Free Genealogy Research Tools
Every Operation Granny Files mission comes with a downloadable artifact — a field guide, quick reference, checklist, or workbook you can use at the library, the archive, or your kitchen table. All free. No signup required.
The Field Manual
No new record types, just the system that keeps them paying off: a research log, a citation card, a specialty lane, a reference shelf, and a handoff.
Read Mission 40 →Raíces Research Kit
Your Mexican ancestors may have records back to the 1500s. Learn where parish and civil records live, how to read them, and why both surnames matter.
Read Mission 39 →Norwegian/Danish Deep-Research Toolkit
Found the Norwegian or Danish parish? Now read it: the two-book rule, patronymic and farm-name decoding, and the records that confirm a family.
Read Mission 38 →Shared Tree Field Rules
FamilySearch has one tree, and it isn't yours. Learn when to merge, when to walk away, where Undo stops, and why every edit needs a reason statement.
Read Mission 37 →The Junior Genealogist Starter Pack
Kids don't want a family tree chart. They want a mystery. Age-by-age ways to bring a child into genealogy, and make them ask for more.
Read Mission 36 →The Hard Conversation Kit
An unexpected DNA match is a question, not an answer. Learn to verify carefully, reach out gently, and decide who needs to know before you tell anyone.
Read Mission 35 →The Substitution Playbook
Ireland's archive burned in 1922, but not every record went with it. Learn the substitution method that works in Dublin or a burned Georgia county.
Read Mission 34 →England & Wales Starter Map
Find the parish first, then use censuses, civil registration, and surviving parish records to trace English and Welsh roots.
Read Mission 33 →AI Research Assistant Rules of Engagement
Use full-text search and AI handwriting transcription to find new leads, then verify every result against the original record.
Read Mission 32 →The Maiden Name Hunt Worksheet
Recover a married woman's lost maiden name using coverture-era records: dower releases, probate, church registers, children's vital records, and obituaries.
Read Mission 31 →Research Legacy Planner
Preserve, organize, and publish your research so it remains usable for future generations.
Read Mission 30 →Pre-1850 Checklist & Paleography Practice
Push past the 1850 wall with tax lists, colonial records, pension files, and paleography.
Read Mission 29 →Cemetery Visit Field Kit
Read headstones, plot layouts, sexton records, and cemetery symbols as evidence.
Read Mission 28 →Photo Dating & Oral History Kit
Date family photographs, preserve artifacts, and capture the voices behind the records.
Read Mission 27 →Nordic Research Quick Start
Decode patronymics and follow Nordic families through parish, household, and emigration records.
Read Mission 26 →Capstone Project Worksheet
Complete a documented research project and proof summary using the full Volume 1 toolkit.
Read Mission 25 →Family History Writer's Workbook
Turn research and source documents into an accurate narrative people will want to read.
Read Mission 24 →DNA Analysis Toolkit
Shared-match clustering, the Leeds method, and chromosome mapping for genetic networks.
Read Mission 23 →African American Research Roadmap
Freedmen's Bureau records, cohabitation registers, and a path through the 1870 brick wall.
Read Mission 22 →Intercensal Records Workbook
City directories, Social Security, and the records that fill the years between censuses.
Read Mission 21 →Brick Wall Breakthrough Kit
Five moves to try when your ancestor vanishes from the record.
Read Mission 20 →GPS Evidence Evaluator
Learn to evaluate sources, information, and evidence against the Genealogical Proof Standard.
Read Mission 19 →Historical Geography Toolkit
Use gazetteers and boundary-change tools to learn where your ancestor's records moved.
Read Mission 18 →Court Records Navigator
Find guardianships, divorces, and disputes in court records beyond probate.
Read Mission 17 →Land Records Quick Start
Decode land patents, deeds, and property transfers.
Read Mission 16 →Probate Quick Reference
Decode wills, inventories, and estate records to reconstruct family relationships.
Read Mission 15 →Military Records Field Guide
Find service records, pensions, and draft registration cards.
Read Mission 14 →Immigration Field Guide
Trace passenger lists, naturalization records, and border crossings.
Read Mission 13 →Church Records Quick Start
Navigate parish registers and denominational archives.
Read Mission 12 →Spit Test Field Guide
Use genes as evidence through testing, matching, and interpretation.
Read Mission 11 →Blueprint Workbook
Turn scattered research into a plan you can actually follow.
Read Mission 10 →Neighbor Effect Toolkit
Find ancestors through their neighbors, associates, and community networks.
Read Mission 9 →Newspaper Research Kit
Use historical newspapers to reconstruct everyday lives and relationships.
Certificate Sleuth Guidebook
Use birth, marriage, and death records to map a life.
Read Mission 7 →Census Research Kit
Decode federal and state census records and work around the lost 1890 census.
Read Mission 6 →Folder Naming & Software Comparison Kit
Organize research with durable naming conventions and software choices.
Read Mission 5 →Tree-Building Quickstart Kit
Build a pedigree chart, family group record, and research log.
Family Document Sorting Kit
Sort, catalog, and preserve family documents, photos, and heirlooms.
Tea & Tattle Interview Kit
Interview living relatives and preserve their stories.
Read Mission 2 →Genealogy 101 Starter Guide
Start with five practical steps for a sound genealogy research foundation.
Read Mission 1 →Get New Resources as They're Published
Subscribe to Operation Granny Files — every new mission includes a free downloadable tool.