FTDNA data is gathered using a credential-based approach. You enter your FTDNA user ID and password in the Client, which communicates directly with FTDNA's API to download match data. This is typically faster than browser-based gathering.
FTDNA provides the broadest range of data types: matches, chromosome segments, ICW, and family trees.
| Data Type | Available | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Matches | Yes | Match name, shared cM, segments, relationship |
| Chromosome Segments | Yes | Shared DNA segments by chromosome (default: On) |
| ICW (In Common With) | Yes | Shared match relationships (default: On) |
| Family Trees | Yes | Match family tree data, including FTDNA-native trees and MyHeritage trees that the match has linked through FTDNA's MyHeritage integration (default: On) |
| Ethnicity | No | Not currently gathered |
| Haplogroups | No | Not currently gathered |
Your FTDNA user ID is typically a number (e.g., 123456 or B1234). It is not your email address. You can find it on your FTDNA account page.
If you manage multiple FTDNA kits (e.g., as a Group Administrator), select which profile to gather from using the dropdown. The Client supports managing multiple saved credentials.
Default: On. Gathers chromosome segment data showing where you share DNA with each match. Has a dedicated Clear button to remove previously gathered chromosome data before re-gathering.
Default: On. Gathers shared match relationships. Essential for clustering tools. Has a dedicated Clear button.
Default: On. Gathers family tree data for matches that have linked trees. Has a dedicated Clear button.
This includes both FTDNA-native trees and MyHeritage trees that the match has linked to their FTDNA kit through FTDNA's MyHeritage integration. You don't need to run a separate MyHeritage gather to capture those linked trees — they come through with the FTDNA tree gather.
Set the minimum and maximum shared centimorgans to filter which matches are gathered. The default minimum gathers matches sharing 6 or more cMs.
Start with a higher cM minimum (30+) for your first gather. FTDNA kits can have thousands of matches at low thresholds, and gathering all of them takes considerable time.
Default: 6 cM. Sets the minimum segment size for chromosome data collection. Segments below this threshold are not gathered. Increase this value to filter out small, less reliable segments.
The Client supports saving multiple FTDNA credentials. This is useful if you manage kits for family members or as a Group Administrator. Select a saved credential from the dropdown, or enter new credentials to add them.
You can give each saved credential a friendly name — for example “Mom's kit” or “Dad — paternal line” — so you don't have to remember which numeric kit ID belongs to whom. If you leave the name field blank, the Client will fill it in with the kit's actual name from FTDNA the first time you log in with those credentials.
The "Remember Me" option stores your credentials securely so you don't need to re-enter them each session.
A browser-based FTDNA gathering mode is in development as a Gold feature. This will use the same AJAX interception approach as A* and 23andMe, with added support for GAP (Group Administrator Projects) to manage multiple kits through a single session. This feature requires a Gold subscription.
Gathering saves your data into the local database (the .db file in your database folder). It does not create CSV files on its own. CSV files are produced by the report step, which reads the data already in your database and writes it out in the universal CSV format used by other genealogy tools.
There are two ways to produce the CSV files:
If you gathered without Auto-Report turned on and don't see any CSV files yet, your data is still safe in the database — just click Run Report to create the CSVs. There is no need to gather again.
The CSV files are saved directly in your database folder, alongside the .db file — the same folder the Open Folder button on the home page opens. The exported files are compatible with other genealogy tools, including DNAPainter, the Genealogical DNA Analysis Tool (GDAT), RootsFinder DNATools, and spreadsheet programs such as Excel and Google Sheets.