What Is a GEDCOM File? How to Export, Share and Open Your Family Tree

Cousin Chart Editorial · Reviewed by Joan Ramos · Updated October 2026 · 23 min read

So, what is a GEDCOM file? It's a plain-text file, usually ending in .ged, that holds your family tree data (people, families, dates, places and sources) in a standard format almost any genealogy program can read. It's the closest thing genealogy has to a universal "save as," letting you move a tree between programs and websites, share it with a cousin, or keep a backup you control.

This guide explains where GEDCOM came from, what the two main versions (5.5.1 and 7.0) mean for you, what's actually inside the file, how exporting and importing work, what tends to get lost along the way, how to protect living relatives' privacy, and how to open and read a GEDCOM file yourself.

What Is a GEDCOM File, in Plain Terms

GEDCOM stands for GEnealogical Data COMmunication. The official specification describes it as a format "developed by the Family History Department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" to give genealogy software "a flexible, uniform format for exchanging computerized genealogical data" (The GEDCOM Standard, Release 5.5.1). Today the standard is maintained by FamilySearch, the church's genealogy organization, on its official site, gedcom.io.

Think of a GEDCOM file as a translator. Every genealogy program stores its data its own way, in its own database. Those internal formats don't talk to each other. GEDCOM is the shared language they can all export to and import from.

The key facts at a glance

The UK National Archives, which tracks file formats for long-term preservation, lists GEDCOM in its PRONOM registry as a text-based format with the .ged extension, used for "exchanging genealogical data between different genealogy software" (The National Archives, PRONOM fmt/851).

Why it matters to you

You might never look inside a GEDCOM file, but you'll probably use one. You need GEDCOM when you:

• Switch from one family tree program or website to another.
• Want a backup of an online tree that you keep on your own computer.
• Share part of your research with a relative who uses different software.
• Upload a tree to a site so it can be compared with other trees or DNA matches.
• Hand your research on to the next generation in a format that doesn't depend on one company.

FamilySearch puts the backup point simply: GEDCOM lets people keep a private, locally controlled copy of their family tree information (gedcom.io, About GEDCOM).

A Short History of GEDCOM

FamilySearch's own history page says the original GEDCOM specification was released in 1984 to standardize how genealogy software exchanges family tree data (gedcom.io, About GEDCOM). Since then it has gone through many versions. The official specifications page lists versions 3.0, 4.0, 5.0, 5.3, 5.4, 5.5, 5.5.1, an XML-based 5.6 and 7.0 (gedcom.io, Specifications).

The dates in that table come from FamilySearch's history page, which gives 1996 for 5.5 and 2019 for 5.5.1 (gedcom.io, About GEDCOM), and from the title page of the 5.5.1 document itself (GEDCOM 5.5.1). Whatever the official date, 5.5.1 is the version you'll meet most often in files exported from genealogy programs.

GEDCOM vs. GEDCOM X and native formats

You may also run into the name GEDCOM X. Despite the similar name, the official specifications page points to GEDCOM X as a separate, external project and not one of the GEDCOM specifications (gedcom.io, Specifications). For moving a family tree between everyday programs, the classic .ged file is still what you'll use.

It also helps to know that GEDCOM isn't the file your genealogy program saves to day to day. Each program has its own native file or database, which usually holds more detail: settings, chart layouts, research logs, task lists and so on. GEDCOM is the shared exchange format you export when data needs to leave that program. That's why the best backup plan uses both: the program's own backup for full detail, and a GEDCOM copy for portability. Hundreds of software products can read and write GEDCOM files, according to FamilySearch (gedcom.io, About GEDCOM), so a GEDCOM copy is the one most likely to still open years from now, even if you change programs.

GEDCOM 5.5.1 vs. 7.0: What's Different

If you export a tree today, you'll most likely get a 5.5.1 file, because that's what most programs have supported the longest. Some newer tools also offer 7.0. Here's what changed, in plain terms.

Text encoding: UTF-8 only

Encoding is how a computer stores letters as numbers. Older GEDCOM allowed several encodings. The 5.5.1 specification has sections on ANSEL (an older library standard), ASCII, UNICODE and UTF-8 (GEDCOM 5.5.1). Version 7.0 simplifies this: "7.0 only uses the UTF-8 character encoding" (FamilySearch GEDCOM 7.0 specification). That matters if your family names include accented letters such as é, ñ or ü, or non-Latin scripts. UTF-8 handles them all.

