Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Introduction to AncientFaces

Introduction to the Community Standards at AncientFaces

• Discovering more from friends and family members whom you might not have known existed


• Removing the need to pay for access to your family history


• Allowing distant relatives to share and discover their roots


• Guaranteeing that future generations have access to your family history


• Providing genealogists and family historians with a platform to share their discoveries with the world.

Introduction to Collaborative Biographies on AncientFaces

Collaborative Biographies are pages dedicated to our loved ones and ancestors to keep their memory alive. Unlike other genealogy and family history websites that keep their data private, AncientFaces is open and free for all to share. By working together, we can uncover more information, share unique perspectives, family stories, and discoveries as we search for our roots.

The Biography section is where we work together to present the facts about our loved ones and ancestors. Similar to Wikipedia, but you don't need to be famous to have a biography on AncientFaces. To update a field, simply select the pencil icon next to it.

In the Memories section, we share photos, family stories, discoveries, and questions we have. Memories are unique to each of us and only you have control over them. When multiple people share their unique perspectives, we begin to uncover who our loved ones and ancestors were during different moments in their lives.

The Relationships section is where we add information about relatives, including siblings, parents, spouses, and more. Additionally, we can connect friends and other important individuals in the lives of our loved ones, creating a rich and comprehensive picture of the relationships that made up their lives.

By working together we can piece together the stories and facts that bring our loved ones and ancestors to life. But the connections we make at AncientFaces go beyond just preserving history.

Over the years, we have seen countless meaningful connections form between distant relatives and old family friends. As people share their photos, stories, and discoveries, they often find long lost family members or rediscover connections they thought were lost forever.

It's helpful to invite family to participate, but if you can't, over time others will find what you shared and contribute as well.

If someone you want to remember doesn't yet have a biography on AncientFaces, go to Share Memory and select the "+ Biography" option to begin sharing about them.

Only Messages are Private on AncientFaces

Everyone is Encouraged to Interact with Biographies

How to Share Photos on AncientFaces

• Tag People in the Photo: To add photos to people's biographies, you can tag them in the image. Go to any biography and select "Add Memory" at the bottom, then choose "Photo". This will ensure the photo appears in each of their biographies.



• Tag Photo Topics: You can tag your photo with up to three Photo Topics to help others find your image and for it to appear in popular photo categories. To do this, go to the Photo Topics page (e.g. Lost & Found) and select "Share Photo".



• Tag Photos with Surnames: To make the photo appear on a particular surname page, you can tag it with a surname. Go to the surname page, select "Photos" in the top navigation, then select "Add Photo".

Editing Photos on AncientFaces

As a member of AncientFaces, you have the ability to follow photos and leave comments. However, only the owner of an image can update its description and the people tagged in the photo.

To edit your photo, you must first find it on the site. Look for the "Edit Photo" button directly underneath the image you wish to update.

Once you click on the "Edit Photo" button, you will be taken to a new screen where you can update the following information:

• Title


• Description


• Date Taken


• Location/Place


• People Tagged in the Photo


• Popular Topics Tagged

Make any necessary changes and click "Save" to update the photo information. Only you, as the owner of the photo, will be able to make these updates.

Categorizing Photos on AncientFaces

Topics are a way to categorize photos on AncientFaces by popular subjects. They are grouped into Themes, People, Years, and Places and help your photos get discovered by the community.

To tag topics to your photos, follow these steps:

1. Click on "edit photo" immediately under the image.


2. On the new screen, navigate to "Tag popular Topics".


3. Select "Tag topics".

Please note that each individual photo can only be tagged with up to 3 topics.

If you have a collection of photos that you think deserves its own topic, please Contact Us and let us know about your idea!

Removing Photos from AncientFaces

As the owner of a photo, you have the ability to remove any tagged people and popular topics by following these steps:

1. Click on "edit photo" immediately under the image.


2. Remove any tagged people and popular topics as desired.


3. If you want to delete the photo from AncientFaces completely, scroll down the screen and select "[ Delete photo ]" which is located at the bottom of the page just below "Tag popular topics" and right above the "Save" button.

If you want a photo removed from AncientFaces that is about you but you did not share it, please Contact Us and we'll remove it promptly.

If you want a photo removed for another reason, please reach out to the member who shared the photo. You can go to their member profile by clicking on their name and send them a private message.