Search Instructions for Historical Records

Article Id: 27186
October 17, 2024
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Watch a video presentation of this lesson by Debbie Gurtler here. Also, see her tips for successful research practices: Search Tips for Historical Records.

Search Historical Records

There is a wide variety of historical records available at FamilySearch. Many are digitized, indexed, and published online.

  1. Sign in to FamilySearch.
  2. At the top of the page, click Search.
  3. Click Records.
  4. Enter the name of the individual you want to search for. If you are unsure about the spelling of a name, use a wildcard.
    • Type an asterisk (*) in place of one or more letters in the search field.
    • Type a question mark (?) in place of exactly one letter.
    • Note: Wildcard searches will not work with Ellis Island collections.
  5. Click More Options to enter additional information. Click Principal to limit results to those that list the name searched as the principal person on the record. Click the small square box next to a search field to search for an exact match.
  6. Click Search.

  7. The results may show the following icons:

    1. Pedigree icon: View who the record is attached to.
    2. Person icon: View possible tree matches.
    3. Camera icon: View original image.
    4. Paper icon: View record details.
  8. To help narrow the search results, use the grey filters at the top of the page, or the Search panel on the right side of the results page to adjust any information about the individual. If you do not see the Search panel, click the Search button with magnifying glass in the upper right corner of the page to open the panel.

  9. To see a brief summary of a result from the list, simply click on the white space of a particular result. A panel will appear on the right, displaying key details about the record. To access the full record, click on View Record which will open it in a new page. Alternatively, you can scroll down to check if there’s an image of the original document available.

View Images from the Results

When searching through records, always view original record images for complete information. The images often contain additional information and clues not found in the indexed data. Some images may not be indexed and you will need to browse the collection to locate the record image. To locate the image, write down all pertinent source information from the search results, such as the film number, item or page number, and the record’s date and location.

  1. Open a new browser tab and go to FamilySearch.
  2. At the top of the page, click Search, and then click Catalog.
  3. Click Film/Fiche/Image Group Number and enter the information you wrote down from the search results.
  4. Click Search.
  5. On the results page, locate the film number and click the camera icon.
  6. Locate the image using the item number, page number, and date.
  7. Examine the image for clues.

Search Unindexed Historical Records

Many records are not yet indexed, especially those outside the United States.

  1. Sign in to FamilySearch.
  2. At the top of the page, click Search.
  3. Click Records.
  4. Choose to search by collection or by place:
  • Find a Collection: Enter the collection title or keywords in the Collection Title field and choose a specific collection from the list that appears. Alternatively, click Browse All Collections. Filter by Collection Title, Image Collections, Collection Type, Place, or Date.
  • Search by Place: Enter the name of a location and choose a specific location from the list that appears. Try all jurisdictions: Country, Province, State. Alternatively, click Brown Places to search collections sorted by their locality. Filter results by clicking on the map or using sidebar filters. From the results page, find learning lessons, record collections, indexing project, and genealogies.

FamilySearch Catalog

Find microfilm, digitized images, and non-digitized records like books, periodicals, or maps. Search by place, surnames, titles, author, subjects, or keywords. Search for records at the jurisdictional level that created the records - national, state, county, or city.

  1. Sign in to FamilySearch.
  2. At the top of the page, click Search, and then click Catalog.
  3. Enter the name of a Place, Surname, Titles, Author, Subjects, or Keywords. Or, search by Call Number or Film/Fiche/Image Group Number (DGS).
  4. Select a locale from the results list. If desired, click Places Within to locate records for cities and towns with a province, state, or department. This is helpful if you do not know how to spell the name of the location. Then, select a record collection from the list.
  • Catalog Icons:
    • Magnifying glass: Some or all records from this microfilm are indexed. Click the magnifying glass icon to search within the microfilm.
    • Camera: These records are digitized and online. Click the camera icon to view images.
    • Microfilm roll: These records are only on microfilm for now.
    • Camera with key: These images are restricted to certain groups of users. These restrictions are imposed by the archives and repositories who provided FamilySearch with the records.

FamilySearch Images

FamilySearch Images is a quick way to locate images for a specific film or DSG number. Newly acquired images go here first.

  1. Sign in to FamilySearch.
  2. At the top of the page, click Search, and then click Images.
  3. Enter the desired location and click Search. Click More Options to apply filters. Alternatively, click Help Me Find a Collection, or Browse All Collections.

Results Page: Displays a list of results for the entered locality if records exist.

  • Options: Click the Options tab to adjust column displays. Click the boxes next to the content options to show. Click the Search by Map toggle to show the map in the Refine Search. Click the X to close the sidebar.
  • Refine Search: Use sidebar filters to narrow the results. Enter a specific year or date range. Select from the drop-down menu for Life Event. Click Update to apply filters.
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