Ancestry’s algorithms aren’t perfect. Sometimes, a “Hint” for your grandfather “John Smith” is actually a record for his cousin “John Smith.” Other times, you find a Census record attached to the Head of Household, but you want to attach that same record to the wife and children listed below him.
You don’t have to download and re-upload the image to fix this. Ancestry has a built-in feature called “Save to someone in your tree” that allows you to take any record you are viewing and attach it to any profile you choose.
Scenario 1 – Saving a Hint to the Correct Person in Your Tree
If Ancestry suggests a record for the wrong relative, don’t just click “Ignore.” If that record belongs to someone else in your tree, you can re-route it.
- Open the Record: Click on the hint or the record image to view the Record Detail Page (the page with the transcription and the “View Image” button).
- Click Save: Look for the green Save button in the top-right corner.
- Select “Save to someone in your tree”: Do not click “Save to [Name].” Choose the option that allows you to select a different person.
- Find the Right Person: A search box will appear. Start typing the name of the correct relative in your tree (e.g., the cousin “John Smith”) and select them from the dropdown list.
- Attach: Click Attach. This opens the standard review screen where you can confirm the facts and save it to their profile.
Tip: If the record belongs to a relative you haven’t added yet, you can choose “Add this to a new person” in the dropdown menu. This is a quick way to add people to your tree directly from a record.
Scenario 2 – Attaching Records to Family Members in the Same Document
Often, you will find a record (like a 1940 Census) that lists a whole family. You have it attached to the father, but you want it attached to the mother and children too.
If the names are blue hyperlinks: You can simply click on the wife or child’s name in the “Household Members” list at the bottom of the record page. This takes you to their specific version of the record, where you can click Save > Save to [Name].
If the names are black text (not clickable): Sometimes, secondary people in a record (like witnesses on a marriage certificate) are not indexed.
- Stay on the main record page.
- Click Save > Save to someone in your tree.
- Type the name of the witness or family member.
- Attach the record manually. Since the system doesn’t “know” which line belongs to them, you may need to manually type in the specific details (like “Witness to Marriage”) in the description field.
Scenario 3 – Fixing Misspelled Names Before Saving a Record
Sometimes you can’t find the record via search because the transcriber misread “Smith” as “Smyth.” Before attaching it, you should fix it so others can find it.
- On the record detail page, look for the “Add or update information” link (usually near the name).
- Submit Alternate: Enter the correct spelling and select “Transcription Error” as the reason.
- Once the alternate name is saved, the record becomes searchable by the correct spelling. You can then easily attach it to your person.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. If you accidentally saved a record to the wrong John Smith:
1. Go to the wrong person’s profile.
2. Click the Sources tab.
3. Hover over the incorrect citation and click “Remove.”
4. Go back to the record and use the steps above to save it to the right person.
This usually happens if you are viewing the image in “Full Screen” mode. Press Esc or click the “Back” arrow to return to the Record Detail Page (the text summary page). The Save button is located there.
No. It links the same source citation to multiple profiles. This is actually good practice—it shows that all those people (e.g., a whole family unit) appear in the same document.
Conclusion
Using the “Save to someone in your tree” feature is a massive time-saver. Instead of hoping the Ancestry Hints algorithm figures it out, you can manually force the system to put the right records on the right profiles, ensuring your sources are accurate and complete.
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