Question/answer » Why is my name shown with my publication?

Your name is shown with your publication on Genealogie Online. You are the compiler. Your name appears on the start page of your publication. It also appears in the citation line at the bottom of every person page. And it appears in the data we pass on to search engines and other websites.

Why is my name there?

Genealogie Online is a place to publish research. Research belongs to a researcher. Without a name nobody can see who did the work. Nobody can cite your publication properly. And nobody can ask you about your sources.

Your name also helps bring researchers together. We show which publications connect to each other. That is how distant relatives find one another.

In short: readers do not take a publication without an author seriously. Your name makes your work more valuable.

Is that allowed under privacy law?

Yes. We show your name because it is part of the service you use. Privacy law (GDPR) calls this "performance of the contract". You can read this in our privacy policy and in article 19 of our terms and conditions.

We never show your e-mail address. Does someone want to contact you? That goes through a form. Your address stays hidden.

Can I change my name?

Yes. You can do that yourself. You decide which name is shown.

  1. Go to My Genealogie Online › Profile › Change name.
  2. Enter the name you want to show.
  3. Tick the option to change the name in your publications as well.
  4. Save. The new name is visible straight away.

Would you rather arrange it per publication? Go to My Genealogie Online › Manage › Edit publication.

May I use a pseudonym?

Yes. A pseudonym is allowed. Just your initials is fine too.

One thing is not allowed: using someone else's name. The name of a company or an archive is not allowed either. If you do so anyway, we will change the name. In case of misuse we can close your account.

Where will my old name remain for a while?

On our own pages you see your new name immediately. In a few places that is not possible:

  • in e-mails and newsletters that have already been sent;
  • on websites that made a copy of your page earlier;
  • in Google and other search engines. They sometimes still show an older version. That resolves itself once they visit your page again.


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