FamilyBushes

What Is a GEDCOM File?

Import .GED

A plain-text format for exchanging family tree data between genealogy programs — and how to use it with FamilyBushes.com.

The GEDCOM format

GEDCOM (Genealogical Data Communication) is a plain-text file format with the .ged extension. It was created in 1984 to let genealogists move their data between different software without losing information. Today it is the universal export format supported by every major genealogy platform: Ancestry, MyHeritage, FamilySearch, MacFamilyTree, Gramps, and many others.

A GEDCOM file stores individuals, families, dates, places, and relationships as a sequence of tagged lines. Each record begins with a level number, a tag (like INDI for individual or FAM for family), and a value.

What a GEDCOM file looks like

A minimal example showing one person and one family unit:

0 @I1@ INDI
1 NAME John /Smith/
1 SEX M
1 BIRT
2 DATE 12 MAR 1950
2 PLAC New York, USA

0 @F1@ FAM
1 HUSB @I1@
1 WIFE @I2@
1 CHIL @I3@
1 MARR
2 DATE 5 JUN 1975

What GEDCOM stores

  • Individuals — name, sex, birth/death dates and places, notes
  • Families — husband, wife, children, marriage date and place
  • Events — baptism, burial, residence, occupation, and many more
  • Sources & citations — document references and repository links
  • Notes — free-text biographical notes attached to any record

Photos are referenced by file path, not embedded — so they are typically lost when moving between programs.

Importing GEDCOM into FamilyBushes.com

  • Open the FamilyBushes.com editor and sign in.
  • Click Import and choose your .ged file.
  • The editor reads all individuals and family relationships and renders them as an interactive visual tree.
  • You can then continue editing — add photos, events, notes, and more.

After importing you can save the tree as a .fbft file to keep a full backup that includes photos and life events.

GEDCOM vs. FBFT

GEDCOM is the best choice when moving data between programs. The .fbft format used by FamilyBushes.com goes further: it bundles photos, life events with map coordinates, and full tree data into a single ZIP file. If you work exclusively in FamilyBushes.com, .fbft is the recommended backup format.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does GEDCOM stand for?

GEDCOM stands for Genealogical Data Communication. It was developed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1984 as a standard way to exchange genealogical data between different software programs.

Can I import a GEDCOM file into FamilyBushes.com?

Yes. Open the editor, go to Import, and upload your .ged file. FamilyBushes.com will parse the people, relationships, and dates and render them as an interactive family tree you can continue editing.

Will my photos be included in the GEDCOM import?

GEDCOM files reference photos by file path but do not embed them. Photos are not carried over during import — you can add them manually after importing your tree.

What version of GEDCOM does FamilyBushes.com support?

FamilyBushes.com supports GEDCOM 5.5 and 5.5.1, which are the most widely used versions exported by Ancestry, MyHeritage, FamilySearch, and most desktop genealogy software.

Can I export my FamilyBushes tree back to GEDCOM?

Not yet — export is currently available in the native .fbft format. GEDCOM export is on the roadmap.