A practical, no-surprises guide
How to Download or Export Your FamilySearch Tree
FamilySearch does not have one button that downloads the shared Family Tree. Here is the reliable path to a GEDCOM—plus the separate steps for saving photos, documents, and record images.
The short answer
What are you trying to save?
A reusable family tree
Use compatible genealogy software to copy FamilySearch people, then export a GEDCOM.
Export tree dataPhotos and documents
Download original files from the Memories gallery or from an ancestor's Memories tab.
Save MemoriesHistorical record images
Open the image viewer and use Download when the record custodian allows it.
Save record imagesSomething family can read
Skip file management and turn selected ancestors into a designed book preview.
Make a bookExporting the shared tree
How to download your FamilySearch tree
FamilySearch’s own instructions point users to compatible third-party software. The exact buttons vary, but the safe workflow is consistent.
- 1
Choose a FamilySearch-compatible program
Start in the FamilySearch Solutions Gallery or use genealogy software you already trust. Confirm that it can read the FamilySearch Family Tree and create a GEDCOM file.
- 2
Connect through FamilySearch
Use the program's FamilySearch connection. A proper integration sends you to FamilySearch to approve access; you should not have to hand the program your FamilySearch password.
- 3
Select a starting person and scope
Choose yourself or another person, then decide whether you want ancestors, descendants, or both. Set a generation limit so the first export stays manageable.
- 4
Import the tree into that program
Let the program copy the people and relationships it supports. Large trees can take time, and different programs bring across different FamilySearch fields.
- 5
Export a GEDCOM and verify it
Save the file somewhere you back up, open it in a second program if possible, and spot-check names, relationships, notes, sources, and media before treating it as your archive.
Start with FamilySearch’s directory
The Solutions Gallery lists products designed to work with FamilySearch.
Before you call it a backup
A GEDCOM is portable tree data—not a perfect copy of FamilySearch
GEDCOM is the standard file format for moving genealogy data between programs. It is useful, but FamilySearch warns that a common GEDCOM does not carry every Family Tree feature, including some reason statements and other unique data.
Uploading a GEDCOM is also different from downloading one. A GEDCOM you upload can become a separate FamilySearch user tree; it does not create a direct export button for the collaborative shared Family Tree.
Verify the archive
Open the exported file and inspect a few people from different branches.
- Names, dates, places, and family relationships are present.
- Sources, notes, and citations survived in a useful form.
- Living people were handled according to your privacy expectations.
- Important photos and documents exist as actual files outside the GEDCOM.
- The GEDCOM and media folder are copied to a second location.
Photos, documents, stories, and audio
How to download FamilySearch Memories
Memories are separate files, not just tree facts. Download the originals you care about even if your genealogy program appears to show thumbnails or links.
On the website
- 1. Open Gallery or an ancestor’s Memories tab.
- 2. Select the photo, document, story, or audio item.
- 3. Open the three-dot menu and choose Download.
In the mobile apps
The Family Tree and Memories apps can download an individual item. In the Family Tree app, the Download Memories option can save all Memories attached to one ancestor.
Historical record images have their own download rules
Open the image in FamilySearch’s viewer and choose Download. Images are generally saved one at a time. Some archive and record custodian agreements prohibit downloads, so FamilySearch disables the button for those collections. A missing download option is a rights restriction, not an export error.
If your goal is sharing, not archiving
Turn the tree into a book your family can actually hold
Rememberkin connects through FamilySearch’s secure sign-in, reads the people you choose, and creates a designed book preview. The connection is read-only: Rememberkin does not change your FamilySearch tree, and you do not give us your password.
Free to build and preview
No GEDCOM, design software, or purchase is required to see your book.
Common questions
- Can I download my entire family tree from FamilySearch?
- Not directly from the shared Family Tree. FamilySearch's current help page says to connect compatible third-party software, copy the people you need into that program, and export from there. Memories and historical record images are downloaded separately.
- Can I export a GEDCOM directly from FamilySearch?
- No. FamilySearch can accept GEDCOM uploads, but it does not provide a direct GEDCOM download from the shared Family Tree. A compatible third-party program can read FamilySearch data and create the GEDCOM for you.
- Does a GEDCOM include photos and documents?
- Do not assume it does. Traditional GEDCOM exports usually reference media rather than safely packaging every original file. GEDCOM 7 can package media when both programs support it, but you should still download important Memories and record images separately and test the result.
- How many generations should I export?
- Start with four to six generations and verify the file before going larger. A focused export is easier to inspect, less likely to time out, and less likely to fill your archive with duplicate collateral lines.
- Will exporting change my FamilySearch tree?
- A read-only download should not. Review the permissions the third-party program requests, and avoid sync, merge, or update commands until you understand what they will write back to the shared tree.
- Can Rememberkin give me a GEDCOM file?
- No. Rememberkin uses read-only access to turn selected FamilySearch tree information into a book preview. It does not change your FamilySearch tree or replace genealogy software used for GEDCOM exports.
First-party references
Sources and further reading
Checked against FamilySearch Help Center guidance on August 7, 2026. Product capabilities can change, so confirm the current options before a large export.
FamilySearch is a service of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Rememberkin is an independent product and is not affiliated with FamilySearch.