Looking Ahead to RootsTech 2026, Reflecting on 2025 Achievements

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ANCESTRY^® BLOG

Key Takeaways

RootsTech, a global community event about genealogy, takes place this year March 5-7, 2026—in person and virtually. This year Ancestry focuses on family storytelling.
Unmatched Record Growth in 2025: We massively expanded our archives by adding 4.1 billion new historical records and publishing more than 240 distinct new collections.
DNA Precision in the 2025 Update: Genetic insights reached new heights with over 27 million samples now in our DNA database and a total of 13 million users linking their DNA results directly to their family trees.

In just a few weeks, March 5-7, 2026, Ancestry returns to RootsTech—a gathering of the global genealogy community. This in-person extravaganza takes place in Salt Lake City and virtually around the world.

The energy of RootsTech is truly electric. It's more than just classes and a bustling Expo Hall; it's a worldwide reunion of family history enthusiasts who share a sense of curiosity, a passion for discovery, and the love of a good story.

Whether you’ll be a first-time attendee joining a virtual session or walking the aisles of the Salt Palace Convention Center, Ancestry is committed to making your experience unforgettable.

This year, we’re focused on the art of family storytelling. We'll show you how to utilize our billions of records and innovative tools to move beyond simple data entry, empowering you to craft compelling narratives. Our experts are excited to share our latest innovative techniques about how to weave facts found in records—that simple name on a census, the faded ink of a passenger list—into the starting lines of an amazing ancestor story.

We look forward to seeing you at RootsTech!

Ancestry is a Platinum Sponsor of RootsTech.

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Building on 2025 Successes

As we prepare for RootsTech 2026, it’s also a time to reflect back on all the achievements of 2025. In one word, it was massive!

This past year, we didn't just grow our collection of records and improve our tools—we exploded with new data, new connections, and new ways to understand who you are. The sheer volume of what was accomplished in 2025 can feel a little overwhelming—but in the best way possible. It means the answers you're looking for are more likely to be here than anywhere else. We are proud to be the clear leader in family history.

Billions of New Historical Records

In 2025, we added 4.1 billion new historical records, bringing our total searchable record count to over 70 billion total records on Ancestry. Why does this matter? Because this may lead you to more discoveries about an ancestor through a birth certificate, a census roll, or a military record, or someone else’s family tree—each illustrating more and more of the story of their lives.

You Were Busy, Too

It wasn't just us doing the work. Our community, spanning the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and beyond, was incredibly active. You conducted 1.4 billion searches last year.

And while the Smiths, Joneses, Williamses, Browns, and Johnsons of the world continued to dominate the surname search fields, you were working hard to piece together branches of your family history that might otherwise have been lost. By adding records and images to your family trees, you’ve helped to preserve billions of smiles and candid family moments for future generations.

The DNA Revolution Continues

On the science side, things got even more precise. We connected 1.4 trillion DNA matches in 2025, linking relatives and revealing genetic origins with more clarity than ever. We also added over 1,000 new ancestral journeys and 68 new and updated ancestral regions, so that your origins are more specific than ever and can connect you to over 3,600 places around the world.

But the real magic happens when science meets history. In 2025, we hit a milestone of 13 million users linking their DNA results to a family tree. This isn't just data; it's context. It's seeing exactly how you fit into the wider picture of humanity.

Looking at the numbers from 2025 makes one thing clear: there has never been a better time to be an Ancestry member. Not yet an Ancestry member? Sign up today for a free trial.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Linking your DNA results to your family tree is the "secret sauce" of Ancestry; it allows our ThruLines technology to suggest how you might be related to your DNA matches by finding common ancestors in your trees automatically.
Our hints system automatically scans new collections against your family tree, so if a new record matches your ancestors, you’ll get a shaky leaf hint—but you can also browse the "New Collections" section in the Card Catalog to search them manually.
The more ancestral regions and journeys we have, the more specific we can be about where you and your ancestors came from. Instead of just telling you that you are "European," we can now pinpoint specific locations, sometimes down to a single county or island.

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