Introduction
The user-defined GEDCOMGEDCOM, an acronym for GEnealogical Data COMmunication, is a specification for exchanging genealogical data between different genealogy software. It is a file format that most genealogical programs and online trees recognise. custom tags used by Family Historian are tabulated below, and subsequent sections give more details with advice on how to export them to other genealogy programs.
| Tag | Context | Description |
| 1 _ROOT | Program Head Record | File Root Individual Id |
| 2 _VAR | Program Head Record | Variant Export Format |
| 1 _UID | Program Head Record | Unique Identity for file |
| 1 _PCIT | Program Head Record (from V7.0) | Prepared Citation |
| 1 _USED | Program Head Record (from V7.0) | Used Record Ids |
| 1 _LIST | Records WindowThe Records Window provides a comprehensive view of all the information stored within a Family Historian project. | Named List |
| 2 _FLAG | Named List | Editing Enabled Flag |
| 2 _NOTE | Named List | List Note |
| 2 _IDS | Named List | Record Ids |
| 3 _NOTE | Named List | Record Note |
| 2 _USED | Individual Record | Given Name Used in NAME Tag |
| 1 _ATTR | Individual Record (up to V6.0) or Family Record (from V7.0) | Custom Attribute |
| 2 _SENT | Individual Record | Override Sentence Template |
| 2 _PLAC | Individual Record | Other Place in EMIGration & IMMIgration Events |
| 2 _PEDI | Individual Record | Pedigree on Parents Family as Child |
| 2 _SHAR | Individual Record (from V6.0) | Fact Witness Role Individual |
| 2 _SHAN | Individual Record (from V6.0) | Fact Witness Role Name Only |
| 1 _FLGS | Individual Record | Record Flags |
| 2 __???? | Record Flags | Flag Name (note double underscore) |
| 2 _FLGS | Individual/Family Record (from V7.0) | Fact Flags |
| 3 __???? | Fact Flags (from V7.0) | Flag Name (note double underscore) |
| 2 _EMAIL | Individual/Family Record (up to V6.2) | E-mail address for a Fact |
| 2 _WEB | Individual/Family Record (up to V6.2) | Website address for a Fact |
| 2 _SDATE | Individual/Family Record (from V7.0) | Sort Date for a Fact |
| 1 _STAT | Family Record | Marriage Status e.g. Divorced, Separated |
| ? _QUAY | Source Citation (from V7.0) | Assessment Options |
| ? _FIELD | Source Citation (from V7.0) | Source Template Metafield |
| 1 _TYPE | Source Record | Source Record Type |
| 1 _EMAIL | RepositoryA repository is a place (physical or online) where collections of original source data are stored and maintained. Record (up to V6.2) | E-mail address |
| 1 _WEB | Repository Record (up to V6.2) | Website address |
| 1 _TEXT | Note Record (from V7.0) | Formatted Rich Text |
| ? _FMT | Note Record/Local Note/Text From Source (from V7.0) | Formatted Rich Text |
| ? _LINK_? | Formatted Rich Text (from V7.0) | Record Link Record Id |
| ? _LKID | Formatted Rich Text (from V7.0) | Record Link Id |
| ? _ASID | Individual/Family/Source Record (up to V6.2) | Automatic Sequence Id for Multimedia |
| ? _SEQ | Individual/Family/Source Record (from V7.0) | Sequence Id for Multimedia |
| ? _NOTA | Individual/Family/Source Record (from V7.0) | Notation for Multimedia |
| 1 _NOTE | Multimedia Record | Picture Note |
| 1 _FILE | Multimedia Record (up to V6.2) | Linked File |
| 1 _DATE | Multimedia Record | Media Date |
| 1 _KEYS | Multimedia Record | Keywords |
| 2 _ASID | Multimedia Record (up to V6.2) | Automatic Sequence Id |
| 2 _AREA | Multimedia Record | Frame Area edge pixels {top,left,bottom,right} |
| 2 _EXCL | Multimedia Record | Exclude from Diagrams/Reports option |
| 2 _CAPT | Multimedia Record | Use Note as Caption option |
| ? _PLAC | Place Record (from V6.0) | Place RecordsAccording to GEDCOM, a Place should hold "The jurisdictional name of the place where the event took place…" |
| ? _RNOT | Research Note Record (from V7.0) | Research Notes |
| ? _SRCT | Source Template Record (from V7.0) | Source TemplatesFamily Historian Version 7 introduced the ability to define sources using 'Source Templates' to aid precision and consistency in entering source-identifying information. |
Detailed Description of Tags
Most of the following options are supported by the Export Gedcom File PluginPlugins are small programs that allow new features to be added without upgrading Family Historian itself; some plugins are written by Calico Pie and others are written by users..
