The Risks of Sharing Genealogy Online: How to Protect Your Family Stories While Sharing Them

Burglar gloves typing on a computer suggesting online theft

You’ve poured countless hours into researching your family’s history and piecing together precious family stories. Now comes the million-dollar question: should you share it?

The Dilemma of Sharing Genealogy Online

When it comes to sharing genealogy research, many of us hit a brick wall. We want to share our family stories—after all, they’re meant to be preserved and enjoyed! But we also worry about the risks of sharing genealogy online. “What if someone takes my work?” or “What if they claim my stories as their own?”

Sound familiar? You’re not alone. Family historians worldwide wrestle with the same questions and hesitations. This tug-of-war between sharing and safeguarding our work is real, especially as more genealogists publish stories on websites like FamilySearch and Ancestry.

↪️ Do you want to write a family history book?

Grab your copy of this FREE Writing Guide:

laptop and writing notes with title Free Guide: 5 Steps to Quickly Write Family Histories

The Fear of Theft and Misattribution

Imagine this: you’ve carefully crafted a family narrative, uploaded it to a genealogy site, and shared it in the hopes that distant relatives might discover it and connect. Then, months later, you find your work on another website or social media page with no credit to you.

Frustrating, right? Unfortunately, this scenario isn’t uncommon, and it can leave you feeling hesitant and protective.

The sad reality is that, yes, once you share something online, you lose a degree of control over it. Some people are respectful, crediting the author and preserving the integrity of the work. Others, however, might take your stories, research, and even your images and present them as their own.

That fear might make you wonder, “Is there a way to share my genealogy with my family but protect it from misuse?”

This video discusses the challenges of sharing your written family histories.

Balancing Preservation with Safe Sharing Practices

While there’s no foolproof way to prevent someone from misusing your work, there are ways to share your genealogy thoughtfully to keep your stories safe and accessible to the people who matter most.

1. Deposit Your Work in Genealogy Libraries

One way to secure your family stories is to publish them in physical and digital genealogy libraries. By placing your stories in archives across the country, you create a lasting record that’s accessible to those interested in genuine research while reducing the risk of random internet users misappropriating it. Libraries often catalog works in systems like WorldCat, making your work accessible through interlibrary loan networks while maintaining your authorship.

For example, I published From Metal to Rhinestone, my pageant memoir, and placed it in a library in Saline County, Arkansas. Knowing it’s housed safely there, as well as in other libraries, brings peace of mind. Even if one library copy is lost, others still exist.

2. Consider Using Watermarks for Online Sharing

Some genealogists opt to add watermarks to digital documents, which can help protect images or stories. While not a guarantee, a subtle watermark can serve as a reminder that the content is attributed to you. It’s not a perfect solution, but it’s one way to share family stories online with a bit more confidence.

3. View Shared Stories as “Cousin Bait”

Sharing your research can connect you to family members and distant cousins who may have additional pieces of your family’s history. Yes, some may borrow your work, but others will value and respect it. By sharing, you’re essentially casting a net to find relatives who may hold more of your ancestral story.

For instance, I’m currently researching members of the Ohio 133rd Volunteer Infantry, including my ancestor, William James Townsend. I’m eager to uncover the stories of his fellow soldiers to enrich my own research. If another researcher shared the story of Gustavus Innis, the regiment’s colonel, I could gain context for my own ancestor’s experience.

Similarly, if I find a story of another soldier who suffered the same illness as my ancestor, I can better understand the hardships they endured. In these cases, sharing opens doors to deeper insight.

4. Preserve Social History Through Collaboration

Sharing our stories does more than preserve individual family lines; it contributes to a broader social history. By contributing details about your ancestors, you’re helping paint a richer picture of what life was like in their time. This can be invaluable for other researchers and descendants of neighbors, associates, or community members.

5. Document Authorship Wherever Possible

Whenever you share stories online, make sure your name is attached as the author. This creates a record of your work that many respectful researchers will honor. Platforms like FamilySearch allow users to upload documents with author attribution, which is helpful for tracking the source of narratives or images.

Balancing the Benefits with the Risks

Sharing genealogy with your family and the broader community doesn’t come without risks, but it also has many rewards. Yes, there’s a chance someone might misuse or misattribute your work. However, the chance to connect with relatives, fill in gaps, and add rich historical context can be worth it.

So, what are your thoughts on how to share genealogy with your family while navigating the risks? Are you concerned about protecting your work, or do you focus on making it accessible? Let’s discuss! Share your experiences and tips in the comments below.