Do not upload copyrighted or trademarked material without the owner's permission
While using your Ancestry account and services, you may not submit, post, share or otherwise provide content protected by copyright or trademark unless you have express permission from the copyright or trademark owner. Ancestry points to its separate Copyright Policy for more information.
Supporting quotations
While using your Ancestry account and the Ancestry Services, you may not:
Submit, post, share, or otherwise provide content that is protected by copyright or trademark, unless you have express permission from the owner of the copyright or trademark for such content.
Qualifications & exceptions
Allowed when you have express permission from the copyright or trademark owner.
Not stated here
The linked Copyright Policy was not supplied, so how Ancestry handles infringement notices is not covered here.
The page does not address public-domain records or fair use.
Content & IP Rights · Company practice
If you share your content publicly, others may use it and Ancestry need not remove it
If you share Your Content publicly, other users may access and use it as part of, or in conjunction with, Ancestry's services. Ancestry states it is not required to remove any of Your Content once it has been publicly shared, so making something public may not be fully reversible.
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Please note if you share Your Content publicly, other users may access and use Your Content as part of, or in conjunction with, the Services.
We are not required to remove any of Your Content once it has been publicly shared.
Qualifications & exceptions
This applies to content you share publicly; it does not describe content kept private.
The statement is that Ancestry is not required to remove public content, not that it will refuse every removal request.
Not stated here
"Your Content" is a capitalized term defined in the Terms and Conditions, which were not supplied.
Whether copies other users already made are affected if you later make content private is not stated.
No copying, reverse-engineering or reselling Ancestry services, and no bulk downloading to build another database
You may not reproduce, reverse-engineer or sell any portion of Ancestry's services (including AncestryDNA test kits) or Ancestry Content, or systematically download data from Ancestry databases to make or populate another database for any other purpose.
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While using your Ancestry account and the Ancestry Services, you may not:
Reproduce, reverse-engineer, or sell any portion of Ancestry’s Services (including AncestryDNA test kits) or Ancestry Content, or systematically download data from Ancestry databases to make or populate another database for any other purpose.
Qualifications & exceptions
The download restriction targets systematic downloading to make or populate another database.
Not stated here
How much downloading counts as systematic is not stated.
"Ancestry Content" is defined in the Terms and Conditions, which were not supplied.
Content & IP Rights · Restriction or exception
No deep linking, framing or mirroring Ancestry services without written permission
You may not "deep link" to, frame, inline link or mirror any part of any Ancestry service without Ancestry's written permission.
Supporting quotations
While using your Ancestry account and the Ancestry Services, you may not:
“Deep link” or frame, inline link, or mirror any part of any Ancestry Services without Ancestry’s written permission.
Qualifications & exceptions
Allowed with Ancestry's written permission.
Not stated here
"Deep link" is not defined; whether ordinary links to a public record page count is not stated.
Content & IP Rights · Restriction or exception
Keep early-access, beta and preview features confidential
You may not share, distribute, publish or disclose any content, features or information you access through early access programs, beta testing, preview releases or other pre-release functionality without Ancestry's prior written authorization.
Supporting quotations
While using your Ancestry account and the Ancestry Services, you may not:
Share, distribute, publish, or disclose any content, features, or information accessed through early access programs, beta testing, preview releases, or other pre-release functionality without Ancestry's prior written authorization.
Qualifications & exceptions
Allowed with Ancestry's prior written authorization.
Content & IP Rights · Restriction or exception
No advertising, spam or solicitation using your account or information from Ancestry
You may not use your Ancestry account, Ancestry's services, or any information obtained through them to post or make available advertising, promotional materials, junk mail, spam, chain letters or any other form of solicitation.
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You may not use your Ancestry account or the Ancestry Services (or any information obtained through the Services) to post or make available any advertising, promotional materials, junk mail, spam, chain letters, or any other form of solicitation.
Qualifications & exceptions
The rule also covers information obtained through the services, such as contact details found on the site.
Content & IP Rights · Restriction or exception
Find a Grave: do not abuse correction tools or messaging about memorials
When using Find a Grave, additional guidelines apply: do not abuse the tools for suggesting corrections or additions, or for messaging other Find a Grave members about memorials they manage.
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While using Find a Grave, please keep in mind these additional guidelines:
Do not abuse tools for suggesting corrections or additions or for messaging other Find a Grave members about memorials they manage.
Qualifications & exceptions
These are additional guidelines that apply while using Find a Grave.
Not stated here
What counts as abuse of these tools is not defined.
Content & IP Rights · Restriction or exception
Find a Grave: no content about Native American lands or members without the tribal community's consent
On Find a Grave, Ancestry asks users to be sensitive to the diverse cultural meanings of burial grounds, cemeteries and the deceased, noting that some Indigenous communities do not want their graves found, photographed or posted publicly. You may not post, transmit or display content taken from or pertaining to federally and/or state recognized Native American lands and/or members without the express consent and permission of the affiliated community, people or tribal nation, unless you are a citizen or authorized representative of that tribal nation.
