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Updated 12/22/2025
Online genealogy is an incredible way to collaborate. I love seeing research hints pop up for new records, and I'm thrilled when an actual photo of my ancestor appears. But you know what ruins that excitement? Visual clutter. Graphics of trees, flowers, flags, and ships clog up our hints. And now, there's even more to contend with: AI-generated "ancestral photos" and flashy DNA graphics.
These images might seem harmless, but they're not. They distort our understanding of the past and waste valuable hinting resources. Worse, they introduce false realities into our family trees.
Online genealogy is an incredible way to collaborate. I love seeing research hints pop up for new records, and I'm thrilled when an actual photo of my ancestor appears. But you know what ruins that excitement? Visual clutter. Graphics of trees, flowers, flags, and ships clog up our hints. And now, there's even more to contend with: AI-generated "ancestral photos" and flashy DNA graphics.
These images might seem harmless, but they're not. They distort our understanding of the past and waste valuable hinting resources. Worse, they introduce false realities into our family trees.
False Realities in Ancestry Family Trees
I've seen it all: state flowers, generic ships, and flags that have nothing to do with an ancestor's life. Here are a few prime examples that make me want to roll my eyes into next week:
1. State Flower of Pennsylvania for Amelia Mathews: My fifth great-grandmother was born in 1741 and died in Virginia. Why does her profile need Pennsylvania's state flower, which the state didn't choose until the 1930s? She probably never saw or cared about that flower!
2. "The End" Graphic: One hint for Amelia was an image that just said, "The End." The end of what? The end of the line? The end of someone's patience? Why is this on her profile?
3. Virginia State Flag: Another ancestor had a Virginia flag on their profile. There is one small problem—the flag wasn't adopted until 1860. This ancestor died long before the state adopted the flag! Graphics and photos should tell the accurate story of our ancestors, not confuse it.
4. Random Ship Graphic: I get excited when I see a ship as a graphic on an immigrant ancestor's profile. Was that their ship? To see a generic or AI generated ship in a profile, sends a message of inaccuracy. Often, the ship graphics used are similar to pirate sailboats, and the ancestor actually traveled on a steamer or vice versa! Such visual inaccuracies lead to a false perception of an ancestor's journey. If you don't know which ship (or type of boat) your ancestor travel AI-generated 'generic' profiles a graphic.
And now, the newest offenders:
- AI-Generated Ancestral Photos: People are creating AI-generated images of ancestors who lived before photography existed. While it may be fun to imagine what they looked like, these "images" aren't authentic. If I used this AI-generated photo, I could mislead my family and future generations as to what our ancestors looked like.
- DNA Graphics: Verified DNA symbols and double helix images may look interesting but tend to clutter the family tree. Often, DNA images focus on a single descendant rather than illustrating how the DNA connects to other family members. As a result, when these images become hints for other Ancestry users, they can create more confusion than clarity. If Ancestry could prevent DNA graphics from being used as hints, I wouldn't have an issue with people using these images. Otherwise, serious genealogists should avoid adding these to their family trees.
While I can't force Ancestry users to follow my request, I recognize how these images create a false reality and make trees less appealing to potential collaborators. Ancestry turns such graphics into photo hints, making the user experience unsatisfying.
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Use MyTree Tags and Ditch the Visual Junk
In 2019, Ancestry introduced a better way to 'decorate' and label family trees. I was excited when I talked to Crista Cowan at RootsTech about this feature. She was excited, too. But over 5 years later, the users implementing TreeTags rather than visual clutter haven't caught on. Since I'm always hopeful, I'll make another push for users to use this better feature.
1. Share Real Visuals: If you are fortunate to have genuine photos, letters, or artwork from your ancestors, share those genealogy treasures! These images strengthen connections and anchor our ancestors in history.
1. Use MyTree Tags: Ancestry's MyTree Tags let you add the same benefits of the visual tags mentioned above without cluttering up an ancestor's media gallery. Tagging your ancestors as "DNA Verified," "Immigrant," or "Brick Wall" is way more effective than using random graphics.
2. Keep Graphics in Your Software, Not Online Trees: Some genealogists love the visual decorations as they help generate printed reports with these graphics. If your genealogy software doesn't automatically upload graphics to Ancestry, use these images in your personal genealogy software.
3. Turn Off Member Tree Hints: As Ancestry users will likely continue to use visual junk, which may continue to drive you nuts, then turn off member tree hints. Hopefully, you'll experince less frustration of seeing useless image hints pop up. If that doesn't work, perhaps you'll ignore Ancestry hints altogether, which is sad.
Create an Accurate Portkey to the Past
Visual elements are portkeys to the past. Our ancestors weren't flags, flags, or ships, particularly such icons that aren't accurate to their place in history. By avoiding visual junk and using tools like MyTree Tags, you'll share an accurate family tree that provides a clear connection to your heritage.
After all, if family history isn't fun, you're doing it wrong—and cluttered trees are not fun.
