gizmobench

Family tree maker

Add people, link their parents, partners and children, and the chart arranges itself by generation with partners side by side. Nothing is guessed: an empty date stays blank, a child can have more than two parents, and a link that would make someone their own ancestor is refused with the reason. The tree stays in this browser; print it, or save it as SVG, a one-page PDF or a .json project you can open here again.

people7 people, 9 links

Example family: every name here is made up. Edit it, or press Start blank to begin your own.

  • Rosa Marin1941 to 2019
  • Tomas Marinborn 1938
  • Unknownno dates, no parents
  • Elena Marinborn 1966 · child of Rosa Marin, Tomas Marin
  • David Okaforborn 1964 · child of Unknown
  • Maya Okaforborn 1995 · child of Elena Marin, David Okafor
  • Sam Okaforborn 1998 · child of Elena Marin, David Okafor

partners: Rosa Marin + Tomas Marin, Elena Marin + David Okafor

empty dates stay empty, nothing is guessed

Elena Marin

Parents 2
Partners 1
Children 2
chart3 generations
Example family (made-up names)Rosa Marin1941 to 2019Tomas Marinborn 1938UnknownElena Marinborn 1966David Okaforborn 1964Maya Okaforborn 1995Sam Okaforborn 1998

People
7
Relationships
7 parent, 2 partner
Generations
3
Paper
  • Parent cycle A → B → ARosa Marin is Elena Marin's parent, then Elena Marin is set as Rosa Marin's parent
    rejected: Elena Marin is a descendant of Rosa Marin, so Elena Marin cannot also be Rosa Marin's parent: nobody can be their own ancestor. Nothing was changed.
  • Save and reloadElena Marin + David Okafor, child Maya Okafor, then reload
    still connected: both parent links and the partner link come back
  • Delete Elena Marin5 links touch this person
    the preview lists all 5 first: child of Rosa Marin and Tomas Marin, partner of David Okafor, parent of Maya Okafor and Sam Okafor

The chart as text

Example family (made-up names): 7 people, 7 parent links, 2 partner links, 3 generations.

Generation 1

  • Rosa Marin, 1941 to 2019. Partner: Tomas Marin. Child: Elena Marin.
  • Tomas Marin, born 1938. Partner: Rosa Marin. Child: Elena Marin.
  • Unknown (no name entered). Child: David Okafor.

Generation 2

  • Elena Marin, born 1966. Parents: Rosa Marin, Tomas Marin. Partner: David Okafor. Children: Maya Okafor, Sam Okafor.
  • David Okafor, born 1964. Parent: Unknown. Partner: Elena Marin. Children: Maya Okafor, Sam Okafor.

Generation 3

  • Maya Okafor, born 1995. Parents: Elena Marin, David Okafor.
  • Sam Okafor, born 1998. Parents: Elena Marin, David Okafor.

In the people list, the arrow keys move between people and Enter jumps to the name field. Clicking a box in the chart selects that person too. Rows follow the links: partners side by side, parents above their children.

This browser remembers the tree. Save .json to keep a copy or move it to another device, and Open .json to carry on editing. The PDF holds the chart as one high-resolution picture on a single page; the SVG keeps every line and name sharp at any size.

Common questions

Is this connected to a genealogy program, records site or DNA service?
No. It is an independent chart tool on this site with no connection to any genealogy software, records service or DNA company, and it searches no records. It opens only the .json projects it saves itself, not GEDCOM or files from other programs.
Can a child have more than two parents, or parents who are not biological?
Yes. A parent link means only that you listed that person as a parent, so adoptive, step, foster and birth parents are all entered the same way, and a child can have three or more. The chart and its text never label a link as biological.
What happens if I leave a date or a name blank?
A blank date is left off the chart and the text list; nothing is estimated. A person with no name appears as Unknown, which suits a relative you know existed but cannot name. Dates are free text, so an entry such as abt. 1850 appears as you typed it. The chart shortens long names, dates and notes to fit a box; the text list under the tool and the .json file keep them in full.
Why was a link refused?
The chart puts partners on one row and parents above their children, so it refuses links it cannot draw: someone becoming their own ancestor, an ancestor and a descendant linked as partners, a person linked to themselves or twice, and the rare loop where partners would need different rows. The message says which rule the link broke, and nothing changes.
Where is my family tree stored?
In this browser, and in any .json file you save. Nothing is uploaded or sent anywhere, so another browser or device sees the tree only after you open the .json file there. Clearing this site's data, or Start over at the top of the page, removes the saved copy.
How do I print the tree or make a PDF?
Print opens your browser's print dialog showing only the chart, and asks for the paper chosen under the chart (Letter, A4, A3 or Tabloid), turned to suit the chart's shape. PDF downloads one page on that paper with the chart as a high-resolution picture; a large tree is scaled down to fit, and the message says when its text gets too small to read. The SVG stays sharp at any size.
How large can a tree be?
Up to 1,000 people, and a project file up to 5 MB. Actual size shows a wide tree at full scale in a pane that scrolls.
Can I undo a mistake?
Yes. Undo and Redo cover up to 100 changes made since the page opened, and typing in one field counts as one change. Deleting someone first lists every link that goes with them, and Undo brings them all back.

The chart shows only what you enter: no records are searched, nothing is checked for genealogical accuracy, an empty date stays blank and a person with no name is labelled Unknown. A parent link means only that you listed someone as a parent, so a child can have more than two and no link is read as a biological claim. Links that would make anyone their own ancestor are refused, and deleting someone first lists every link it removes.