Supporting quotations
While using Find a Grave, please keep in mind these additional guidelines:
Please be sensitive to the diverse cultural meanings of burial grounds, cemeteries, and the deceased.
Do not post, transmit, or display content taken from or pertaining to federally and/or state recognized Native American lands and/or members without the express consent and permission of the respective and affiliated community, people, or tribal nation, or unless you are a citizen or authorized representative of said tribal nation.
Qualifications & exceptions
Stated as an additional guideline for Find a Grave.
Exception: express consent of the affiliated community, people or tribal nation, or being a citizen or authorized representative of that tribal nation.
Limited to federally and/or state recognized Native American lands and members.
Not stated here
How consent is shown to Ancestry is not stated.
Content & IP Rights · Context
The rules cover everything you upload, even content you keep private
Ancestry's Community Guidelines apply to all content you send, upload, or post to Ancestry, including content you never share with anyone else. Keeping a tree or upload private does not take it outside these rules.
Supporting quotations
These guidelines apply to all content you send, upload, or post to Ancestry, even if it’s not shared with others.
Qualifications & exceptions
The guidelines also state they apply to all users of the Ancestry family of sites and apps that link to them (see the Legal Details card).
Content & IP Rights · Procedure
You can report violating, infringing or illegal content to Ancestry
If you find something that breaks these guidelines, infringes your rights, or contains illegal material, Ancestry asks you to contact it or file an online report, and says it will do its best to address the situation. Ancestry lists an online reporting tool and a phone number for reporting content to its moderation teams among the measures it may use against illegal content.
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If you come across something that violates these guidelines, infringes your rights, or contains illegal material, please contact us or file a report online and we will do our best to address the situation.
Maintaining an easy online reporting tool and phone number to enable users to report content to our moderation teams
Qualifications & exceptions
Ancestry commits only to doing its best to address a report; no response time or outcome is promised.
Not stated here
The page points to a separate description of the types of complaints you can make and the resolution process; that description, and the reporting phone number and contact route, were not supplied.
Content & IP Rights · Company practice
Historical records may be disturbing; Ancestry may ask you to remove content or make your tree private
Ancestry warns that its services contain historical images, documents and narratives that some users may find objectionable or disturbing. It says such content may be kept for its historical value and factual connection to family trees, and that it aims to balance historical preservation with community standards. Ancestry encourages users to be considerate of others and may ask you to remove certain content or make your tree private.
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Please be aware that our Services contain content including historical images, documents, and narratives that some users may find objectionable or disturbing.
While content may be retained for its historical value and factual connection to family trees, we aim to balance historical preservation with community standards.
We encourage users to be considerate of others, and may ask you to remove certain content or make your tree private.
Qualifications & exceptions
Retention for historical value is stated as possible ("may be retained"), not guaranteed.
A request to remove content or make a tree private is something Ancestry may make; the page does not say when it will.
Not stated here
The page does not say what happens if you decline a request to remove content or make your tree private.
Cross-references
contrast (model-proposed): Hateful, violent, sexual, defamatory or obscene content is a priority for Ancestry to address — contrast: Disturbing historical material may be kept for its historical value, while hateful or violent content is a priority for Ancestry to address; Ancestry says it balances preservation against community standards rather than giving a fixed line.
Content & IP Rights · Restriction or exception
Hateful, violent, sexual, defamatory or obscene content is a priority for Ancestry to address
Ancestry says it prioritizes addressing content and behavior that is illegal, threatening, harmful or abusive. Its listed examples include degrading, defamatory, vulgar, hateful, libellous, fraudulent or obscene content; content that incites or depicts hatred or violence toward any individual or group; and sexually explicit, pornographic or invasive content. The list is expressly not exhaustive.
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We prioritize addressing content and behavior that is illegal, threatening, harmful, or abusive, including but not limited to:
Degrading, defamatory, vulgar, hateful, libellous, fraudulent, or obscene Content.
Content that incites or depicts hatred or violence towards any individual or group.
Sexually explicit, pornographic, or invasive Content.
Qualifications & exceptions
The categories are examples ("including but not limited to"), and the guidelines elsewhere say they are not exhaustive.
Not stated here
"Content" is capitalized and takes its meaning from the Terms and Conditions, which were not supplied.
Content & IP Rights · Restriction or exception
Do not publicly share a living person's private information without permission
You may not publicly share any living person's personal, proprietary or confidential information without their permission. Examples given are photos of living individuals, sealed court documents, sensitive financial information and contact information. For minors, you need the consent of their parent or guardian.
Supporting quotations
Content that publicly shares any living person’s personal, proprietary, or confidential information without their permission, such as photos of living individuals, sealed court documents, sensitive financial information, or contact information.
In the case of minors, you’ll need the consent of their parent or guardian.
Qualifications & exceptions
Listed under Prohibited Content among the content Ancestry prioritizes addressing.
The rule targets public sharing of living people's information; it does not address deceased people.
For a minor, consent must come from a parent or guardian.