Tips for Searching an Online Index
Tips for Searching An Online Index
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What to do if you can’t find your person in an index: |
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Top 5 Tips for Searching Indexes | |
| Exact Spelling | Some online indexes require exact spelling to get a result. Try different ways of spelling the person's first or last name. |
| Use Less Info | If you did not get results, type in less information about the person. Try searching only for the first and last name of the person. |
| Add Info | If you have too many hits, try adding information including approximate birth, death or marriage date and the county |
| Try Another Index | Different indexes use different search parameters and your ancestor may be located in one but not the other. |
| Incomplete index | Some online indexes do not include all counties for all years. Your person's birth, marriage, death record may exist but not in the index you are searching. Check all possible indexes available. |
Tips for Searching Beyond the Index
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What if I still can't find my person? |
The birth, marriage, and death of your ancestor may not have been recorded official by county or state agencies. Use other records to find the information: