Unknown DNA Matches on FamilyTreeDNA? Here's Where to Start

Where do you start when you're trying to figure out an unknown DNA match? In this session, Katy Rowe-Schurwanz breaks down the essential first steps for anyone using autosomal DNA to build or confirm their family tree. Whether you've just gotten your Family Finder® results or you've had them for years and never known where to begin, this class gives you a clear, practical roadmap for working with your matches. You will learn: • How to organize and label your known matches • Why linking your matches helps identify parental sides • How shared family trees can reveal hidden clues • What ancestral surnames can — and can't — tell you • How Group Projects and Advanced Matches can connect you to specific lineages • Why autosomal DNA is most effective within 5–7 generations • How to use WikiTree and MyHeritage tools to expand your research • How to use your match list to support and strengthen your paper trail 📄 Download the class syllabus: https://bit.ly/3SnT7MS 📊 Download the class slides: https://bit.ly/4ah69BY ✅ Genealogist's Checklist for Reviewing a New Family Finder® Match (fillable PDF): https://bit.ly/4vBjZaI Chapters: 0:00 Introduction and series overview 0:17 The science behind autosomal DNA 1:42 What Family Finder® matches can tell you 2:05 Where to start: working with known matches 3:30 How to link matches with Family Matching 4:00 How parental side assignments work 6:15 Working with unknown matches: shared family trees 7:02 How to verify a match's paper trail 7:49 Using MyHeritage and WikiTree connection tools 9:04 Using ancestral surnames as clues 9:52 How common vs. rare surnames affect your research 11:06 FamilyTreeDNA Group Projects explained 12:20 Using Advanced Matches with Group Projects 13:02 Walkthrough example: the Atwell surname project 14:44 Additional resources and next steps https://www.familytreedna.com https://www.familytreedna.com/product... #FamilyTreeDNA #GeneticGenealogy #DNAMatches