No more line-length limits

In 5.5.1, a single GEDCOM line can't be longer than 255 characters, so long notes are split using CONC (join to the previous line) and CONT (start a new line) tags (GEDCOM 5.5.1). Version 7.0 removed those length limits and dropped CONC entirely, keeping only CONT for real line breaks (GEDCOM 7.0).

Better notes, media and dates

FamilySearch highlights 7.0 features such as media linked to the Internet, rich-text notes, and date phrases for ranges and periods (gedcom.io). The official migration guide lists other practical changes (gedcom.io, Migrating v5.x to v7.x):

• Shared notes become a separate record type, linked with an SNOTE tag.
• Media formats are written as standard media types, so "jpeg" becomes "image/jpeg."
• Uncertain wording on a date, like "about Easter 1850," moves into a separate PHRASE line instead of being mixed into the date.
• The SEX field uses M, F, X or U.

GEDZIP: photos can finally travel with the tree

A plain .ged file only holds text. It can point to a photo, but it can't contain one. GEDCOM 7.0 adds GEDZIP, which FamilySearch describes as a Zip archive holding a GEDCOM file named gedcom.ged plus external files, so the links in the GEDCOM still work when you unzip everything together (gedcom.io, GEDZIP). In other words, your scans and photos can be packaged with the tree.

Which version should you choose?

If you have a 5.5.1 file and need 7.0, or the other way around, FamilySearch's tools page lists converters and validators (gedcom.io, Tools).

What's Inside a GEDCOM File

Open a GEDCOM file in a text editor and you'll see hundreds or thousands of short lines. They look cryptic at first, but they follow a simple pattern. The 5.5.1 specification gives the pattern as level, an optional ID, a tag, and an optional value, with the example 1 NAME Will /Rogers/ (GEDCOM 5.5.1).

The four parts of every line

• Level number. A 0 starts a new record. A 1 belongs to the record above it. A 2 belongs to the 1 above it, and so on. It's like indenting an outline.
• Cross-reference ID (optional). A label wrapped in @ signs, like @I1@ for a person or @F1@ for a family. Other lines point to it.
• Tag. A short code for what the line holds: NAME, BIRT (birth), DEAT (death), MARR (marriage), DATE, PLAC (place).
• Value (optional). The actual data, such as a name, a date or another record's ID.

A short sample GEDCOM file

Here's a small, readable sample for a couple and one child. It's trimmed for clarity; a real file's header has a few more lines naming the software and the submitter. Each row is one line of the file.

And here's how the first person looks in the raw file, exactly as you'd see it in a text editor:

0 @I1@ INDI

1 NAME John /Carter/

1 SEX M

1 BIRT

2 DATE 12 MAR 1820

2 PLAC Hartford, Connecticut, USA

1 FAMS @F1@

How people and families connect

Here's the clever part. GEDCOM doesn't store a tree picture. It stores people (INDI records) and families (FAM records), then links them. A family record lists the two partners and the children. Each person record points back to the family where they're a child (FAMC) and any family where they're a partner (FAMS). A program reading the file rebuilds the tree from those links. It's similar to how a family group sheet treats each couple and their children as one unit.

The main record types

The 7.0 specification's record list includes these (GEDCOM 7.0):

Custom tags that start with an underscore

You'll often see tags like _UID, _MARNM or _PHOTO. A leading underscore marks an extension tag, something a software maker added that isn't part of the standard. The 7.0 specification defines this underscore pattern and recommends documenting extensions (GEDCOM 7.0). Extension tags are a big reason data can go missing between programs, which we'll get to below.

How to Export a GEDCOM File

Every program and website puts its export option in a different place, and menus change with updates, so check your own software's help pages for the exact steps. The general process looks like this almost everywhere.

Step by step, in general terms

1. Find the export or download option. On a desktop program, look in the File menu for Export, Save As or Share. On a website, look in your tree's settings or tree management page for an option to export or download the tree.
2. Choose GEDCOM as the format. Some programs offer several formats. Pick GEDCOM (.ged), and pick a version if asked.
3. Choose what to include. Many programs let you export the whole tree or a subset, such as one person's ancestors or descendants.
4. Set privacy options. Look for options to exclude or hide living people, private notes or sensitive facts. More on this below.
5. Decide on media. Check whether the program includes media links, copies media files into a folder, or offers a GEDZIP package.
6. Save the file somewhere you'll find it. Give it a clear name with a date, such as carter-tree-2026-10.ged.
7. Check the result. Open the file in a text editor to make sure it's not empty, or import it into a test tree.

