Using ysearch to search the ysearch database

FamilyTreeDNA has a free website called ysearch.org that can be used to search the ysearch database of persons who have had their Y-DNA tested. The ysearch database contains marker values that have been transferred from the FamilyTreeDNA database of test-values. Not all persons who are tested have their marker-values transferred to ysearch. You can use ysearch to search by last name or by genetic matches with a specific ysearch ID.

Search by Last Name

This search can be performed by anyone. You enter the last name and the regions of the world you went tested. The Results page will show the name you searched and in the Name or Variants column a link to all of the records that were found. Click the link and you will get a page with all of the records that were found. Have a little patience, because the search may take a few seconds.

The first column in your results is Compare, and that column has a check box for each record found. Click the check box for all of the records you want to keep (if you want most of the records, click Check All and then click the ones you don't want to keep). When you have selected all of the records that you want to keep, click the name of the column (Compare) which is underlined to show it is a link. Choose if you want to show comparative Y-DNA results or genetic distances. Your report will be created, and you can print it.

Search for Genetic Matches

Enter the ysearch ID of the man who will be the reference for the genetic matches. You will then be asked to enter search parameters. Keep the default that the user tested at least 8 of the markers that were tested for the reference person. Nobody tests less than 12 markers, so all people who were tested should be included in the results. You can specify a maximum for the genetic distances to be reported, or you can specify a maximum genetic distance of 1 per marker. To begin with, choose the second choice of 1 per marker. Choose how you want the last name to limit the search. Choose how you want haplogroups to limit the search, and choose the regions of the world you want included in the search. Then click the Search button.

This search can be performed by anyone who has access to a ysearch ID of a man who had his Y-DNA tested by FamilyTreeDNA. For example, women can use the ID of their husbands or of male relatives to do genetic matches with that man. Have a little patience, because the search may take a few seconds.

The first column in the results is Compare, and that column has a check box for each record found. Click the check box for all of the records you want to keep (if you want most of the records, click Check All and then click the ones you don't want to keep). When you have selected all of the records that you want to keep, click the name of the column (Compare) which is underlined to show it is a link. Select if you want to show comparative Y-DNA results or genetic distances. Your report will be created, and you can print it.

Create a New User

If you have recently had the Y-DNA of a male family member tested by FamilyTreeDNA, you can go to ysearch and click the Create a New User tab to create an account for the person who was tested. Then, you can click a field in that person's account at the FTDNA web site to have his test results (marker values) automatically sent to ysearch. When you first create the account on ysearch, you will be given a ysearch ID, and you can use that ID to perform genetic matches.

Other Tabs

There are a few other tabs in ysearch that you can explore at your leisure.