Instant Personal History
of your great-grandfather
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View personal events, family, and historical context on an interactive timeline
Add your own photographs, stories, and memories to your story
Explore lifestyle and culture surrounding your ancestor
Follow your ancestor's migration history on an interactive map
Read your ancestor's instantly-created, expansive personal narrative
Imagine what life would look like through their eyes, with photos of events, people, and life

Explore. Build. Share.

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Reviews
See What Others Are Saying
"Tried this out at RootsTech and fell in love with it. Can't wait to use this at home. This is what will get my family "into" family history."
-Shannon A.
"Love this format! I will be sharing it with my living relatives when we gather to celebrate Mom's 90th birthday. I know she will love it also."
-Vicki E.
"HistoryLines has been a big help to me in my effort to finally write my family history. First, it has motivated me to finally organize, research, and write what I have been putting off for years"
-Kathleen D.
"This is wonderful. I love it. It outlines my life so easily. Even I could not remember all these events that have happened in my lifetime."
-Dawn M.

Insightful. Personal. History.

Subscribers can download and print the story, by clicking on the "Save and Print" link on the story page. This will generate the PDF and open it in a window, where you can save or print.
  1. On the story, click "Add to Story"
  2. Click "Add Immigration/Relocation"
  3. Enter the details, and click "Save"
  1. On the story, click "Add to Story"
  2. Click "Add Residence"
  3. Enter the details, and click "Save"
To add a child, spouse, or sibling to a person on the family tree:
  1. Center that person on the tree, by clicking on the (tree) icon.
  2. Click on "Add Spouse", "Add Child", or "Add Sibling"
To delete a family tree:
  1. On the "Stories" page, click on the tree to open the tree
  2. Click on the edit (pencil) icon, and then "Delete this Tree"
To edit the information of a person on the tree, click on the person's box. This will open the edit form. Make any changes, then click "Save and Close".
  1. On the story, click "Edit" on the section you wish to remove
  2. Click "Hide this from the story"
The dots on spouses and children help to indicate the link between the parent and the child. A person may have multiple spouses, and multiple children from each spouse. The color of the dots links the child to the parent.
If your ancestor had a nickname or a given name that is preferred to be used in the story, you can add a nickname to the person:
  1. Click on the person on the family tree
  2. Click on the "Add Nickname" link
  3. Add the nickname, then click "Save and Close"
Viewing the story will now show the preferred nickname in the narrative.
Visit the Subscribe page to learn about pricing, options, and to subscribe.
Stories are easy to share on Facebook. On the story page, click on the "Share" button, then the Facebook icon. This will share the story page, and create an picture of the story to be shared. The Facebook link will link to the story page on HistoryLines.
There are two ways to share on a blog:
  1. PREVIEW. Post a preview image of the story, linking to the full story on HistoryLines. This is a snapshot view of the story, which will not change.
  2. EMBED. Embed the story in an iframe on your blog. This will be a live version of the story, which will automatically update as you edit it on HistoryLines.
Instructions for both of these options are found on the "Share" link on the story page.

Whether you imported a large GEDCOM file, or built a large tree, you can easily search the tree to find ancestors you are interested in. The search field is right below the name of the tree on the "Trees" page.


Matching ancestors will automatically appear as you type. Clicking on a matching name will load the tree with them at the center. To make an individual the permanent starting point for the tree, click on the person, then "Set as Tree Starting Point".

First, export your tree from Ancestry as a GEDCOM file. On Ancestry.com, go to your Tree Settings (in the drop-down menu under your tree name) and in the Tree info tab, look over to the right where it says Manage your tree. Click on Export tree. Once you have downloaded the GEDCOM file from Ancestry, you can import it into HistoryLines. On the "Stories" page, click on "Import a GEDCOM File", then select the file, name it, and click "Upload GEDCOM". HistoryLines will then create your family tree from that GEDCOM file.

First, export your tree from MyHeritage as a GEDCOM file. Click here: Instructions


Once you have downloaded the GEDCOM file from MyHeritage, you can import it into HistoryLines. On the "Stories" page, click on "Import a GEDCOM File", then select the file, name it, and click "Upload GEDCOM". HistoryLines will then create your family tree from that GEDCOM file.

HistoryLines can import your tree directly from FamilySearch. On the "Stories" page, click on "Import from FamilySearch". You will be directed to the FamilySearch login page, to sign in, then back to HistoryLines, which will automatically download your family tree into HistoryLines.
Any time you make changes to your tree on FamilySearch, come back to HistoryLines, go to your family tree, click on the person you wish to update, then click on "Update from FamilySearch". The person will be updated with the latest information from FamilySearch.
Each story section can contain up to 10 photos. You can re-arrange, rotate, delete, and add photos on the "Edit" or "Personalize" on any story section. The first photo in the list will display as the large photo in the story. You can also add captions that will appear in the large view, and in the exported PDF.

First, export your tree from your software problem as a GEDCOM file. (See your software guide for instructions)


Once you have downloaded the GEDCOM file from your software program, you can import it into HistoryLines. On the "Stories" page, click on "Import a GEDCOM File", then select the file, name it, and click "Upload GEDCOM". HistoryLines will then create your family tree from that GEDCOM file.

Email us if you would like to make changes to your subscription
Go to your "Account" page, click on "Payment Information", then make any needed changes.
Intro
Tree Basics
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Importing from FamilySearch Importing GEDCOM Creating PDF
Ancestors
Siblings
Spouses
Children
You can leave this page while GEDCOM file is imported.