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After I've written a blog post on a particular ancestor, I like to add a link to the post to the Memories section of a person's FamilySearch Family Tree profile. Recently I had a revelation about something else I could do to ensure my family stories and research are shared in the future.
It occurred to me that I could leave an Alert Note on my own Family Search Family Tree profile directing individuals to this blog, Leaves on the Tree, after I am gone. If the goal of my blog is to record my memories, research, family stories, and more, this alert is one way future researchers might be able to find those stories—assuming Blogger is still around.
I don't often think about my own FamilySearch profile, and when I looked at my page, it was pretty skimpy indeed! I had only entered the bare basics of my important relationships, dates, etc. Add beefing up my own profile to the 2026 goal list. Who knows me better than me?
Here's what I wrote for the Alert Note:
This alert is just a "snapshot in time." I have created a recurring Google calendar task to review this once a year to make any needed changes.
If you haven't already created an Alert Note on FamilySearch, here's how:
- Go to the profile page of your person of interest—in this case, you!
- Scroll down the page a bit and find the box labelled "Notes" on the right side.
- Click "Add Note."
- Write out your note. Be sure to click the box for "Alert Note." This will position the note at the top of your profile page for others to find in the future. Your note will also be visible in the "Notes" section further down the page.
- Consider creating a reminder to periodically check the note still reflects reality and edit if needed.
If you have an online presence such as a family website or blog, you might consider adding those websites to your own FamilySearch profile in an Alert Note for future generations to find.
Until next time...
© Nancy Gilbride Casey, 2026. All rights reserved.
Cite this post:
Nancy Gilbride Casey, "Add an Alert Note to FamilySearch to Connect with Future Researchers," Leaves on the Tree, 14 January 2026, (https://myleavesonthetree.blogspot.com/2026/01/add-alert-note-to-familysearch-to.html : accessed [your date]).
This is an excellent suggestion. I talk about adding stories to FamilySearch Family Tree profiles, but I haven't been doing that. I should do that, and also add to the Ancestry Tree. Another place to add story content is on the Internet Archive. I have uploaded full stories there. A Google search will find those, too, just in case my blogger account is gone.
ReplyDeleteI love these suggestions which I also do but not as consistently as I should. I just started uploading posts to the Wayback Machine, but I'm having a few glitches. It's not sending me the email; I got them the first day, but not since. (I contacted support and am waiting to hear back.) I am also not sure how to direct someone to find them once they are archived. I'd love those instructions on how to find them again. Thanks for reading and commenting.
DeleteWhat a terrific idea, especially for those on Blogger. For those of us on WordPress, a survivor would need to keep paying the hosting fees.
ReplyDeleteOh, that's good to know. In that case you might look at the Wayback Machine as a way to preserve it. That's free. Thanks for reading/commenting.
DeleteThat's a great idea...I have left notes on tree profiles where my research differs from that of others (with a few it's pure fantasy) that include links to specific posts on my blog, but I never thought of doing a dedicated note about my blog. Will give it some thought. Also - do note that if your blog goes dormant, eventually it will be deleted. I had one for years for my historical romance writing and one for my book reviews - after I stopped posting to them, they disappeared about three years later. Blogger deleted them.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the heads up on the deletion, Tess. Yikes! That's alarming! My intention is to keep blogging, but that is good info to have. And, hopefully, archiving the Wayback Machine will help with that as it is a screen shot of the page so that info, notes, are still there. Thank you for reading!
DeleteThis is a wonderful idea. I've archived my blog on Internet Archive and given my log-in credentials to a trusted family member for after I join my ancestors, but not thought about your idea. TY!
ReplyDeleteI am in the process of doing that. I might need a tutorial from you or Lisa, as I seem to be having glitches where it appears I'm saving but when I go to look for them, they're not there...hmmm. This would be great info to include in the Alert Note. Thanks for reading/commenting.
DeleteWhat a fantastic idea! I'm going to have to include this in my workflows when I update my tree.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kirsten. Glad it will be useful to you. Cheers!
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