Online trees may take a while

Large online trees are often generated on the company's servers, and some sites email you or show a notice when the file is ready to download. Don't be alarmed if a big tree doesn't appear instantly.

Export a subset to share

When a cousin only needs one branch, export just that branch. It's smaller, it's easier for them to merge, and it keeps unrelated families (and their living members) out of their hands. A good default for sharing is "ancestors of" one deceased person, which naturally leaves out most living people. If you're new to building that kind of view, our guide to a pedigree chart shows what an ancestors-only tree looks like.

How to Import a GEDCOM File

Importing is the reverse: you give a program a .ged file and it builds a tree from it. Again, menus vary, so here's the general approach and the precautions that matter.

Step by step, in general terms

1. Back up first. If you're importing into software that already has your tree, make a backup before you start.
2. Import into a new, separate tree. This is the single most useful tip. Most programs let you create a new tree from a GEDCOM file. Do that first, review it, and only then decide whether to merge anything into your main tree.
3. Read the import report. Many programs show a log of lines they couldn't understand. Skim it. Repeated warnings about the same tag usually mean an extension tag the program doesn't support.
4. Spot-check people you know. Look at a few people with long notes, accented names, multiple marriages or attached media to see if anything got mangled.
5. Merge carefully, if at all. Automatic merging can create duplicates or join the wrong people. Merging by hand is slower but safer.

Why not import straight into your main tree?

Because there's no easy undo. If the file has a few hundred duplicates of people already in your tree, or uses different place-name styles, you may spend hours cleaning up. A separate test tree costs you nothing and lets you see exactly what's in the file first.

Uploading to websites

Many family tree websites accept GEDCOM uploads to start a new online tree. Before you upload, read the site's terms about who can see the tree, whether it's searchable by other members, and how it handles living people. Each site has its own rules. If you're still picking a home for your tree, our roundup of free family tree makers is a good starting point.

What Gets Lost in a GEDCOM Transfer

GEDCOM is great at moving core facts: names, dates, places, relationships and basic sources. But it's a lowest-common-denominator format. Anything one program does that the other doesn't understand may be dropped, simplified or tucked into a note. Here are the usual suspects.

Media is the biggest gap

Most people are surprised that their photos don't come along. In the 7.0 specification, FILE is "a reference to an external file" (GEDCOM 7.0). That's a pointer, not the picture. If the file path says something like C:\Users\Mary\Pictures\grandma.jpg, it means nothing on your cousin's laptop. Either send media separately in an organized folder, or use GEDZIP, which packages gedcom.ged with the external files (gedcom.io, GEDZIP).

Non-biological relationships need a second look

GEDCOM can record that a child was adopted. The 7.0 migration guide notes changes to how a child's status within a family is written (gedcom.io, Migrating v5.x to v7.x). But not every program writes or reads those details the same way. After any transfer, check adopted, foster and step-children to make sure they're still shown the way you intended.

A quick test you can run

Before trusting a transfer, pick five people who stress-test the format: someone with an accented name, someone with two marriages, someone with a long note, someone with photos attached, and someone with an adoption or step relationship. Compare them before and after. If those five come through cleanly, the rest of the tree probably did too.

GEDCOM Files and Living People's Privacy

A GEDCOM file can hold a lot of personal information: full names, birth dates, birthplaces, maiden names and family links. For people who have died, that's normal genealogy. For people who are alive, it's exactly the information used to verify identities and answer security questions. Treat living relatives' data carefully.

What the standard says

GEDCOM has a restriction tag, RESN, with three values: confidential, locked and privacy. The 5.5.1 specification explains that "confidential" data might be kept off printed reports or prevented from being exported, and describes "privacy" as information withheld due to rights of or an approved request for privacy (GEDCOM 5.5.1). It gives an example from FamilySearch's old Ancestral File: people could be marked private if they were "assumed living," meaning born within the last 110 years with no death date. The 7.0 specification says RESN is there "to assist software in filtering data that should not be exported" (GEDCOM 7.0).

The catch is that RESN is a flag, not a lock. It only protects data if the software reading the file respects it. Once you send a file, you can't control what the recipient's program does.

