Relatives at RootsTech

RootsTech 2026 by FamilySearch has opened Relatives at RootsTech, its popular annual online family discovery activity. Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to participate globally, with the aim of making new cousin connections. Available through the end of March 2026, anyone can join the experience for free at FamilySearch.org/Connect.

The interactive discovery feature is offered annually as part of the RootsTech conference and enables participants to find and connect with living relatives. Millions have participated since the activity’s inception and have enjoyed how it can strengthen family connections and lead to new discoveries. In 2025, participants discovered nearly 5 million ancestral relationships. 

To join Relatives at RootsTech 2026 online:

• Go to FamilySearch.org/Connect. 
• If you don't have a free FamilySearch account, create one when prompted. 
• Add what you know to the FamilySearch Family Tree. The more relatives you have in your family tree, the greater the probability that cousin connections will be made. 

The feature’s discovery technology will immediately begin using FamilySearch Family Tree information to search for and match any common ancestors with related participants worldwide and show how you are related. If desired, newly connected relatives can message each other through the website. Participants can also see how many relatives have joined the experience and filter them based on location, common ancestor, or family line.

The interactive experience will be available through 31 March 2026. 

RootsTech 2026

Get ready to sign up for RootsTech 2026.  Registration opens on September 24! Whether you’re newly curious about family history or an expert genealogist, this global conference is for you. Don’t miss out—mark your calendars now!

Whether you're intending to attend in person or online from the comfort of home, RootsTech has numerous learning opportunities.  Keynote speakers, main stage forums, speakers, expo hall - RootsTech has so much to offer.

So save the date and get ready for another spectacular event.

RootsTech 2025

Rootstech 2025 has begun!  Running 6-8 March this wonderful conference is available free online.

 

 

The online event includes :

• 200+ new online sessions in over 26 languages
• Join keynote sessions live from the comfort of your own home
• Chat online with other attendees worldwide
• Get digital syllabi and class handouts

Many of the online sessions are presented live, with recordings available for approximately 3 years afterwards.  You can even create your own playlists so you don't miss any of the sessions that interest you.

Presenters for Rootstech 2025 include : Nick Barratt, Diahan Southard, Judy Russell, Rebecca Whitman Koford, David Allen Lambert, Barbara Ferreira, Dr Wanda Wyporska, Steve Little and Hugo Edgardo de Giorgio.

You can search the schedule and build your own playlist of the sessions you want to view, making sure you don't miss out on anything.  Remember, recordings of the online sessions remain available after the event, so you can view all you want at your leisure.  And it is all free!

RootsTech Update

A few updates for RootsTech 2025

RootsTech 2025 has revealed its first three keynote speakers:

• Tara Davis-Woodhall and Hunter Woodhall – This gold medal-winning couple, celebrated for their achievements in the 2024 Olympics and Paralympics, will share their inspiring journey during an in-person keynote.
• Ndaba Mandela - Author and grandson of Nelson Mandela, Mandela will deliver a virtual keynote, sharing lessons from his famous grandfather and his efforts to preserve the family legacy.
• Dana Tanamachi - The renowned artist and designer, known for her work with Google, Nike, and Starbucks, will speak in person about how family stories have influenced her art.

The RootsTech 2025 schedule is now live. The three-day family history celebration is packed with:

• Inspiring keynote speakers
• Insightful classes
• The latest genealogy innovations

You can easily use the scheduling tool to create your own personalised RootsTech experience and highlight your preferred sessions using the "+ Schedule" button.

Scottish Indexes Conference XXVI - Saturday 23 November 2024

Interested in tracing your Scottish genealogy? The Scottish Indexes Conference is an opportunity to learn new research skills, discover diverse records and see how others have put these into practice, and is on this weekend. If you want to trace your Scottish family tree, this is an event for you.

Don’t live in the UK? No problem. The conference is live from 7 am to 11 pm UK time to make the conference time-zone friendly. Each presentation is shown twice, once between 7 am and 3 pm UK time, then again between 3 pm and 11 pm. You can come and go throughout the day.

Presenters :

'On the Boll: agricutural and landholding terminolgy in Scottish records' by Robert Urquhart

'Housing the Miners' by Kay Williams

'Town and Gown – St Andrews University Archive' by Sarah Rodriguez

‘Historic Scotland in the archives: Using Historic Environment Scotland Archives to explore historic sites around Scotland’ by Joseph Waterfield

'Using the internet & PRONI for Northern Irish research' by Chris Paton

'Beyond ScotlandsPeople: Breaking Down Brick Walls in Scottish Research' by Alison Spring

Scottish Genealogy Q&A hosted by Graham and Emma Maxwell

Schedules & Handouts

Conference schedules are posted in a variety of timezones. Following the conference, any handouts provided by the speakers will be available on the website. Scottish Indexes also offer handouts from previous conferences via their Past Conferences page.

Rootstech 2025

Rootstech 2025 has been announced 6-8 March and registrations are now open.

 

 

Once again, the three day event in Utah will be accompanied by a free online event :

• 200+ new online sessions in over 26 languages
• Join keynote sessions live from the comfort of your own home
• Chat online with other attendees worldwide
• Get digital syllabi and class handouts

Many of the online sessions are presented live, with recordings available for approximately 3 years afterwards.  You can even create your own playlists so you don't miss any of the sessions that interest you.

Presenters currently confirmed for Rootstech 2025 include : Nick Barratt, Diahan Southard, Judy Russell, Rebecca Whitman Koford, David Allen Lambert, Barbara Ferreira, Dr Wanda Wyporska, Steve Little and Hugo Edgardo de Giorgio.

