View menu and select another tree, or click the Ancestor Tree icon, Descendant Tree icon, or Descendant Cascade Tree icon in the toolbar.

How many people can I add to my family?
Currently, the limit for Family Tree Maker Web Edition is 200 people. You can also download your file to a desktop copy of Family Tree Maker, which can handle up to about 10,000 people! (Click the File menu and choose "Download to my PC.")
Note that not everyone in your file will display in a single tree!

How can I save my file?
Click the File menu and choose Save. Your tree will be saved to your private "My Genealogy" page at Genealogy.com (if you don't have a "My Genealogy" page, one will be created for you).

You can also share your tree with others by publishing it to a free personal home page – just click the Share menu and choose "Publish to my Home Page."