Demystifying DNA 5: Uploading Your DNA Data to Other Websites
If you are using DNA to problem solve, find a missing ancestor or search for living relatives a piece of advice you will often see is “upload to all the websites to increase your chances of success!”. Sometimes this can seem a little daunting so I have pulled together some step by step instructions on how to download your DNA data from one website and upload it to another.
Max Your Matches
In order to maximise the chance of finding relatives using autosomal DNA data you need to have most matches available. You can achieve this by having your DNA data on as many of the websites as possible.
The main autosomal DNA testing websites are currently Ancestry DNA, My Heritage, Family Tree DNA, Living DNA and 23andMe.
Another website, GEDmatch, does not offer testing but does offer tools and matching. GEDmatch accepts uploads of DNA data from testing carried out at the testing companies.
Downloads and Uploads
The table shows which companies accept uploads of data
| Company | Accepts uploads? |
|---|---|
| Ancestry | No |
| 23andMe | No |
| My Heritage | Yes |
| Family Tree DNA | Yes |
| Living DNA | Yes |
| GEDmatch | Yes |
A warning before we get started. As soon as you upload your data to another website its use becomes governed by that website's Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy. Please make sure you are aware of how your data will be used. Some websites (GEDmatch and FamilyTreeDNA, at the time of writing) allow law enforcement agencies to use the DNA matching databases for solving certain types of crime, for example. All of the websites have various opt-in or opt-out options so this is not to put you off - just makes sure you are happy with what you are agreeing to. It should also go without saying that, if you are uploading data on behalf of someone else, it is up to you to get their informed consent.
Back to the process…
Ancestry and 23andMe do not currently accept uploads of data from other websites. If you are yet to test your best strategy is to test at Ancestry (the largest database by far) and upload that data to FamilyTreeDNA, My Heritage, Living DNA and Gedmatch. If you have funds to spare, also take the 23andMe test.
The first step is to download your raw DNA data from the company at which you have tested. This is your DNA data itself, not anything to do with match lists. Rather than have pages of instructions here, there are links below to step by step guides for each website:
- Downloading your DNA data from Ancestry
- Downloading your DNA data from My Heritage
- Downloading your DNA data from FamilyTreeDNA (FTDNA)
- Downloading your DNA data from 23andMe
- Downloading your DNA data from Living DNA
Once you have your file downloaded you can then upload it elsewhere. Again, rather than have pages of instructions here, there are links below to step by step guides for each website:
- Uploading DNA data to My Heritage
- Uploading DNA data to FamilyTreeDNA (FTDNA)
- Uploading DNA data to Living DNA
- Uploading DNA data to GEDmatch
All of these instructions are correct at the time of writing. You may find the screens change slightly with time or you have to look in a different part of the screen for the correct place to click, but the principles will remain the same.
Good luck!
[I am not affiliated with any of the DNA testing companies and there are no affiliate links on these blog pages].
