DNAGedcom is a desktop application (the DNAGedcom Client) for Windows, macOS, Linux, and Chromebook that lets you download, organize, and analyze your DNA match data from multiple testing companies — A*, 23andMe, FTDNA, MyHeritage, and GEDMatch — all in one place. It gathers matches, chromosome segments, In-Common-With (ICW) data, haplogroups, ethnicity estimates, and family trees, then provides clustering and analysis tools to help you make sense of it all.

Note: MyHeritage and GEDMatch gathering is currently unavailable and will return in a future update.

A GEDCOM (GEnealogical Data COMmunication) is a plain text file with a .ged extension containing genealogical information about individuals. It is the standard format for exchanging family tree data between different genealogy software programs.

DNAGedcom offers Silver and Gold subscription tiers. Visit the Subscribe page for current pricing and plan details.

Click the Sign In button in the top navigation, then use the registration option. You'll need a username, email address, and password. Remember your DNAGedcom username — it is typically not your email address, FTDNA login, or GEDmatch kit number.

Download the DNAGedcomInstaller4.msi file from the home page, then double-click it to launch the installer. Follow the on-screen prompts: click Next, then Install, approve the User Account Control prompt, and click Finish.

Windows may display a warning about unrecognized software. In modern Microsoft Edge, you'll see a takeover panel showing only Cancel and Delete — the Keep option is hidden inside the small ▼ dropdown arrow next to Delete (click that, then choose Keep). When you launch the installer, Windows may also show a blue “Windows protected your PC” dialog — click More info → Run anyway. After installation, find DNAGedcom in your Start menu or use Windows search.

See the full Windows Installation Guide for screenshots and step-by-step details on SmartScreen, UAC, and antivirus exceptions.

Download the DNAGedcomInstaller4.pkg file from the home page, double-click to launch the installer, and follow the prompts. After installation, open DNAGedcom from Launchpad.

Modern macOS versions require several security permissions including Gatekeeper approval, App Management (macOS 15+), network access, and file access. See our complete macOS Installation Guide for step-by-step instructions covering all macOS versions from Monterey through Sequoia and beyond.

Download the .deb package for your architecture (AMD64 or ARM64) from the home page. Install it using your package manager or by running sudo dpkg -i DNAGedcomInstaller4_amd64.deb from a terminal. See the full Linux Installation Guide for distribution-specific notes and troubleshooting.

Chromebook users: Enable the Linux development environment in your Chromebook settings (Settings > Advanced > Developers > Linux development environment), then install the .deb file from the Linux terminal. See the Chromebook Installation Guide for the full walkthrough including which build (AMD64 vs. ARM64) to pick.

Launch the application and log in with your DNAGedcom credentials. Then click the gear icon to open Settings, choose a folder on your computer for the database, give it a name (optionally include the tester's name), and click Save. You're now ready to start gathering data.

See the Getting Started guide for a full walkthrough.

First, make sure you're using your DNAGedcom username (not your email or FTDNA kit number). If you've forgotten your password, use the password reset option on the login page. Check your spam folder for the reset email. If you still can't get in, email support@dnagedcom.com with your username.

The DNAGedcom Client gathers data from five DNA testing platforms. The types of data available vary by service:

*MyHeritage and GEDMatch gathering is currently unavailable and will return in a future update. The data types listed reflect what will be available when those services are re-enabled.

†23andMe chromosome segment data requires a 23andMe+ Premium subscription. Free 23andMe accounts cannot access this data.

All gathered data is stored in a local SQLite database on your computer and can be exported as CSV or Excel files compatible with tools like DNAPainter, Genealogical DNA Analysis Tool (GDAT), and RootsFinder DNATools.

The basic process for each service is the same: log in to the DNA platform through the client, select a profile, configure your gather options (cM range, which data types to collect), and click Gather. The client downloads the data into your local database.

You should gather matches first. After that, you can gather trees, chromosome data, or ICW data for the matches you've already downloaded. You can cancel a gather at any time and resume later — all data collected up to that point is saved.

A* gathering uses a slightly different flow because it relies on an embedded browser session rather than direct API access — see Gathering from A* for details.

For platform-specific details on the other services, see the documentation for FTDNA, 23andMe, MyHeritage, and GEDMatch.

Either approach works. The choice is about when you want to start analyzing, not the final result.

• Fastest overall: turn everything on up front (matches, ICW, trees, chromosomes — whichever apply to your service) and run a single gather. Total wall-clock time is the lowest.
• Earliest analysis: run a matches-only gather first so you have your full match list quickly, then run a second gather with all the other options turned on. You can start working with matches while the longer phases finish.

For very large kits, the staged approach is often more practical — you get something to look at within minutes instead of waiting hours for everything to complete.

Gather time varies dramatically based on your cM range. For example, gathering matches, ICW, and trees for an A* kit with 40,000 matches can take nearly 20 hours. However, gathering only data above 30 cM for the same kit may take less than 5 minutes, because more than 90% of matches typically fall below 30 cM.

