Chapter 9: Search the Web

[9.1]

Family Tree SuperTools provides integrated Web searching for the names in your research project.

(Naturally, Web access is required for this feature.)

The Search the Web screen provides configuration tabs for each of the supported search sites. Each tab includes an option to "Search this site" for the current focus person.

[9.2]

Each tab also contains search options which are specific to that site.

On the Familysearch.org site, for instance, you can limit a name search with event-based criteria as pictured in this screen shot.

[9.3]

Upon clicking on <Search>, Family Tree SuperTools will trigger your Web browser, access the site(s), and perform the specified search.

The results of the search will be displayed in your Web browser.

[9.4]

If you select multiple sites for searching, Family Tree SuperTools will search each in succession, opening one copy of your Web browser with the results of each search.

So one search may result in many pages of potential research leads!

Most of the search sites are completely free and contain millions of searchable records as compiled by other researchers. In the case of at least one site (Ancestry.com), some search results are provided free while others require a subscription to the site in order to access the detailed records. Even in that case, however, the site will reveal whether or not the search produced any matches so that you can decide if a subscription to the site is likely to advance your research.

[9.5]

You can highlight more than one person in the Project Explorer and search for all of them at once.

A handy toolbar button (shown) will access each of the selected sites and perform a search for each selected person ... all with just one click.

[9.6]

You can also use the Focus Group to collect all of the name variations that have been recorded for the target person(s).

A Web search based on the contents of the Focus Group will then trigger an independent search for each of those names on the selected site(s).

In the example shown, for instance, eight names have been recorded for the target person (ID# 2:93), including several variations of her given, maiden, and married names. A Web search can be performed on all of these names at once without the need for any data entry.