Practical privacy steps

• Use your program's privacy options when exporting. Many programs can exclude living people, or replace their details with "Living" and remove dates and places.
• Know how your software decides who's living. Programs often guess based on a birth date within a set number of years and no death record. The 110-year rule in the old specification is one example. People with missing birth dates can slip through, so check.
• Export only what's needed. A branch of deceased ancestors is much safer to share than your whole tree.
• Remove private notes. Health details, adoption information, family disputes and notes about living people often sit in note fields. Strip them before sharing.
• Ask before including others. If a cousin gave you details about their own children, ask before you pass those along or upload them.
• Think before uploading publicly. Once a file is on a public site and copied, you can't fully take it back.

If you're using a tree to reconnect with living family, our guide on how to find living relatives covers ways to reach out respectfully without oversharing.

How to Open and View a GEDCOM File

Because GEDCOM is plain text, you have two very different ways to open it: read the raw text, or load it into a program that turns it back into a tree.

Option 1: Read it as text

Any plain-text editor can open a .ged file. On Windows, Notepad works. On a Mac, TextEdit works if you set it to plain text. Programmers' editors work well too. You may need to choose "Open with" and pick the editor, since your computer may not know what a .ged file is.

Reading the raw text is useful for quick checks: Which version is it? (Look for VERS near the top.) What encoding? (Look for CHAR in 5.5.1 files.) Did the export include the people you expected? Use your editor's search to look for a name.

Avoid opening and saving a GEDCOM in a word processor. It may add formatting or change the encoding, which can break the file.

Option 2: Load it into genealogy software

To see the tree as a tree, with charts and family views, open or import it into a genealogy program or website. Many desktop programs can open a GEDCOM directly, and many online services can build a tree from one. Some free programs and online viewers exist just to browse a GEDCOM without creating an account, though features vary.

Option 3: Validate it

If a file won't import or behaves strangely, run it through a validator. FamilySearch's tools page lists several GEDCOM validators and compatibility checkers, along with converters between 5.5.1 and 7.0 (gedcom.io, Tools). A validator tells you which lines break the rules, which helps you figure out whether the problem is the file or the program reading it.

Common "it won't open" problems

GEDCOM File Best Practices for Backups and Sharing

A few habits make GEDCOM files much more useful over the years.

For backups

• Export on a schedule. Pick a rhythm that matches how often you add research, and put it on your calendar.
• Name files clearly. Include the tree name and date. You'll thank yourself later.
• Keep several versions. Don't overwrite last month's file with this month's. If something goes wrong, you can go back.
• Store copies in more than one place. One copy on your computer and one elsewhere, such as an external drive or a cloud folder you control.
• Back up media too. Remember that a plain .ged file doesn't contain your photos. Keep the media folder with the backup, or use GEDZIP.
• Keep your program's native backup as well. The software's own backup format usually keeps more detail than GEDCOM. Use both.

For sharing

• Share a branch, not the whole tree.
• Exclude or privatize living people.
• Tell the recipient which version you exported and what software made it.
• Mention any special conventions, like how you record adoptions or uncertain dates.
• Suggest they import into a separate tree first.

For a family history you'll hand down

Plain text is one of the most durable file types there is. A GEDCOM file, a folder of well-named images, and a short readme describing what's in each can outlast any single website or program. Pair it with a printed chart, like our printable family tree charts, and relatives who never touch genealogy software can still enjoy it.

Try It Yourself: Read a GEDCOM Snippet

Test your new GEDCOM reading skills with these lines:

0 @I7@ INDI

1 NAME Sarah /Carter/

1 SEX F

1 BIRT

2 DATE ABT 1850

1 DEAT

2 DATE 4 JUN 1921

2 PLAC Springfield, Massachusetts, USA

1 FAMC @F1@

1 FAMS @F4@

Question 1: What do we know about Sarah's birth?

Answer: Only an approximate year. ABT means "about," so she was born about 1850. No place is given.

Question 2: Where and when did she die?

Answer: On 4 June 1921 in Springfield, Massachusetts. The DATE and PLAC lines are at level 2 under DEAT, so they belong to the death event.

Question 3: Is she a child or a parent in family F1, and what about F4?

Answer: FAMC means "family as child," so she's a child in F1. FAMS means "family as spouse," so she's a partner in F4. To find her siblings, you'd look at the CHIL lines in F1. To find her husband and children, you'd look at F4.

Question 4: Is Sarah likely to be treated as living by privacy filters?

Answer: No. She has a death date, so a filter that looks for "no death date and recent birth" would treat her as deceased.

