Now that you’ve successfully downloaded your Ancestry DNA test results file, this file needs to be uploaded to the GEDmatch website (http://www.gedmatch.com). The purpose of this post is to show, in easy to understand steps, how to take the test results file you downloaded to your computer and upload it to the GEDmatch site.
Click here if you’d like to open the GEDmatch website in a new window/tab to make it easier to follow along with these steps.
1) When you go to the GEDmatch site, you will see a page which allows you to log in with your existing account information, or to register for an account. If you have already registered for an account, please sign in, and then jump ahead to step 6 below. Otherwise, click the JOIN FOR FREE button at the top right.
2) On the User Registration page, you need to enter your first and last name, your email address (twice), and password of choice (twice), into the corresponding boxes. The name entered here is what will become your GEDmatch Log-in Profile, and is the name which will be displayed to people you match, or on results pages. For extra privacy, however, you can enter an alias into the Optional Alias box, if you wish. Once you’ve completed entering your information in the boxes, click on the Register button.
3) Upon clicking the Register button, you will be be taken to a screen letting you know that a ‘Registration Confirmation Code’ has been emailed to you. You need to keep your Internet browser running, and on this page, until you receive the email with the code. If you accidentally close this page, you will need to start the registration process over from step 1 above. Once you receive your code, enter it into the box and click on the Confirm button.
4) Upon clicking the Confirm button, you will be taken to a page letting you know your registration is successful. Click on the Login button at the top right.
5) Login using your email address and password. You will be taken to a page with the GEDmatch Terms Of Service. At the bottom of the page is the option to accept the T Of Service, reject the Terms Of Service, or to decide later. Assuming you agree to the Terms Of Service, click Here in the Accept box.
6) Once logged in, on the GEDmatch home page, about halfway down on the right, is the option to Upload Your DNA. Click anywhere in this box.
7) You will be taken to the Upload utility for raw DNA files page. Click on the Browse button which will open up a dialog box allowing you to navigate to where the Ancestry DNA test results zipped archive file is located on your computer. This is the file that you downloaded following the steps shown in my last post. In order to be sure you have selected the correct file, check that it has .zip at the end. In the Name of Donor box, enter the name/username that your DNA test is listed under on Ancestry DNA. It is important to match the Ancestry DNA name/username exactly, including capitalization, initials, periods, etc. for the GEDmatch tools to work properly. If you are not comfortable having your Ancestry name/username displayed with people you match on GEDmatch, or displayed on GEDmatch search results pages, enter what you would like to be displayed in place of your name into the Alias box. Many people use initials, and/or add the phrase “(administered by)” when managing the test results of a relative. For example, my mother’s test displays as S. M. W. (administered by Dan Stone), although this also happens to match how her test is displayed on Ancestry DNA since I manage her test there. Select the sex of the tester.
Continuing down the page, in the Name of Testing Company dropdown box, select Ancestry
Continuing down the page, leave the haplogroup boxes blank, for now, unless you are certain of what these are. Leaving them blank will have no impact on your GEDmatch comparisons. Under the Raw Data To GEDmatch section, select the appropriate option as to whether the file is your DNA, or the DNA of someone who granted you authorization to upload their DNA.
Continuing down the page, under the Privacy Options section, select either Opt In or Opt Out depending on your preference.
Continuing down the page, under the Upload File section, click in the box next to I’m not a robot and then click the Upload button.
After a brief bit of processing, you will be taken to a screen confirming your upload is complete and providing you with your kit number. Keep a record of this kit number, as you will use it to do your comparisons as well as to use the other tools at GEDmatch. Congratulations, you have successfully uploaded your Ancestry DNA test results file to GEDmatch!
To make it easier for your GEDmatch matches to determine your shared ancestry, consider adding a family tree to your GEDmatch kit by uploading a GEDCOM file. To generate a GEDCOM file from your Ancestry tree, see my post Downloading A GEDCOM File From An Ancestry Member Tree (Updated For 2024). To upload your GEDCOM file to GEDmatch, see my post Uploading A GEDCOM File To GEDmatch.
If you experience any problems while following these steps, or notice that a screen has changed from what I’ve shown in the screenshots, please let me know by commenting on this thread or sending me an email. Thanks for reading.
Adventures In Genealogy Research: No Stone Unturned/The Wright Stuff 