FamilySearch Family Tree adds new people with new source feature

In a two part blog post, FamilySearch.org explains, in detail, the newly added source features that enables the Family Tree program to add a source to multiple people at the same time and also add new people found in the sources directly to Family Tree. As the posts explain, until now, "attaching a historical record to all of the family members required you to search for and attach the record to one person at a time." Now the sources can be attached to an entire family.

In addition, there is a procedure to add any additional family members that appear in the source that are missing from Family Tree.

The two blog posts are as follows:

• A New Way to Attach Sources to Family Tree: The New Source Feature—Part 1 of 2
• A New Way to Attach Sources to Family Tree: The New Source Feature—Part 2 of 2

One of the major concerns with adding individuals to Family Tree is to avoid duplication. The explanations of the new features includes the following limitations:

IMPORTANT: The system also looks for possible duplicates before it lets you add a new person. If it finds a possible duplicate, it will present the duplicate for you to review before letting you create a new person.

There may also be several reasons why sources cannot be attached to specific individuals. The posts explain these circumstances:

Comparing Carefully before Attaching 

Some records can get very confusing, such as when a household contained live-in relatives, guests, servants, etc. Be sure to study and compare the information carefully. 

Sources That Cannot Be Attached 

If a source cannot be attached, you see a triangle with an exclamation point instead of an Attach link. You will see the icon in the following situations:

• In Family Tree, the person is listed as living.
• The person in the record is already attached to a different person in Family Tree. The system will show you the name and identifier number of the person the source is attached to.
• The person in Family Tree is locked and cannot be edited.

If you hover your cursor over the icon, you will see the reason the source cannot be attached. In this case, you cannot attach the source because the person in Family Tree is listed as living.

If you are working with FamilySearch Family Tree, you may find these changes implemented. But if you are not also following the blog posts, you may be unaware of the details of the changes including the limitations. Unfortunately, the Guide to the program has not been updated since 18 October 2013. See Using the FamilySearch Family Tree: A Reference Guide (18 October 2013) LDS Version. A blog post on 27 March 2014 stated;

The Family Tree Reference Guide is slightly out-of-date for a few features, since FamilySearch is continually updating and improving its website. As we inform you of updates, please note those changes in your guide.

However there is a Basic User Guide online. If you are using Family Tree, it is a very good idea to subscribe to the blog posts to keep up-to-date with the program.