File Root: _ROOT
This tag identifies the File Root Individual Record Id and appears at the end of the Header Record before the first Individual Record:
1 _ROOT @I6@
0 @I1@ INDI
It is typically ignored by other programs except Utility ~ Family Tree Analyzer, but could be converted to a Note Record using the label File Root:, and linked to from the Individual Record.
Variant: _VAR
This tag is only used in exported GEDCOM files within the Header Record:
1 GEDC
2 VERS 5.5
2 FORM LINEAGE-LINKED
2 _VAR DSR
1 CHAR ANSI
It is typically ignored by other programs and can be safely deleted.
Unique Identity: _UID
This tag holds a unique code for Family Historian and appears after the standard tags in the Header Record:
1 CHAR ANSI
1 _UID {13F463F0-5340-4056-AB3F-49972FE733CB}
It is typically ignored by other programs and can be safely deleted.
Prepared Citation: _PCIT
This tag holds the currently Prepared Citation introduced by V7 and only appears in the Header Record:
1 _PCIT
2 SOUR @S55@
3 _FIELD TX-PAGE
4 TEXT Page 321
3 QUAY 0
It is typically ignored by other programs and can be safely deleted with its subsidiary tags.
Used Record Ids: _USED
This holds a list of used Record Id introduced by V7 and appears in the Header Record:
1 _USED I140,F62,N4,S64,R8,U2,B1,O50,P88,E1,T68
It is typically ignored by other programs and can be safely deleted.
Named Lists: _LIST, _FLAG, _NOTE, _IDS
These tags define Named Lists and appear in the Header Record:
1 _LIST Key Individuals
2 _FLAG E
2 _NOTE Named List Note in Properties
2 _IDS I3,I2
3 _NOTE Named List Note for Record I2
2 _IDS I19,I15
These are typically ignored by other programs and can be safely deleted (or possibly converted into a Note Record with labels for Named List:, Editing Enabled, and Note: together with a list of Record Id & Names, and linked to from the associated Records).
Given Name Used: _USED
This tag is subordinate to the NAME tag in Individual RecordsEvery person in your tree will have a single Individual Record, which holds all the information about that individual that you have entered. You can view and edit Individual records in the Property Box Dialogue.:
1 NAME Anthony Edward /Munro/
2 _USED Tony
Some programs recognise this tag but at level 1 i.e. 1 _USED Tony, or it could be moved to a NOTE and labelled Given Name Used:.
Custom Attribute: _ATTR
This Custom Attribute tag is similar to the standard EVEN tag for Custom Events, but may have a text value:
1 _ATTR Singing
2 TYPE Hobby
Many programs will accept this if converted to a custom EVENt tag, and the text value could also be moved to a NOTE and labelled Attribute Value:.
For programs that accept GEDCOM V5.5.1 it can be converted to a custom FACT tag.
Sentence Template: _SENT
This overrides the default Fact SetA Fact Set is a defined list of types of Facts - that is types of Events and Attributes. Sentence Template for a specific Fact (Event/Attribute):
2 _SENT He was {a/an value} {place} {age}
It is typically ignored by other programs and can be safely deleted.
