Help & Support

Need help using ezeTree? Find answers to common questions and learn how to use the system effectively.

Creating an Account

Click "Sign Up" in the navigation menu and provide your email and password. The first user automatically becomes an Admin.

Navigating the Site
  • Dashboard: Your personalized starting point based on your role
  • Family Tree: Browse individuals and families
  • Search: Find specific people using quick or advanced search
  • GEDCOM: Import/export family tree data (Admin only)
Understanding Roles

Your role determines what actions you can perform. Contact an admin to change your role.

Manual Entry

Navigate to Family Tree → Add Person to manually add individuals to your tree.

Required vs Optional Information
  • Required: Name (given and/or surname), Gender
  • Optional: Birth date, death date, places, events, notes
Multiple Names

People can have multiple names (birth name, married name, nicknames). Set one as "preferred" for display.

Importing GEDCOM Files
  1. Go to GEDCOM → Import (Admin only)
  2. Upload your .ged file (max 50MB)
  3. Wait for the import to complete
  4. Review the imported data
Supported Versions

ezeTree supports GEDCOM 7.0, 5.5.1, and 5.5 formats with automatic version detection.

Exporting Your Data

Go to GEDCOM → Export and choose your format (7.0 recommended, 5.5.1 for compatibility).

Fresh Import

If you want to start over, use Clear All Data before importing a new file.

How Privacy Works
  • Logged-in Users: See full information for all family members
  • Public Visitors: See "PRIVATE" badges for living individuals' names
  • Deceased Individuals: Full information visible to everyone
Privacy Settings

Admins can configure privacy rules at Admin → Privacy Settings:

  • Show All: Everyone sees everything
  • Protect Living (Recommended): Logged-in users see all, public sees limited info
  • Hide Living: Living individuals not visible to public
Changing Your Password

Go to Profile → Settings → Change Password

Quick Search

Use the quick search to find individuals by name. Partial matches are supported.

Advanced Search

Filter by multiple criteria:

  • Given name and/or surname
  • Birth year and death year
  • Gender
  • Living/deceased status
Browsing

Use Browse Individuals or Browse Families to see all records in sortable tables.

Inviting Family Members

Admins can send invitations via Admin → Send Invitations

Suggesting Changes

Members can suggest edits that require moderator approval:

  1. View a person's profile
  2. Click "Suggest Edit"
  3. Make your changes and submit
  4. Wait for moderator approval
Activity Log

Admins can view all actions in the activity log for accountability.

Common Issues
Import Taking Too Long

Large GEDCOM files (10,000+ individuals) may take several minutes. Do not close the page during import.

Can't See Full Names

If you see "PRIVATE" badges, you're either not logged in or viewing living individuals. Log in to see full details.

Forgot Password

Use the "Forgot Password" link on the login page to reset your password.

Permission Denied

Your role may not have permission for this action. Contact an admin to request role changes.

Data Quality

Use Admin → GEDCOM Dashboard to view data quality scores and find issues like:

  • Individuals without names
  • Missing birth dates
  • Orphaned records
Still Need Help?

Contact your system administrator for additional support.

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