Your Tree, Portable and Protected

A GEDCOM file is your family tree in a universal, plain-text format. It lets you move research between programs, share with relatives and keep a backup you control. Most programs export version 5.5.1, while 7.0 brings UTF-8 text, better notes and GEDZIP packages that can carry your photos. Export a branch rather than everything, privatize living people, import into a separate test tree first, and expect to double-check media, custom facts and non-biological relationships after any transfer.

Once your tree is in good shape, you can start answering the questions that make it fun. Not sure how two people in your GEDCOM are related? Try our free family relationship calculator, and if you're still building the tree itself, our guide on how to make a family tree walks you through it step by step.

Keep reading: Genealogy Numbering Systems: Register, NGSQ, Henry and d'Aboville Explained.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a GEDCOM file safe to open?

A GEDCOM file is plain text, so opening it in a text editor or importing it into genealogy software is generally low risk. It doesn't contain programs. The bigger concern is privacy rather than safety: a file from someone else may include details about living people, and a file you send out may include details about your own family. As with any download, only open files from people and sources you trust, and keep your genealogy software up to date.

Does a GEDCOM file include photos?

A plain .ged file doesn't contain photos or document scans. It can only store links or file paths that point to media stored elsewhere, and those paths usually break when the file moves to another computer. To share photos along with the tree, send the media folder separately or use GEDZIP, a zip package defined for GEDCOM 7.0 that holds the GEDCOM file plus its external files. Check whether both your program and the recipient's program support GEDZIP before relying on it.

What is the difference between GEDCOM 5.5.1 and 7.0?

Version 5.5.1 is the version most genealogy programs have supported for years. Version 7.0 is the current FamilySearch specification. It uses UTF-8 text only, removes the old 255-character line limit and the CONC tag, adds shared notes, rich-text notes and date phrases, uses standard media types, and introduces GEDZIP for packaging media with the tree. If you're not sure what the person receiving your file uses, 5.5.1 is usually the safer choice. Converters between the two versions are listed on gedcom.io.

Can I open a GEDCOM file in Excel?

You can, but it isn't very useful. Excel will show each line of the file in a row, without turning it into a tree. Because GEDCOM links people and families through ID codes rather than columns, it doesn't fit neatly into a spreadsheet. Saving it back from Excel can also damage the file. To view the tree properly, import the GEDCOM into a genealogy program or website. If you just want to peek at the raw data, use a plain-text editor instead.

Why are some names showing strange characters after import?

That's almost always an encoding mismatch. Older GEDCOM files can use different text encodings, including ANSEL, an older library standard, while newer files use UTF-8. If the program reading the file guesses the wrong encoding, accented letters like é or ñ turn into odd symbols. Try exporting again with UTF-8 selected, check the CHAR line near the top of the file to see what it declares, or try a program that supports the original encoding.

Will a GEDCOM upload share my living relatives' information?

It can, if you don't remove it first. A GEDCOM file holds whatever your tree holds, including names, birth dates and places of living people. Many programs offer export options that exclude living people or replace their details with the word Living. Websites have their own rules about how they display uploaded trees. Before uploading, privatize living people, remove sensitive notes, and read the site's privacy settings and terms so you know who will be able to see the tree.

How often should I export a GEDCOM backup?

There's no fixed rule. A good habit is to export after any big research session and on a regular schedule, such as monthly or quarterly, depending on how often you add information. Keep several dated copies rather than overwriting the last one, so you can go back if something goes wrong. Store at least one copy somewhere other than your main computer, and back up your media folder too, because a plain GEDCOM file doesn't include your photos.

Why did my GEDCOM import create duplicate people?

Duplicates usually appear when a GEDCOM is merged into a tree that already contains some of the same people. The program can't always tell that two records describe the same person, especially if names, dates or places are written differently. To avoid this, import the file into a brand-new separate tree first, review it, and then copy or merge individuals by hand. If duplicates already exist, most genealogy programs include a merge or duplicate-finding tool to help clean them up.

Sources

We checked every source below while writing this guide. Last reviewed October 30, 2026, by Joan Ramos.

1. GEDCOM (official home page) (FamilySearch)
2. About GEDCOM (FamilySearch)
3. GEDCOM Specifications (FamilySearch)
4. FamilySearch GEDCOM 7.0 Specification (FamilySearch)
5. The GEDCOM Standard, Release 5.5.1 (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Family History Department)
6. GEDZIP (FamilySearch)
7. Migrating v5.x to v7.x (FamilySearch)
8. GEDCOM Tools (FamilySearch)
9. Genealogical Data Communication (GEDCOM) Format, PRONOM fmt/851 (The National Archives (UK))