Other Place: _PLAC
This defines the EMIGration To place and IMMIgration From place:
1 EMIG
2 PLAC Liverpool
2 _PLAC America
1 IMMI
2 PLAC America
2 _PLAC Liverpool
It is typically ignored by other programs and can be safely deleted, or could be moved to a NOTE and labelled Emigration To: or Immigration From:.
Pedigree: _PEDI
This tag is subordinate to the Parents Family FAMC tag in Individual Records and similar to the standard PEDI tag but for additional relationships. These are typically ignored by other programs and can be safely deleted, or could be moved to a NOTE and labelled Pedigree: with the associated subsidiary field data.
Witness Roles: _SHAR, _SHAN
These can be added to any Fact (Event/Attribute) from V6. They are typically ignored by other programs and can be safely deleted, or could be moved to a record NOTE and labelled Relationship: with the associated subsidiary field data.
Record Flags: _FLGS, __????
Record Flags are added to the end of an Individual Record, just before the change information:
1 FAMC @F123@
1 _FLGS
2 __1871_CENSUS 1871 Census
2 __1881_CENSUS 1881 Census
1 CHAN
2 DATE 22 APR 2007
3 TIME 12:41:04
The code block begins with a _FLGS tag and each subordinate line specifies which flags apply to this individual.
Each flag is given its own unique GEDCOM tag, starting with 2 underscores and then up to 13 characters from the flag name, which follows the tag.
The flag tag is generated from the flag name as follows:
- Remove all accents (i.e. replace each accented character with the equivalent unaccented character).
- Convert all letters to uppercase.
- Remove all characters except spaces, letters, and digits.
- Convert all spaces to underscores.
- Add 2 underscores on the front.
- Truncate at 15 characters.
These tags are typically ignored by other programs and can be safely deleted, or could be altered into custom EVENt tags, or moved to a NOTE and labelled Record Flag:.
Fact Flags: _FLGS, __????
Fact Flags may be added to Individual or Family factsFacts are one of the key concepts at the heart of Family Historian; they are how you record the things that happened to, or described, each ancestor (Individual). and were introduced by V7:
2 _FLGS
3 __PRIVATE Private
3 __PREFERRED Preferred
3 __TENTATIVE Tentative
3 __REJECTED Rejected
The code block begins with a _FLGS tag and each subordinate line specifies which flags apply to this fact. Only the four flag names shown are supported.
These tags are typically ignored by other programs and can be safely deleted, or could be converted to a local NOTE and labelled Fact Flag:.
E-mail/Web Address: _EMAIL, _WEB
These define an E-mail or Website address for a Fact (Event/Attribute) or for a Repository Record or Submitter Record:
Individual/Family Fact:
2 _EMAIL [email protected]
2 _WEB http://www.internet.com
Repository/Submitter Record:
1 _EMAIL [email protected]
1 _WEB http://www.internet.com
They often have equivalents in other programs such as the GEDCOM 5.5.1 tags EMAIL and WWW, or could be moved to a NOTE and labelled E-mail Address: or Website Address:, or appended to the PHONe tag.
Sort Date:_SDATE
This defines a fact sort date introduced by V7 to supplement the standard fact DATE:
2 DATE 2000
2 _SDATE 1 MAY 2000
Some other programs support this fact tag as a de facto standard.
Otherwise, it is typically ignored by other programs and can be safely deleted, or could be converted to a local NOTE and labelled Sort Date:.
Marriage Status: _STAT
This supplements the partnership status of a Family Record:
1 _STAT Never Married
It is typically ignored by other programs and can be safely deleted, but could be altered into a custom EVENt tag, or moved to a NOTE and labelled Marriage Status:.
Assessment Options: _QUAY
This adds citation assessmentA Citation Assessment is a record of how credible you believe a piece of information in a source to be, when you have relied on that information to reach a conclusion about a fact. options introduced by V7 to supplement the standard QUAY tag:
2 SOUR @S19@
3 _QUAY 0x98
It is typically ignored by other programs and can be safely deleted, but could be altered into a local NOTE and labelled Assessment:.
