What software is available for the mac which allows me to view and edit gedcom genealogy files? If there are several options, I'd like one that interfaces with ancestry.com and/or other similar sites so I don't have to quite as much work managing searches and downloads of gedcom files. 44 programs for 'gedcom mac'. Sort By: Relevance.
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You’ve seen it mentioned on your favorite websites and in practically every issue of our magazine. Thousands of family historians use it to save and swap their data. But for many roots researchers, it’s one of genealogy’s enduring mysteries.We’re talking about GEDCOM, of course—that ubiquitous acronym for GEnealogical Data COMmunications, the standard computer file format family historians use to exchange information. Though most people have little trouble using their genealogy software to enter data and print reports, handling GEDCOMs can be intimidating. Fear not: Our primer provides step-by-step instructions for creating and using GEDCOM files.
GEDCOM basicsWe’ve explained what GEDCOM stands for—but what does it mean for your family history research?If you think of computer file formats as languages, GEDCOM is the one that all genealogy software “speaks.” Each family tree program has its own default file format (called a proprietary format), which other software usually can’t “translate.” But every program can read and write GEDCOM files, too.That means you can share your family information with your relatives, even if you use different programs. You also can contribute your work to online databases such as, or download a fellow researcher’s data and add it to your own family file—without retyping anything.The catch: Because those proprietary formats treat information differently than GEDCOM does, data doesn’t transfer perfectly. Some genealogy programs read (FTM), (PAF) and other file formats directly—no GEDCOM conversion required. That can save time and produce more accurate results, so see if your software offers this option before using a GEDCOM file. Important pointersOpening a GEDCOM file is simple. In Windows, just double-click on the file (GEDCOMs have the file extension.ged, as in smith.ged), and it should open with your genealogy software. Accept the default file name and location, and your program will “import” the file—basically, it creates a copy of the GEDCOM file in your software’s proprietary format.That’s the quickest method, but you’ll get better results with a little extra effort.
Just follow these steps:. Locate the file. Once you’ve downloaded a GEDCOM file or received one as an e-mail attachment, note its location on your computer’s hard drive or removable drive. You might want to save all your GEDCOM files in a folder named GEDCOM. “Stamp” the records. And let you add a source (a person’s name, address and e-mail address) to each fact in an incoming GEDCOM file so you know where the information came from. If you use a different program, Progeny Software’s ($9.95 download or $14.95 on CD) can mark the source information on each record in the GEDCOM file before you import it into your family file.
Select the file. Start your genealogy software and select FileImport File. Locate and select the GEDCOM file, then click OK.
Import the file. Most programs will now ask you if you want to add the data to your existing file or create a new one. We recommend viewing the new data in a separate file before adding it to your existing family file.
Link the multimedia files. If the GEDCOM’s creator attached pictures, sound or video, you’ll have an extra step: Copy the picture files to your computer and make sure the links in your new family file still point to the pictures. Suppose the sender kept the images on drive C in a folder called Genealogy Pictures within the My Pictures folder.
The links should work if you keep the pictures in an identically named folder at the same location. If you click on a link to a picture in PAF and it can’t find the image, the program will prompt you to locate the file. Then it will ask if you want to change the paths to all the multimedia links in the file to the new path you specified. Answer “yes.” As long as you kept all the images in the same folder, the links will be updated correctly.
Family Tree Maker’s GEDCOMs don’t include multimedia links, and FTM can’t import the multimedia links in GEDCOM files created with other programs. But FTM does store multimedia files—not just links—within its own format.
So if you’re sharing a file with another FTM user, it’s better to exchange FTM files, not GEDCOMs. Merge duplicate records. If you import data to an existing family file, it’s important to merge duplicates. The same person might appear twice, with one record linked to his ancestors and one linked to his descendants.
Most programs can identify potential matches and merge them automatically or manually.Outbound trainingNow that you know how to import GEDCOMs, it’s time to share them with others. Simply use the process below and you’ll be swapping files in a flash. Pick people. After choosing FileExport, select which individuals to include in the GEDCOM file. You might choose specific people, families, ancestors or descendants. Select from the options. Should the GEDCOM file include notes and sources?
They’re important, unless you’ll use the file just to create a wall chart. Should it include multimedia links? That’s a good idea, unless you’re submitting the file to a pedigree database, which can’t accept multimedia anyway. Leave your mark.
Once you share a GEDCOM file, it’ll probably get passed on to other researchers—before you know it, your data could appear all over the Internet. Be sure to “stamp” your name and contact information on each record using GEDmark, so people know how to reach you (see step 2). Copy the multimedia files. Don’t forget to send your multimedia files with the GEDCOM file, along with a note giving the files’ location on your computer.See? GEDCOMs aren’t really that mystifying, after all. Once you’ve mastered these steps, you’ll become a GEDCOM guru—and be able to concentrate on solving your enduring research mysteries.
Did your computer fail to open a GED file? We explain what GED files are and recommend software that we know can open or convert your GED files.
What is a GED file?
Files that contain the .ged file extension are GEDCOM genealogy data files. GEDCOM is the abbreviation for Geneological Data Communications.
GED files usually contain family history and genealogy data that is saved in a standardized ASCII text format. This allows the files to be opened by a variety of genealogy applications on multiple computer platforms, making it easy to share the family history information online.
The GED files that a user creates can contain a variety of family history facts, such as names, genders, dates of birth, relationships between family members and other family tree details. GED files may also contain links to media files that may be relevant to a user's family history.
![]() Software that will open, convert or fix GED files
Try a universal file viewer
Try a universal file viewer like Free File Viewer. It can open over 200 different types of files - and most likely yours too. Download Free File Viewer here.
About File Extension GED
File.org aims to be the go-to resource for file type- and related software information. We spend countless hours researching various file formats and software that can open, convert, create or otherwise work with those files.
If you have additional information about the GED file format or software that uses files with the GED suffix, please do get in touch - we would love hearing from you.
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