So register now for this great free online conference.

Webtember with Legacy Family Tree

Legacy Family Tree Webinars is back with another month-long, free online genealogy conference. Each Friday in September, join expert speakers as they cover a range of topics, from DNA testing to historical records and everything in between. There’s something for everyone.

There are a total of 20 Webinars scheduled, and all will be recorded and available for the rest of September for those who cannot attend them live.  Quite a bonus for people like me living in Australia, where the time difference means the first webinar of each day starts at 12.15am!

So check out the range of topics covered and book yourself in!

RootsTech 2024

Don't forget the RootsTech 2024 "Remember" Conference this weekend February 29 to 2 March 2024.  The conference will once again be run as a paid in-person and a FREE virtual conference.  Registration is still open at https://www.rootstech.org.

 

Online:

• 200+ new online sessions in over 26 languages
• Join keynote sessions live from the comfort of your own home
• Chat online with other attendees worldwide
• Get digital syllabi and class handouts

I will be attending the conference online, as I have for the past few years.  I have already examined the sessions, scheduled to ones I want to listen to, and am ready to visit the Expo Hall to see what the various exhibitors and sponsors have on offer.  As many of the sessions I want to see run concurrently, I'm very glad recorded session remain available after the conference is over, so I will be able to work my way through my list of sessions.

So take a look at what RootsTech has to offer and take advantage of the many online talks and sessions that are available to those, like me, who are unable to attend the conference in person.

RootsTech

A reminder that the  RootsTech 2024 "Remember" Conference will be held February 29 to 2 March 2024 in Salt Lake City, Utah.  Once again it will be run as a paid in-person and a FREE virtual conference.  Registration is open for this conference at https://www.rootstech.org.

 

 

In Salt Lake City:

• 250+ exclusive sessions only available in SLC
• 120+ exhibitors/sponsors in the Expo Hall
• Be the first to learn of industry innovations
• Be part of the energy of the general keynote sessions
• Develop new friendships and reunite with old friends
• Get personalized help at the FamilySearch library

Online:

• 200+ new online sessions in over 26 languages
• Join keynote sessions live from the comfort of your own home
• Chat online with other attendees worldwide
• Get digital syllabi and class handouts

Many of the classes now have an online preview available.  So take a look at what RootsTech has to offer and take advantage of the many online talks and sessions that are available to those, like me, who are unable to attend the conference in person.

Scottish Indexes Conference

 
Are you interested in tracing your Scottish genealogy? The Scottish Indexes Conference is an opportunity to learn new research skills, discover diverse records and see how others have put these into practice. If you want to trace your Scottish family tree, this is the event for you.

This is a free event and is open to all. The conference starts at 7 am UK time and keeps going until 11 pm UK time. Each presentation is shown twice, once between 7 am and 3 pm, then again between 3 pm and 11 pm. You can come and go throughout the day. 

The conference is designed to be interactive and is best watched live, however some presentations from previous conferences are available to watch again. Visit the Past Conferences page to see what you’ve missed so far and catch up with some of the presentations. 

RootsTech Registration is Open

The  RootsTech 2024 "Remember" Conference will be held February 29 to 2 March 2024 in Salt Lake City, Utah.  Once again it will be run as a paid in-person and a FREE virtual conference.  Registration starts on Monday, 18 September 2023 for this conference at https://www.rootstech.org.

 

 

In Salt Lake City:

• 250+ exclusive sessions only available in SLC
• 120+ exhibitors/sponsors in the Expo Hall
• Be the first to learn of industry innovations
• Be part of the energy of the general keynote sessions
• Develop new friendships and reunite with old friends
• Get personalized help at the FamilySearch library

Online:

• 200+ new online sessions in over 26 languages
• Join keynote sessions live from the comfort of your own home
• Chat online with other attendees worldwide
• Get digital syllabi and class handouts

So take a look at what RootsTech has to offer and take advantage of the many online talks and sessions that are available to those, like me, who are unable to attend the conference in person.

WikiTree

The following is a press release written by Wikitree:

August 8, 2023— To celebrate its 15th birthday – and this year’s one-million member milestone – the WikiTree community is hosting three days of free events, November 3-5, 2023. Everything is completely free and open to anyone interested in family history or genealogy.

The fun begins with a 36-hour virtual genealogy symposium, starting at 8am EDT (Noon UTC) on November 3. This virtual conference features popular genealogy speakers including Steve Little, AJ Jacobs, Thomas MacEntee, Melissa Barker, Adina Khuna, Mags Gaulden, Sara Cochran, Peggy Clemens Lauritzen, Marian Burk Wood, David Ryan, GenFriends, the DNAChef, and more.

A wide variety of genealogy-related topics will be covered including DNA tools, Irish research, preserving family history memorabilia, Jewish roots, Google maps and other online tools, Appalachia research, military pensions, tech troubleshooting, the 1890 US Census, passenger manifests, research checklists, and … genealogy trivia.

The second part of the event, the “WikiTree Day” birthday party, kicks off at 8am EDT (noon UTC) on November 5. Have some fun with fellow genealogists and casual family historians, and find out why the WikiTree community has become so popular.

There will be research parties, games, and open chats via Zoom and Discord.  The day will also include a special panel discussion about genealogy and artificial intelligence (AI) with Steve Little, Drew Smith, Thomas MacEntee and others.

This three-day event is entirely free and open to anyone. Register now to receive updates and be eligible for door prizes. 

So take a look at what is on offer that might be of interest to you.