How to export a GEDCOM file from MyHeritage
MyHeritage prepares your GEDCOM in the background and emails you a download link. Here is where to start the export and what to expect.
Updated
Before you start
The export is available to the manager of the family site. If you are a member rather than the manager, ask the site manager to run the export for you.
Use a desktop browser. The export option is part of the family site management screens and is easier to reach there than in the mobile app.
Exporting the tree
MyHeritage does not download the file immediately. It builds the GEDCOM in the background and sends you a link when it is ready.
- Sign in to MyHeritage and open the family site that holds the tree.
- Open the Family tree menu and choose Manage trees.
- Find the tree you want in the list.
- Open the actions menu for that tree and choose Export to GEDCOM.
- Confirm the export and wait for the notification email — this usually arrives within a few minutes, but a large tree can take longer.
- Open the email and use the download link to save the .ged file.
What the file contains
You get people, relationships, dates, places, and notes. Photos and documents stored on your family site are not embedded in the GEDCOM.
Smart Matches and Record Matches are MyHeritage features rather than GEDCOM concepts, so confirmed match data does not transfer as such — the underlying facts you accepted into your tree do.
If the email does not arrive
Check the spam folder first, then confirm that the email address on your MyHeritage account is current. The download link is time-limited, so if it has expired simply run the export again.
Turning the file into a poster
Upload the .ged file to PrintMyTree and the tree is drawn straight away in your browser. Nothing is sent to a server. Adjust names and dates inline if the export contains typos, choose a theme, and export a print-ready PDF or order a printed poster.