FamilyBushes

What Is a .fbft File?

Import .FBFT

The native family tree format of FamilyBushes.com — a single portable archive that contains your full tree, photos, and life events.

Overview

A .fbft file is the export format created by FamilyBushes.com. Under the hood it is a standard ZIP archive — you can rename it to .zip and open it with any archive tool. The extension stands for Family Bushes Family Tree.

Unlike GEDCOM, which only stores text data and references photos by path, .fbft bundles everything into one self-contained file: people, relationships, dates, life events with map coordinates, photos, and attachments.

What is inside the archive

my-family-tree.fbft  (ZIP archive)
├── family_tree.json      ← all tree data (pretty-printed JSON)
├── images/               ← photo files, named {id}.{ext}
└── attachments/          ← document files, named {id}.{ext}

What family_tree.json stores

  • People — name, surname, maiden name, gender, biography notes
  • Relationships — marriages, parents, children (including blended families and single-parent entries)
  • Life events — birth, death, marriage, relocation, school, military service, and custom event types; each with optional date range and map coordinates
  • Custom attributes — any extra key-value fields you have added to people
  • Photo references — links between people and the image files in the archive
  • Tree metadata — name, credits, creation date, last updated

Exporting a .fbft file

  • Open your tree in the FamilyBushes.com editor.
  • Open the tree menu and choose Export.
  • A .fbft file is downloaded to your device. It includes your full tree and all photos.

Export at any time to keep a local backup. Your cloud copy is always safe in your account — the export is an extra portable copy you own completely.

Importing a .fbft file

  • Open the editor and sign in.
  • Click Import and select your .fbft file.
  • The tree loads with all people, events, and photos restored exactly as exported.

This makes .fbft the recommended format for sharing a complete tree copy with a family member — they get everything in one file.

.fbft vs. GEDCOM

GEDCOM is the industry standard for interoperability — use it when moving data between different genealogy programs. .fbft is the right choice when you want a complete, self-contained backup of everything in FamilyBushes.com including photos and map events.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does .fbft stand for?

FBFT stands for Family Bushes Family Tree. It is the native export format of FamilyBushes.com.

Is a .fbft file just a ZIP file?

Yes. You can rename it to .zip and open it with any standard archive tool. Inside you will find family_tree.json with all your tree data, and folders for photos and attachments.

Can I open a .fbft file without FamilyBushes.com?

You can extract the archive and read family_tree.json directly — it is standard pretty-printed JSON. To view the interactive tree you need to import it into FamilyBushes.com.

Does .fbft include my photos?

Yes. All photos and attachments you have added to people in your tree are embedded inside the archive under the images/ and attachments/ folders.

Can I share a .fbft file with a family member?

Yes. Send them the file and they can import it into their own FamilyBushes.com account. Their photos and events will all be there.

Can I import a .fbft file into other genealogy software?

Not directly — .fbft is specific to FamilyBushes.com. If you need to move to another program, GEDCOM export is on the roadmap.