Source Template Metafield: _FIELD
This tag appears in Source Template records and Source CitationsA link between a source and a fact, documenting Where within the source you find information being "cited" to support the fact/conclusion. to identify metafield definitions and values introduced by V7:
3 _FIELD TX-PAGE
4 TEXT Page 567
It is typically ignored by other programs and can be deleted with its subsidiary tags, but could be altered into a local NOTE and labelled Metafield:.
Source Type: _TYPE
This categorises the type of each Source Record:
1 _TYPE CensusCensus records are national collections of population statistics. They usually record details about members of a household on a particular date, and are typically collected every ten years. Record
It is typically ignored by other programs and can be safely deleted, but could be moved to a NOTE and labelled Source Type:.
Formatted Rich Text: _TEXT, _FMT, _LINK_?, _LKID
These define formatted Rich Text sections and record links introduced with V7:
0 @N1@ NOTE The Munro family from Scotland supported the <i>Glorious Revolution of 1688</i> with clan chiefs at <u>Foulis Castle</u>.
1 _TEXT
2 _FMT 1
1 NOTE <b>Bold</b> <i>Italic</i> <u>Underline</u> <s>Strikeout</s>
2 _FMT 1
2 _LINK_I @I6@
3 _LKID 40
These tags are typically ignored by other programs and can be safely deleted.
The note text can be converted to plain text, although some programs recognise some of the formatting codes.
Multimedia: _NOTE, _FILE, _DATE, _KEYS
These define the Picture Note, Linked File, Media Date & Keywords for a Multimedia Record:
1 TITL Anthony Munro
1 _NOTE Taken using a sepia effect on a digital camera
1 _FILE C:\Users\Mike\Documents\Family Historian Projects\My Tree\My Tree.fh_data\Media\IMG_0083.JPG
1 _DATE 2001
1 _KEYS Picture
These are typically ignored by other programs, but could be moved to a NOTE and labelled Picture Note:, Linked File:, Media Date: & Keywords: respectively.
Although the _FILE tag is typically ignored by other programs, it is usually recognised if converted to a FILE tag, as when File > Import/Export > Export > GEDCOM File > Destination: Family Tree Maker is used.
Multimedia: _ASID, _SEQ, _AREA, _EXCL, _CAPT, _NOTA
These define the attributesEvents are things that happened to an Individual and Attributes are things that described them. of a Multimedia image linked to a particular Individual/Family/Source Record:
Individual/Family/Source Record Local Media Object:
1 OBJE @O4@
2 _ASID 3
1 OBJE @O7@
2 _SEQ 1
Multimedia Record:
1 _NOTA Photo of Wedding
2 _SEQ 1
2 _AREA {154,46,243,127}
2 _EXCL ALL
2 _CAPT Y
These are typically ignored by other programs, and probably best deleted as it is not obvious where these attributes can be saved in standard GEDCOM.
The frame _AREA tags can be eliminated by using the Convert File Links Plugin, or the Export Gedcom File Plugin, which also moves some other Multimedia tags to a local NOTE with appropriate labels. They may be converted to GEDCOM V7.0 CROP tags supportd by a few programs.
Place Record: _PLAC
Place Records were introduced with V6 and are typically ignored by other programs. They can either be deleted or converted to Source RecordsSource: "where information was found". This could be anything from an archive in a county records office, a book, or even a relative's recorded recollection. Citing your Sources helps to show how you reached a particular conclusion about an Individual. with a type such as Place Details.
Research Note Record: _RNOT
Research Notes were introduced by V7 and are typically ignored by other programs. They can either be deleted or converted to standard Note recordsFamily Historian version 6 and below supports two types of Notes: Local notes (associated with a single person, record, or fact); and Note Records (sometimes called Shared Notes), that can be linked to multiple records and/or facts. Version 7 introduced.
Source Template Record: _SRCT
Source Templates were introduced by V7 and are typically ignored by other programs. They are complicated to handle for migration to other programs.