Start at 30 cM or above if you're new to genetic genealogy. This focuses on your closest, most reliable matches and keeps gather times short. You can always expand to lower thresholds later.

Match your range to your research goals: solving recent adoptions typically only needs higher cM ranges (closer relatives), while multi-generational tree building may benefit from going down to 20 cM. Smaller segments carry higher false-positive risk, so unless you're experienced, stick with larger segments.

A good strategy is to gather in stages — start with 30+ cM, analyze those results, then decrease the range incrementally to gather more distant matches.

Yes. The client exports data as CSV (Comma-Separated Values) files, the universal format for genetic genealogy tools. You can use these files with DNAPainter, Genealogical DNA Analysis Tool (GDAT), RootsFinder DNATools, and many other programs. You can also open them in Excel or Google Sheets for your own analysis.

The client's Autosomal section includes several built-in clustering and analysis tools:

• Warthen Interactive Cluster — A Gold-tier interactive clustering tool that combines hierarchical analysis with superclusters, ancestor overlay, and visual match relationship mapping with zoom and pan.
• Collins-Leeds Method (CLM) — Organizes matches into clusters based on shared In-Common-With (ICW) relationships. Cluster members typically descend from the same ancestral line within a few generations.
• Chromosome Matrix Analysis (CMA) — Extends clustering by adding chromosome and segment detail, grouping ICW matches that share segments on the same chromosome.
• Shared Clustering — Based on the original Shared Clustering method by Jonathan Brecher, this identifies ancestral groups from shared matches.
• Match Viewer — Browse, filter, search, and sort all of your DNA matches across testing services.

These older tools have been retired and replaced by integrated features in the DNAGedcom Client:

• ADSA, JWorks, and KWorks have been replaced by the Collins-Leeds Method (CLM), which provides a more powerful and flexible matrix-based clustering analysis on the same kind of match and ICW data.
• GWorks has been replaced by the People section, which includes Common Ancestors, My Trees, Surnames, Ancestor Search, and Kit Search. Additional GWorks-style capabilities are coming in future updates.

The new tools read your match and tree data directly from the local Client database, so there is nothing to migrate — gather your data once and the new tools use it.

CLM uses a grid (matrix) to display your matches arrayed in clusters. Membership in clusters is based on matches sharing other matches in common (ICW) with your selected kit. In the output, solid color squares indicate a match between two members of the same cluster, while pale bi-colored squares show cross-cluster connections. Superclusters (groups of related clusters with darker borders) reveal closely related ancestral lines.

CLM works with A*, FTDNA, MyHeritage, 23andMe, and GEDMatch data. It generates both an interactive HTML visualization and an Excel workbook with Chart, Data, and Ancestors worksheets.

You can configure the cM range (default 50–400 cM), inclusion threshold, surname filtering, and match sorting. While clustering provides valuable clues about shared descent, clusters are not proof of specific ancestors — they point you in the right direction for further research.

See the full CLM documentation for details.

CMA builds on CLM by adding chromosome and segment location to the clustering. It displays matches in a matrix sorted by chromosome and segment address, so you can see not just who clusters together but where on the genome they share DNA.

CMA requires match, ICW, and chromosome data gathered through the client. It works with FTDNA, 23andMe, GEDMatch, and MyHeritage (not A*, which does not provide chromosome segment data). The output includes an interactive HTML chromosome browser with links to vendor tree profiles, plus an Excel workbook.

You can adjust the cM range, minimum SNP density, select specific chromosomes, and filter by name or tags.

See the full CMA documentation for details.

*Gathering from MyHeritage and GEDMatch is currently unavailable. The Autosomal tools will work on existing gathered data and CSV imports for these services, and will resume working with new gathers when those services are re-enabled.

The People section provides search and comparison tools that work against the match and tree data already gathered into your local database:

• Common Ancestors (Gold) — Automatically detects ancestors who appear in multiple matches' family trees, helping you pinpoint shared lineage.
• My Trees — Import your own GEDCOM file and compare it against ancestors found in your matches' trees.
• Kits — A central view of every gathered kit with statistics, plus search across all kits (or drill into one) by surname, ancestor name, individual name, or kit identifier.

See the People tools documentation for details on each one.

No. The Client's search and filter fields use case-insensitive substring matching, so wildcard characters like * or ? are not needed and will be treated as literal characters.

For example, typing smith in a surname field matches Smith, Smithson, Goldsmith, and Blacksmith. Typing SMITH or Smith returns the same results.

