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View Full Version : Ancestry syncing - did you know ...

Kit
18-07-17, 07:39
that you can make your tree unfindable if you upload it?

I knew we could make them private although we can still see such trees exist but apparently we can make them unfindable, which has some appeal to me.

Has anyone tried this and did it work?

Also is syncing easy? Any tricks or tips?

I'm interested in syncing now as we wont get ancestry hints if we don't. I know a lot of people don't like the hints but I have found them useful in the past, eg throwing up obscure new databases, that lead to more detail about a person or sometimes just throwing up a spelling alternative I would not have dreamed of.
NickiP
19-07-17, 09:27
The option to exclude Private Trees from Ancestry's index has been available for some time for trees created on the website. I don't use FTM but host a private tree for a friend on my subscription which is set that way and all my Aunt's trees are too. I've sync'd the tree in the past to FTM2014 but decided not to bother upgrading as I use Family Historian for my own trees and have decided to purchase Roots Magic 7 which has the same sort of facility but not automatic syncing (its also about half the price of the FTM upgrade at the moment for a new licence).

Any trees created on Ancestry do not appear for about a month in the index anyway (at least) and you can easily check on the site if they are excluded by going to the Tree Settings for the particular tree and checking that Private Tree is selected and under that there is a tick in the box for "Also prevent you tree from being found in the search index".

As for syncing under FTM2017, can't comment as don't have it but it is allegedly an improvement over the sync facility in earlier versions which I found at times slow but didn't experience the issues some others had with it but then I wasn't using it very often.
JBee
19-07-17, 13:24
Is FTM 2017 the only one you can synch with automatically from ancestry?
Terri
19-07-17, 15:35
Is FTM 2017 the only one you can synch with automatically from ancestry?

I think that is the case now - the earlier Ancestry-based FTMs are no longer connected to Ancestry. That is what I understand anyway.
Terri
19-07-17, 15:39
Ancestry hints ............. I had a load that looked amazing!! I got very excited, until I realised they were off of my own tree ........!!
JBee
19-07-17, 20:51
Just wondering if the FTM 2017 will continue to synch when replaced by another version before I decide whether to buy it or not.
Kit
20-07-17, 05:45
Ancestry hints ............. I had a load that looked amazing!! I got very excited, until I realised they were off of my own tree ........!!

Hints only happen if you sync your tree now. It's the reason I'm thinking of doing it
Terri
20-07-17, 09:49
My tree is private on Ancestry but I was still contacted by 2 new second cousins, including an Irish one, and they are very thin on the ground. I was delighted!
Terri
20-07-17, 09:50
Just wondering if the FTM 2017 will continue to synch when replaced by another version before I decide whether to buy it or not.

I'm sure it will be. It's because FTM is now owned by a new company and this is the first version they have released.
JBee
20-07-17, 14:27
Thanks
Kit
21-07-17, 02:33
My tree is private on Ancestry but I was still contacted by 2 new second cousins, including an Irish one, and they are very thin on the ground. I was delighted!

There is another level of privacy where they can't find you at all. I'm thinking about that one.
Terri
21-07-17, 08:48
There is another level of privacy where they can't find you at all. I'm thinking about that one.

Yes, that will work, but the only reason I put my tree on Ancestry (privately) was in the hope of making connections with distant relatives. Not sure there's any point otherwise .............. of course you can invite people to see your tree.
Kit
23-07-17, 12:34
I can always change it to be found if I want but to me it means another backup for me tree.

I also get the ancestry hints which I like.