tools guide
Family tree templates researchers actually fill in
Short answer
A family tree template is a blank chart you fill in by hand or on-screen. The three formats researchers actually use are the 4-generation pedigree, the ancestor fan chart, and the descendant chart. Each answers a different question about a family.
- 4-generation pedigree — you plus 14 direct ancestors, one letter-size page.
- Ancestor fan chart — 6 to 12 generations, wall-size when printed.
- Descendant chart — one couple and everyone below them.
- Working-copy sheet — the ugly draft with citation shorthand.
This guide is being expanded. In the meantime, the linked pages below and the FAQ answer the questions readers most often send us. If yours isn't here, write the desk and we'll add it in the next revision.