FamilySearch Partner Search

I have been watching and waiting for this change to come to FamilySearch for a few months.

This is what the individual detail page view looked like in January 2015. 

Notice on the right in the red box that the first section is called RECORD HINTS and the second section is called RESEARCH HELP. 

RECORD HINTS were suggested records for the individual determined by algorithms.

Under RESEARCH HELP the option was to "Search Records". This feature would allow for a search of the records available within FamilySearch to help identify records that were not found by the algorithms.

A few months ago the RESEARCH HELP box switched to the first section and the features changed to include: Data Problems, Record Hints, and Research Suggestions.

The box in the second section changed to SEARCH RECORDS and the option listed was "FamilySearch.org". 

Then it changed to this:

When I saw that new box, I knew what was coming soon. I have been anticipating the change that took place this week for a few months.

On the morning of September 24, 2015, this is what I found on FamilySearch. 

The second section called SEARCH RECORDS now contains data filled links to some of the FamilySearch partners. It looks like American Ancestors is missing from this new feature.

To get the most from this new feature you need to have accounts with these companies in order to access the records. 

LDS Church members can set up FREE FamilySearch linked partner access accounts by clicking here:

FamilySearch Partner Access

Current partners:

Ancestry.com

findmypast

MyHeritage

AmericanAncestors.org

This is what happens when you click on FamilySearch:

The data filled link pre-fills the search feature on each site. See the red boxes in each of these partner images.

When you click on any of the the partners (not FamilySearch) you get this box letting you know that you are in fact leaving the FamilySearch site to visit one of the partner sites.

Here is what the search looks like in Ancestry.com:

 This is the search for findymypast:

This is the search for MyHeritage:

I anticipate that in the future we will see AmericanAncestors.org in this feature as well as new future partners.

One thought of caution with using the new partner search feature: The search is only as good as the data in FamilySearch. The more accurate and correct your FamilySearch data is, the more accurate and correct the partner searches will be. So, if your partner searches are yielding no results, perhaps your data in FamilySearch is incorrect.

I am excited to be alive at this time when a great deal of family history research can take place in my home or anywhere in the world with internet access.

What do you think of these new features?