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Frequently asked questions
How the research works, what the results mean, and who stands behind Find My Roots.
Last updated: September 9, 2026
What is Find My Roots?
It is an evidence-first genealogy investigator. You give it what you already know — a name, a place, a story, a document — and it searches public archives, files the evidence with citations, and tells you the strongest next step to take.
Who created it?
Find My Roots was created by Mico Se'khu Hadjo Gentle on behalf of the Yamassee Tribe, and it operates under retained tribal authority on statutory Native land.
How is this different from the big ancestry sites?
We never hand you a finished tree built on guesses. Every conclusion separates supporting evidence from contradicting evidence and says plainly what is still unknown. Nothing enters your family history unless you approve it.
Does it ever invent ancestors or records?
No. Records come from real archives. The AI only explains and organizes evidence that was actually retrieved. If nothing is found, it says so.
What is an 'unverified lead'?
A record that shares a name but does not yet have enough matching dates, places or relatives to be a real candidate. It is always labeled as a lead and is never called a match, an ancestor, an enrollment or proof.
Which archives do you search?
Free and legitimate public repositories such as the National Archives Catalog, the Digital Public Library of America, the Library of Congress and Chronicling America, GovInfo, Smithsonian Open Access, state and county archives, plus our curated tribal roll collections. The interface shows each source's status and result count for every search.
Why does a source sometimes say 'unavailable'?
Because an archive was slow, rate-limited, temporarily down, or requires credentials we do not have. Results from every other source are still kept — one failing source never discards good results — and we never claim a source was searched when it was not.
Do you bypass paywalls or logins?
Never. We respect robots rules, paywalls, login walls and each source's terms.
What is the Tribal Archive?
A curated, cited collection of historical roll and record material, searchable alongside ordinary genealogy results. Your own private uploads live in a separate owner-only archive that nobody else can see.
Does a roll entry prove tribal citizenship?
No. A historical roll entry, a racial classification in a record, and a DNA percentage are all evidence of what a document said. Only a nation itself can determine citizenship or enrollment.
Is my family data private?
Yes. Your cases, documents and oral histories are visible only to you and the collaborators you invite, enforced at the database level. We do not sell family data.
Where does the AI run?
The interactive AI is designed to run on your own device in your browser, downloading its model once per device. Search and evidence work perfectly well with the AI switched off.
What does it cost?
It is free to start. Full membership is $5 a month and adds expanded investigations, document analysis, the Evidence Vault, the Identity Timeline, reports and collaboration. You can cancel at any time.
Can I export or delete everything?
Yes. You can export your case file and reports, and you can delete individual documents, whole cases or your entire account whenever you choose.
How do I get help?
Email support@findmyroots.online with your question and, if it concerns a specific case, the case number.