How to get a GEDCOM file from FamilySearch
FamilySearch Family Tree is a single shared tree and has no built-in GEDCOM export. Here are the routes that actually work.
Updated
Why there is no Export button
FamilySearch Family Tree is not your private tree — it is one shared, collaborative tree that everyone edits together. Because branches extend indefinitely and are edited by other users, there is no single tree that belongs to you to export.
That is a deliberate design decision, not a missing feature. To get a GEDCOM you need to define which slice of the shared tree you want and use a tool that can pull it out.
Option 1: a certified partner application
FamilySearch certifies third-party genealogy programs that can sign in to your FamilySearch account, download a defined portion of the tree into a local database, and then export that database as a GEDCOM.
Programs in this category include RootsMagic, Ancestral Quest, and Legacy Family Tree. The general workflow is the same in each of them.
- Install a FamilySearch-certified genealogy program on your computer.
- Sign in to FamilySearch from inside that program.
- Download your chosen starting person and a set number of generations of ancestors into a local file.
- Use the program's own File, Export or Save As command to write a GEDCOM.
Option 2: the Genealogies section
FamilySearch Genealogies is separate from Family Tree. It holds submitted trees, and if you previously uploaded a GEDCOM there you can download your own submission again.
This only helps if the tree you want originated as a file you uploaded. It will not export the collaborative Family Tree.
Check the file before you print
Because the shared tree is edited by many people, exports can contain duplicate individuals, conflicting dates, or speculative parents added by other contributors. Read through the branches you plan to display before committing them to paper.
PrintMyTree lets you edit names and dates directly on the chart, so you can correct anything that came across wrong without going back to the source program.
Turning the file into a poster
Once you have a .ged file from either route, open it in PrintMyTree. Parsing happens in your browser, so nothing is uploaded. Pick a root person and a generation depth, choose a theme, then export a print-ready PDF or order a printed poster.