Question/answer » I can't find my ancestor. What now?

No result is annoying. Often one of these tips helps.

1. Search more broadly

• Names used to be spelled differently. Search phonetically with ~, for example ~Orbon. Or use a wildcard: K*sper.
• Type less. Leave out the first name or the year.
• Widen the period, for example 1850-1900 instead of one year.
• Below the search results, Open Archives sometimes shows name variants. Try those too.

2. Think about where the person might appear

A person does not only appear in his own records. He can also be a witness at a marriage, or the father at the birth of a child. So also search for relatives.

3. Maybe the source is not there yet

Not all archives have indexed all their sources yet. And not all archives take part. Check the overview of archives to see whether the archive of your region is included, and which sources it has supplied.

4. Let Open Archives keep searching

With a Plus subscription you switch on a search monitor. You then receive an e-mail as soon as new records with this name are added.

Back to list of frequently asked questions

Related questions

• Can I receive an email message when new personal entries become available?
• Which sources and archives can I search on Open Archives?
• How do I search for a person?
• Which search tricks can I use in the search box?
• How do I refine the search results?
• How do I let Open Archives keep searching for me?