The FamilySearch Research Wiki will be down for maintenance on Sunday, Sept. 27, at 11:59 pm until Monday, Sept 28, 4:00 am EDT.Tips for Searching an Online Index
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Tips for Searching Beyond the Index
Tips for Searching An Online Index[edit | edit source]
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What to do if you can’t find your person in an index: |
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Top 5 Tips for Searching Online Indexes | |
| Exact Spelling | Some online indexes require exact spelling to get a result. Try different ways of spelling the person's first or last name. |
| Use Less Info | If you did not get results, type in less information about the person. Try searching only for the first and last name of the person. |
| Add Info | If you have too many hits, try adding information including approximate birth, death or marriage date and the county |
| Try Another Index | Different indexes use different search parameters and your ancestor may be located in one but not the other. |
| Incomplete index | Some records have NOT been included in online indexes for all counties or for all years stated. Your person's birth, marriage, death record may exist but may not be in the index you are searching. Check all possible indexes available and with the government agency that created the record. |
Tips for Searching Beyond the Index
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What if I still can't find my person? |
The birth, marriage, and death of your ancestor may not have been recorded official by county or state agencies. Use other records to find the information:
