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	File Root Individual Id
2 _VAR	Program	Variant Export Format
1 _UID	Program	Unique Identity for file
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 IdsEvery record in Family Historian has a numeric Record ID, which uniquely identifies it within its type of record.
3 _NOTE	Named List	Record Note
2 _USED	Individual Record	Given Name Used in NAME Tag
1 _ATTR	Individual Record	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 (V6)	Witness Role Individual from V6.0
2 _SHAN	Individual Record (V6)	Witness Role Name only from V6.0
1 _FLGS	Individual Record	Record Flags
2 __????	Record Flags	Flag Name (note double underscore)
2 _EMAIL	Individual/Family Record	E-mail address for a FactFacts 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).
2 _WEB	Individual/Family Record	Website address for a Fact
1 _STAT	Family Record	Marriage Status e.g. Divorced, Separated
1 _TYPE	Source Record	Source type
1 _EMAIL	RepositoryA repository is a place (physical or online) where collections of original source data are stored and maintained. Record	E-mail address
1 _WEB	Repository Record	Website address
2 _ASID	Individual/Family/Source Record	Automatic Sequence Id for Multimedia
1 _NOTE	Multimedia Record	Picture Note
1 _FILE	Multimedia Record	Linked File
1 _DATE	Multimedia Record	Media DateWhen an Event happened, or an Attrribute was true.
1 _KEYS	Multimedia Record	Keywords
2 _ASID	Multimedia Record	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
0 _PLAC	Place Record (V6)	Place RecordsAccording to GEDCOM, a Place should hold "The jurisdictional name of the place where the event took place…"   from V6.0

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.

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:.

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, __????

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:

1. Remove all accents (i.e. replace each accented character with the equivalent unaccented character).
2. Convert all letters to uppercase.
3. Remove all characters except spaces, letters, and digits.
4. Convert all spaces to underscores.
5. Add 2 underscores on the front.
6. 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:.

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 3 EMAIL and 2 WWW, or could be moved to a NOTE and labelled E-mail Address: or Website Address:, or appended to the PHONe tag.

Marriage Status: _STAT

This supplements the partnership status of a Family Record:

1 _STAT Never Married

It is typically ignored by other programs, but could be altered into a custom EVENt tag, or moved to a NOTE and labelled Marriage Status:.

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, but could be moved to a NOTE and labelled Source Type:.

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, _AREA, _EXCL, _CAPT

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:

1 OBJE @O4@
2 _ASID 3
1 OBJE @O7@
2 _ASID 1

Multimedia Record:

1 NOTE Photo of Wedding
2 _ASID 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 NOTEFamily 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 with appropriate labels.

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.