Help:HowTo/Add a new Person page

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Note: These instructions are for adding pages manually. If you are importing data from another program, see How to upload a GEDCOM instead.

Contents

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How to add the first person in a tree

Example: Add a new person from any page
Example: Add a new person from any page
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Step 1: Go to the Add a Person page

  • Select Add > Person from the dropdown menu at the top of any page.


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Step 2: Enter the data

Example: Entry box from Add a Person page
Example: Entry box from Add a Person page

The Add a Person page has fields for entering a person's name, gender, birth and death information.

Enter only known information into these fields, as completely as possible. Leave unknown information blank.

The information will be used to check the database for an existing match or to populate the fields on a new page if there is no match.

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The Given name field

For the primary name (name at birth), enter first and all middle name(s). Don't include nicknames (which are entered as alternate names).
  • When a full name is known, enter it in full. Don't use an abbreviation (e.g., Wm) even if the source does.
  • Initials are acceptable if the full name is unknown or when recognized as part of the legal name. Enter them without periods. Separate multiple initials with single spaces (e.g., R J).

Use mixed case. Never use all capital letters.
Characters with accents and diacritics may be used (e.g., Bjørn, Françoise).
Punctuation may be used only if it is part of the legal name (e.g., Jean-Baptiste).

If the given name is unknown or an infant died without being named, leave the given name blank.

Don't include titles, surnames, numbers, or placeholder words in the given name field.
Don't use quotation marks, slashes, parentheses, or brackets ("",//,(),[],<>) to denote a nickname, alias, or unknown or uncertain name.
Don't use parentheses or brackets to indicate alternate spellings, e.g., Garret(t).

For further information, see person name conventions.

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The Surname field

Enter the surname in full, including multiple parts and articles if they exist (e.g., St. Leger, van der Valk).
  • Enter the name as it was used by the individual, including abbreviations if applicable (e.g., St. Leger).

Use mixed case. Never use all capital letters.
Characters with accents and diacritics may be used (e.g., Évêque, François).
Punctuation may be used only if it is part of the legal name (e.g., O'Neill, 't Gilde).

If the surname is unknown, leave the surname blank.

Don't include titles, given names, numbers, or placeholder words in the surname field.
Don't use quotation marks, slashes, parentheses, or brackets ("",//,(),[],<>) to denote an alias or unknown or uncertain name.
Don't use parentheses or brackets to indicate alternate spellings, e.g., Ro(o)ij.

For further information, see person name conventions.

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Gender

Use the dropdown menu to specify gender.

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Fact type

Use the dropdown menu to specify a fact type for each row. There are four options at this stage: Birth, Christening (Infant Baptism), Death, or Burial. Additional facts can be added later in the process.

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The Date field

Enter dates as d mmm yyyy. If appropriate, add a modifier (bef, aft, bet/and, from/to, cal, abt, est). Don't worry about case - WeRelate automatically transforms dates to mixed-case. WeRelate supports dual dating (d Mmm yyyy/yy) - if you are entering dates prior to 1752 and aren't familiar with dual dating, please read Month number and dual dating.

Enter proxy dates (e.g., christening date as proxy for birth date, or burial date as proxy for death date) in their own events (not as birth or death date). When a proxy date is used, do not enter a birth or death date that can be derived from the proxy date (e.g., Bef christening date).

Source citations should give the date supported by the source in case the date in the date field is changed. If a non-trivial conversion is required, the source citation should include both the date as expressed in the source and the converted date (e.g., 6 (6) 66 [6 Aug 1666]).

For further information, see date conventions.

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The Place field

[cos1776 note: I have not made a convention card for this, so the other format is included here for now.]

Enter the place name in the following format (for places in the United States): Municipality or Township, County, State, United States. Do not enter the words "Township" or "County". Enter only what is known - e.g., if the municipality is not known, start with the township, county or country.

Once you enter a comma, pause a few seconds and WeRelate will present a dropdown of potential matches. Select a match or continue typing to refine the dropdown. You can skip a part of the place name - for example, you can enter municipality, state to get a list of all places with that municipality name in that state - then select from the list. Note: WeRelate matches on exactly what is typed, so spelling matters; however, capitalization does not.

For further information, see how to select a place. For further information, see How to select a place name.

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Step 3: Search for a match

  • Once you have finished entering the data above, select Next to search the database to see if there is already a page for this person.

From the Search page, look over the results:

  • If there is a match, click Select next to the matching page title. (DO NOT click Add Page.) Selecting the match will open the existing page in edit mode where sources and additional information can be added. See How to edit a Person page for more information.
  • If there might be a match (i.e., you are not certain), review any potential matches in the list by clicking directly on the displayed name (not the Select button). After reviewing, use your browser's back arrow to return to the search results again, where you can either Select the match or Add Page if there was no match.
  • If there is no match, click Add Page to add the new page and open it in edit mode where sources and additional information can be added. See How to edit a Person page for more information.
Note: Please err on the side of caution. It is better to add a new page and have two pages for the same person until research can determine a match than it is to have one page that mixes the information for two different people. The latter causes considerable confusion and can be difficult to untangle.
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How to add a person to an existing tree

Building a tree involves alternating between adding Person pages and Family pages. Family pages link family members together, so a Family page must be added first, before you can link parents, spouses, or children to each other.

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How to add a parent or spouse

Example: Add spouse to Family page directly from Family page
Example: Add spouse to Family page directly from Family page

From a Family page:

If the name exists at the top of the page,


Example: Add spouse to Family page in edit mode
Example: Add spouse to Family page in edit mode
If the name does not exist at the top of the page,
  • Open page in edit mode by selecting Edit from the left menu
  • Go to Add a Person page by selecting Add a page for (wife or husband)
  • Continue with Step 2:Enter the data above.


Example: Add spouse to Family page directly from Person page
Example: Add spouse to Family page directly from Person page

From a Person page:

If the name exists on the right side of the page,


Example: Opening Family page in edit mode from Person page
Example: Opening Family page in edit mode from Person page
If the name does not exist, but the correct Family page does,
  • Open the Family page in edit mode by selecting (edit) under the page link


Example: Add spouse to Family page in edit mode
Example: Add spouse to Family page in edit mode
  • Go to Add a Person page by selecting Add a page for (wife or husband)
  • Continue with Step 2:Enter the data] above.
Remember, if the correct Family page does not exist, you must add it first.


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How to add a child

Example: Add child to Family page directly from Family page
Example: Add child to Family page directly from Family page

From a Family page:

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Related pages

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