1. Start with larger segments (30+ cM) — This focuses on your closest, most reliable matches and keeps gather times manageable.
2. Match your gather to your research goals — Solving recent adoptions needs higher cM ranges (closer relatives). Multi-generational research may benefit from expanding to 20 cM.
3. Gather in stages — Start with 30+ cM, analyze those results, then decrease the threshold incrementally. This lets you work while progressively expanding your data.
4. Gather matches before the rest — Trees, ICW, and chromosome data all hang off the match list, so a matches-only first pass gives you something to look at within minutes. Turn on the remaining data types in a follow-up gather. (See “Should I gather everything at once, or one data type at a time?” above for the trade-off.)
5. Check third-party tool requirements first — If you plan to use tools like DNAPainter or Genealogical DNA Analysis Tool (GDAT), verify what data types they need before gathering.
6. Be cautious with small segments — Segments below 20 cM carry higher false-positive risk. Unless you're experienced, focus on larger, more reliable matches.
7. Preserve your data — DNA testing companies can change or remove data at any time. Regular gathering ensures you have a local backup of your match information.

See the full Tips and Tactics guide for more.

Simply run a new gather for the same kit. The client will update existing records and add any new matches. You can also use the refresh age setting to automatically re-gather data older than a specified number of days. To start completely fresh, use the Clear function to purge the database entries for a kit before re-gathering.

Yes, with two restrictions:

• Each session needs its own database file. If both copies open the same database, the database indicator turns red and the second copy can't write. Point the second session at a different database before doing anything else.
• Only one session can use the embedded browser at a time. The Client uses a single shared Chromium component for browser-based gathers (currently A*). If one session has the browser open, the second session will show a “Browser Component Error” when you try to start an A* gather. Non-browser work (FTDNA, 23andMe, analysis tools, search) can still run in parallel.

When the FTDNA browser-based gather ships, it will share the same restriction — the limit is the embedded browser, not the company. So you'll be able to run an FTDNA browser gather and a non-browser gather concurrently, but not two browser gathers at once, even against different services.

If you close both sessions, the next launch reopens whichever database the last-closed session was pointed at. To avoid surprises, set the database explicitly each time or get into the habit of closing your “main” session last.

For most users, one combined database is the better default. Cross-kit People searches, Common Ancestors, and surname/ancestor lookups only work across data that lives in the same database, so splitting kits up forfeits a lot of the Client's analytical value.

Reasons you might still want a separate database:

• Unrelated research projects — e.g., one database for your own family lines, another for an unrelated client or unknown-parentage case you're helping with.
• Test data or experiments — running a sandbox database for trying out gathers or settings without polluting your main file.
• Filtered subsets — if you want to gather a specific A* filter (e.g., only matches tagged with a particular group) and analyze that subset on its own. The Client doesn't currently track which A* filter was active when each match was gathered, so the cleanest way to keep that subset isolated is in its own file.
• Performance — very large multi-kit databases (tens of millions of rows) can slow down some operations. Splitting can help in extreme cases.

If you go multi-database, remember the launch behavior described above: the Client reopens the database that was active when the last session closed.

The most common cause is incorrect login credentials for the DNA testing company. Make sure you can log in directly to the testing company's website first. FTDNA user IDs are typically a number (e.g., 123456 or B1234); 23andMe user IDs are your email address.

Also check your cM range settings — if the minimum is set too high, you may have very few matches to gather.

macOS has multiple security layers that can affect DNAGedcom. The most common issues are:

• Gatekeeper blocking the installer or app — right-click and select Open, or approve it in System Settings > Privacy & Security.
• App Management (macOS 15+) — must be enabled for DNAGedcom to install its browser components for data gathering.
• Network or file access denied — check permissions in System Settings > Privacy & Security.

See our complete macOS Installation Guide for detailed steps and troubleshooting for every macOS permission.

DNA testing companies occasionally change their websites or APIs, which can temporarily break data gathering. Check the Gather Weather Report for the current status of each service. If a service shows issues, an update to the DNAGedcom Client is usually released promptly to restore access.

Make sure you're running the latest version of the client — you'll see an update notification when a new version is available.

This error means the built-in browser components (Chromium binaries) could not be extracted or have become corrupted. It is most common on Windows 10 and is often caused by antivirus software blocking the extraction, or by partial/incomplete files left behind from a failed update or installation.

To fix this:

1. Close DNAGedcom completely.
2. Open File Explorer and navigate to %LocalAppData%\DNAGedcom\BrowserData\. (You can paste that path directly into the File Explorer address bar.)
3. Delete the entire binaries folder inside BrowserData.
4. If you have antivirus software, add an exception for the %LocalAppData%\DNAGedcom\ folder so it doesn't block the extraction.
5. Relaunch DNAGedcom — it will automatically download and extract fresh browser components on startup.

Why does this happen? DNAGedcom uses an embedded Chromium browser to log in to DNA testing services and gather your data. The browser binaries are extracted on first launch or after an update. If antivirus software quarantines files during extraction, or if the app is closed mid-extraction, the binaries folder can end up in a corrupted state. Deleting it and letting the app re-extract cleanly resolves the issue.

If the problem persists after deleting the binaries folder, try uninstalling and reinstalling the DNAGedcom Client entirely.