Daisy Goddard
Researcher
Mon Apr 28 2025
•
< 5 minutes read
Building a family tree is the most effective way of understanding the lives of your ancestors, from the milestones of their lives to their wartime experiences. With free online tools and resources, you can easily start your family tree for free.
Gather all the information you know
The more details you already know, the easier it’ll be to build a flourishing family tree.
Before starting your tree, gather the information you’ll need to add to it. This includes:
- The full names of your parents, grandparents and great-grandparents
- The birth, marriage and death dates of your known relatives
- The towns, cities and areas that your relatives lived
- Any family stories – perhaps you’ve got an aunt that was in the Women’s Land Army, or a relative that started a new life overseas.
This first-hand knowledge, passed down the generations, forms the basis of your family tree.
If you’ve got any gaps, don’t worry. You may be able to fill them in using historical records and newspapers, so they won’t necessarily hinder your research.
Get started with an online family tree builder
The easiest way to build your family tree for free is to use an online tree-building tool. Family history websites like Findmypast offer access to this handy tool for free. As you add details to your tree, you’ll be matched with new records and information in the form of hints. Findmypast’s family tree displays your family story with maps and other immersive features. With the free Findmypast app, you can also build your family tree while on the go.
While you can add names, dates and even photos to your family tree for free, you may need to take out a free trial or a subscription to access all of the records you need.
Search free genealogy records and old newspapers
Once you’ve added all known relatives to your family tree, it’s time to expand it further and learn more about the ancestors you didn’t even know you had.
While you’ll need a genealogy website subscription to enjoy full access to the digitised records and newspaper available online, there are several important record sets available to explore for free. Why not try searching for your ancestors within free census records or free parish records?
To unlock even more discoveries without charge, consider taking out a free trial with your family history website of choice. This gives you an opportunity to continue your research and build the branches of your family tree for free.
Delve deeper to expand your family story
Using free records, newspapers and tools can be a good way to get started with your family history research. To build up a detailed picture of your ancestors’ lives, it’s best to use all the resources available to you, from censuses to military medals.
Next
Get started with our family tree builder
Trace your family tree to find your family members and their unique stories.
Add the family members you already know, and we’ll start our detective work.
We’ll look for your relatives in our genealogy records and send you hints when we find something.
Find connections you share in millions of other Findmypast members’ family trees.