Where do I go for information about Family Tree Maker and how to use it?
There are a large number of resources available if you're curious about Family Tree Maker or want to understand how to use its features better. We've created this article to compile a list for you to use as reference, including the following topics:
- IN-PROGRAM HELP AND DIGITAL COMPANION GUIDE
- GETTING THE MOST OUT OF FAMILY TREE MAKER
- FAMILY TREE MAKER ON YOUTUBE
- FACEBOOK USER GROUPS
- FAMILY TREE MAKER USER BLOG BY RUSS WORTHINGTON
- FAMILY TREE MAKER HOME PAGE
- OFFICIAL FAMILY TREE MAKER SUPPORT
IN-PROGRAM HELP AND DIGITAL COMPANION GUIDE
Regardless of which edition of Family Tree Maker you are using, it comes with detailed in-program Help that describes the program features and walks you through them. Help includes a full Table of Contents and is fully indexed and searchable by keyword and topic. In the latest editions (FTM 2017 and 2019) the Help menu has other helpful resources including:
- Training Tutorials – An Ancestry Academy video series titled "Getting the Most Out of Family Tree Maker" - click here for more details.
- Companion Guide – A full color PDF of the Companion Guide, written for beginners and advanced users alike, covering every feature with easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions.
- TreeVault User Guide – New to FTM 2019 are the TreeVault Cloud Services; similar to the Companion Guide, this is a full color PDF that walks you through the new TreeVault features.
- Family Tree Maker Tech Support – A quick and easy way to come to this website (support.familytreemaker.com), the only place for official Family Tree Maker support.
GETTING THE MOST OUT OF FAMILY TREE MAKER
Turn your family history into a lasting legacy with Family Tree Maker. This course teaches the basics of how to get started with Family Tree Maker, and includes an introduction to every workspace in the program. It also includes a number of advanced topics, so whether you're new to Family Tree Maker or you've been using it for many years, this course will be useful for you.
A series of short videos on Ancestry Academy:
https://www.ancestryacademy.com/getting-the-most-out-of-family-tree-maker
FAMILY TREE MAKER ON YOUTUBE
Click here for a playlist on Ancestry's YouTube channel with 20+ free videos. Note that these videos were made primarily with Family Tree Maker 2014 in mind, though much of the information is useful for users of other editions, including FTM 2017 and 2019. You can also simply search YouTube for other user-created videos - try "Family Tree Maker" or "FTM 2019" as good keywords to start with.
FACEBOOK USER GROUPS
In addition to our own official Facebook page, there is an excellent unofficial but very active Facebook group with more than 14,000 members which you might want to consider joining. There are many there who are very generous in sharing their time and wisdom on how they use Family Tree Maker and to share tricks and tips with new users and old hands alike.
Guidelines for participation. Keep in mind that this is an unofficial group of users and all of those offering help are volunteers who are not part of our company. Here are three guidelines to follow to keep within the group's charter:
1. PLEASE READ THE PINNED POST at the top of the group's main window before posting. You will find many questions answered there so you don't repeat something someone has already asked.
2. Be respectful to those offering help. That includes ALWAYS checking for an answer in our Knowledge Base first (see above) so you don't take up member time looking up those same links for you.
3. Do not go to this group to “vent”. Instead, come see us in a Live Chat if something is upsetting you. We're happy to listen and do our best to help everyone who is having a bad day.
The main group is called “Family Tree Maker® Users”. There is also a smaller specialized Mac User Group. They are both closed groups but all FTM users may apply.
FAMILY TREE MAKER USER BLOG BY RUSS WORTHINGTON
Long time Family Tree Maker expert, speaker, and blogger Russ Worthington answers questions, shares tips and provides resources to help use Family Tree Maker and all its many features. Russ passed away in May 2022 and we miss his no-nonsense but friendly demeanor and companionship. His knowledge of Family Tree Maker was unmatched, and his past blog posts are as relevant as ever. To check them out, just go to http://ftmuser.blogspot.com/
FAMILY TREE MAKER HOME PAGE
If you haven't discovered it already, almost everything you will need to know can be found on our Family Tree Maker home page. Go there to find out more about product features, system requirements and how to purchase the software.
Home Page: www.familytreemaker.com.
From the Family Tree Maker home page you can also find:
- FAQs – Find answers to the most frequently asked questions.
- Feedback – Let us know what we're doing right and what to improve.
- Suggest a Feature – What you would like to see in our next edition?
- Beta Tester Signup – To help us test upcoming editions, sign up here.
- Gift Collection – Perfect gifts for the family historian.
- Newsletter Signup – Sign up for our Mailing List to be the first to know about new products, events, special offers, and free updates.
- Calendar – Check out our Events Calendar to see past and upcoming online and in-person events for Family Tree Maker.
- Other Software MacKiev Products – Explore our other software titles such as The Print Shop, KID PIX, and more.
OFFICIAL FAMILY TREE MAKER SUPPORT
While there are third-party companies that may offer support for Family Tree Maker, we are not affiliated with them and we would encourage users to be cautious, as many of these companies charge for their services and our official Family Tree Maker support is free of charge. This support site (support.familytreemaker.com / support.mackiev.com) is where you can find the most up-to-date support information, including the most commonly used articles listed at the top of the home page, thorough FAQs and step-by-step troubleshooting instructions, and guides for getting free replacement downloads and updates. It's also important to note that our live chat is free and available 24/7 if you need our assistance. Here's a brief list of some key support articles: