company guide
Privacy policy
Make Family Tree Now collects the minimum necessary information to operate the site. Your family tree data stays in your browser unless you export it. We don't sell data, we don't run programmatic advertising, and we don't run third-party ad cookies.
- Tree data lives in your browser (IndexedDB) — never uploaded.
- Standard server logs are retained for 30 days.
- No third-party advertising cookies.
- Affiliate links to records databases are disclosed in-line.
- Full policy will replace this summary before launch.
How to use this guide in real research
Begin with a specific person, place, and approximate date rather than a name alone. Record the repository, collection, image or certificate number, and access date for every result. That citation lets another researcher retrace the same evidence and helps you distinguish people who share a name.
Treat indexes and transcriptions as finding aids. Whenever possible, open the original image and compare names, ages, relationships, locations, and informants with records you already trust. A plausible match becomes a supported conclusion only when independent sources agree and conflicting evidence has been addressed.
Quality checks before adding a conclusion
- Search spelling variants, initials, nicknames, neighboring households, and a wider date range.
- Prefer records created close to the event, while noting who supplied each fact.
- Keep negative searches and rejected matches in your research log so work is not repeated.
- Mark uncertain relationships clearly until multiple independent records support them.