Family Tree Maker 2017 and 2019 for Windows allow you to download your tree file directly from Ancestry, link your local and online tree, and keep them synced.
1. Click the three-leaf Ancestry icon in the upper-right corner of the application window and choose Download from Ancestry from the drop-down list.
Alternatively, you can click Download a Tree from Ancestry on the New Tree tab of the Plan workspace.
2. The Download From Ancestry dialog appears. On the left is a list of the trees in your Ancestry account.
- You can sort the list of trees by name, by date of creation, by date of last modification, or by status.
- To reverse the sort order, clear the Sorts in ascending order checkbox.
- If you want to view a tree on Ancestry before downloading it, select the tree in the list and click the Show Online Tree button.
- To delete an unwanted tree, select it and click the Delete Tree button.
IMPORTANT: Be very careful not to delete a tree you may need - this is not reversible. We recommend keeping copies of your tree, and renaming them to tell them apart easily, instead of deleting them.
3. Select the tree you want to download from the list, and then click Download Tree.
4. After a few moments, you should see the Sync Weather Report - a simple tool that lets you know if it's safe to sync and recommendations on how to ensure the best possible syncing experience. Click here for more information about the Sync Weather Report. If sync weather is green, click Continue Sync to proceed.
5. The Download an Ancestry Tree dialog appears.
- In the New FTM Tree field, leave the existing tree name or enter a new one.
- Decide whether or not you want to have Ancestry citation media included in the download by leaving selected or unchecking the Download Ancestry Citation Media option.
- By default, changes made in a tree are synced manually. If you want to have your tree synced automatically every time you open or close it, select the Automatically button.
6. Click Download to start downloading your tree. The Download progress dialog shows you the status of the download.
7. A message tells you when the tree has been downloaded successfully. Select the View online tree now checkbox if you want to go to the Ancestry view of the tree immediately. Click Close.