To address what appears to be wide confusion with regard to the integration of FTM and FS, I offer these comments.
First understand, there are two sides of the FamilySearch website; #1 the Search Side which includes tons of valuable historical records and #2, The FamilySearch FamilyTree (FSFT), which is one large collaborative tree. To use either you need to have a FS Account and login.
FTM 2019 does not provide an automated merge of historical records from the FamilySearch databases similar to the way it works with Ancestry. Though those databases can be searched via the Web Search Workspace, the results downloaded and added to FTM either via the Web Clipper or manually.
- As currently implemented in FTM 2019, FS Hints, Matching and Merge are ONLY in relation to Person Profiles on the FSFT.
- FTM does not Sync with the FSFT, nor can it directly add any information to the FSFT.
- Open Center Blue Square Hints in FTM indicate a potential profile on FSFT that may match a person in your FTM file. Clicking on the hint will open that profile on FSFT to allow review.
- Clicking on the “Match” Button will connect the FSFT Profile to your FTM file person and add the FamilySearch ID fact with ID number to the Personal Information section of your FTM person. No citations or other data are added to FTM by this action, unless you also merge.
- Once a FSFT Profile is Matched to FTM, if that profile is offered a Historical Record Hint by FS, FTM will receive a Black Center Blue Square Hint. Following that hint will allow you to review it on FS. As currently implemented, you can use the FSFT interface to add the hinted record to the profile on FSFT and/or download the record to your computer. Merging the profile is also available, but I cannot recommend it. (see the next comment)
- FTM also allows Merging of a profile into FTM. However as currently implemented I cannot recommend doing so as the source citations are a mess and doing so is prone to create duplicate facts in FTM. Again, nothing can be added to FSFT from your FTM tree during merge.
- FTM 2019 can also download branches of profiles from FSFT into FTM. This creates a new FTM tree file. That tree can be reviewed, verified, edited, corrected and documented; then Merged into a current FTM file. Use with caution and limit the number of generations if you elect to do so. Much like Member Trees on Ancestry, some profiles on FSFT can contain errors and some are undocumented. Research and verify before use.
While reviewing a hinted profile on FSFT, be sure to click on the Sources Tab to review the documents which may already be added to that profile.
