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.

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.

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.

For places in the United States, enter: 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.

Pause after the first space 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, enter municipality, state to get a list of all places with that municipality name in that state. Note: WeRelate matches on exactly what is typed, so spelling matters; however, capitalization does not.

For more information, see how to select a place name.

WeRelate encourages standardization of place names on Person, Family, and Source pages by selecting places from a dropdown list.

WeRelate convention is that place names displayed on Person, Family, and Source pages include the country/nation name even if it is anachronistic to the date the event took place.

For more information, see place name conventions.