This is the pedigree view of my family tree.

Near the top left hand corner of the screen next to the name of my tree, ‘Willison Family Tree’ is a menu titled Tree Pages.  Click on Tree Pages and then click Tree Settings.

Near the bottom right hand corner of the screen it says, “Export your family tree data, as a GEDCOM file, to your computer.”  Click on the green button Export Tree.  Depending on the size of your tree this may happen quickly or it might take a little while.  It’s a good opportunity to make another cup of tea.

When it has finished you will see the above screen and the green button has changed.  It now says Download your GEDCOM file.  A GEDCOM file is a standard file for family tree software programs.  If you have a family tree software program installed on your computer you can use it to open your GEDCOM file.  Even if you don’t have a family tree software program on your computer it is still a very good idea to keep a copy of your family tree on your own computer as a back up.  I’ve spent years creating my tree on Ancestry.com and I would be devastated if I lost it.  Please be aware that this process does not download the photographs or stories you have uploaded to Ancestry.

When you click Download your GEDCOM file, make sure you know where it is being downloaded to on your computer.