Does Legacy sync with Ancestry or FamilySearch?

One of the most common questions among genealogy software users is: “Does Legacy sync with Ancestry?” The answer is no—Legacy Family Tree does not sync directly with Ancestry.com. That means you can’t automatically transfer your family tree, DNA results, or hints from Ancestry into Legacy Family Tree. However, this doesn’t mean you’re completely stuck. There are still ways to use the two programs together, but they require a few extra steps.

Ancestry allows you to export your family tree as a GEDCOM file—a common file type used in genealogy. You can download this GEDCOM file from Ancestry and then import it into Legacy Family Tree. This process will transfer your basic data like names, birth and death dates, and relationships. However, it won’t carry over media items like photos, documents, or DNA matches. These will need to be added manually inside Legacy.

On the other hand, if you’re using FamilySearch, you’re in luck. Legacy has been certified by FamilySearch and includes built-in tools to sync directly with the FamilySearch Family Tree. This integration lets you match people in your Legacy tree with those on FamilySearch, share data, download records, and even reserve temple ordinances (if applicable). The process is user-friendly and works well for people who frequently use FamilySearch in their research.

So, to summarize: Does Legacy sync with Ancestry? No, not directly. But you can still use GEDCOM files to move your data between the two platforms, though some features like DNA and media won’t transfer. If syncing with a major online tree is important to you, Legacy works best with FamilySearch.

Ultimately, Legacy Family Tree is a powerful desktop genealogy tool with great charting, reporting, and source documentation features. With a little effort, it can still work alongside both Ancestry and FamilySearch to help you grow and organize your family history.