Citing FamilySearch Image vs. Indexed Records

FamilySearch is the largest free genealogical database in the world, and it contains two very different things: indexed records (where a volunteer typed the information into a searchable database) and digital images (photographs of the original documents). These are not the same thing, and your citation needs to make clear which one you actually looked at.

The Index Is Not the Record

When you search FamilySearch and find your ancestor's name in the results, you are looking at an index entry — a transcription created by a volunteer who read the original document and typed what they thought they saw. The index is a finding aid. It helps you locate the record. It is not the record itself.

Indexes contain errors. Volunteers misread handwriting, skip entries, and make typos. A name indexed as "Jno. Smyth" might actually read "Ino. Smith" on the original — or vice versa. Ages get transposed. Birthplaces get abbreviated. The only way to know what the original actually says is to look at the image.

When to Cite the Image

If you clicked through from the index entry to the actual digital image of the document — the photograph of the census page, the church register, the vital record — and you read the original handwriting yourself, you are citing the image. Your citation should say so: "digital image" followed by the FamilySearch collection name and the original source information.

This is the stronger citation. You looked at the evidence yourself. You made your own reading of the handwriting. You are not relying on a volunteer's transcription.

When to Cite the Index

If you only looked at the index entry — the typed transcription on the search results page — and did not view the image, you are citing the database index. Your citation should reflect this. It is an honest and appropriate citation, but it signals to anyone reading your research that you did not view the original and that the information came through an intermediary.

There are legitimate reasons to cite only the index. Some FamilySearch collections have indexes but no images available online. Some images are restricted to viewing at Family History Centers. In these cases, the index is all you can access, and you cite what you used.

If you viewed the image: cite it as "digital image, FamilySearch" and include the original source details (collection name, record series, volume). If you only viewed the index: cite it as "database, FamilySearch" and note that you did not view the original image.

The Citing Pattern

FamilySearch citations have a layered structure. The outermost layer is FamilySearch itself. Inside that is the specific collection — for example, "New York, Passenger and Crew Lists, 1820–1957." Inside that is the original source — for example, "NARA microfilm publication T715, roll 412." Your citation should reference all three layers: the person's name, the collection title, the FamilySearch URL or ARK number, and the original source being cited.

FamilySearch helpfully provides much of this information on each record page. Look for the "source information" section, which tells you what original records the collection is based on. Include this in your citation — it tells a future researcher where the physical records are held if they need to verify your work beyond the digital image.

Always click through to the imageIf an image is available, always view it. The index might say your ancestor was born in "Germany." The image might say "Württemberg" or "Baden" or a specific village name. The image might show siblings listed on the same page. The image always contains more information than the index — sometimes dramatically more.

The ARK Number

Every record on FamilySearch has an ARK (Archival Resource Key) — a permanent identifier that looks like "ark:/61903/1:1:ABCD-1234." This ARK is the most reliable way to link to a specific record because it does not change even if FamilySearch reorganises its website. Include the ARK or the full FamilySearch URL in your citation so that anyone can go directly to the record you consulted.