Uncover your past with AncestryDNA^®

Have questions?

Get answers to some common questions.

• How secure and private is AncestryDNA?

  Your privacy is important to us. We use industry standard security practices to store your DNA sample, your DNA test results, and other personal data you provide to us. In addition, we store your DNA test results and DNA sample without your name or other common identifying information. You own your DNA data. At any time, you can choose to download raw DNA data, have us delete your DNA test results as described in the AncestryDNA Privacy Statement, or have us destroy your physical DNA saliva sample. We do not share with third parties your name or other common identifying information linked to your genetic data, except as legally required or with your explicit consent.
  
  For more information on privacy at AncestryDNA, see the AncestryDNA Privacy Statement and visit our Privacy Center.

• Why would I take the AncestryDNA test?

  AncestryDNA is a cutting edge DNA testing service that utilizes some of the latest autosomal testing technology to revolutionize the way you discover your family history. This service combines advanced DNA science with the world's largest online family history resource to predict your genetic ethnicity and help you find new family connections. It maps ethnicity going back multiple generations and provides insight into such possibilities as: what region of Europe are my ancestors from, or am I likely to have East Asian heritage? AncestryDNA can also help identify relationships with unknown relatives through a dynamic list of DNA matches.

• What will my results tell me?

  Your AncestryDNA results include information about your ethnicity across 1400 regions and identifies potential relatives through DNA matching to others who have taken the AncestryDNA test. Your results are a great starting point for more family history research, and it can also be a way to dig even deeper into the research you've already done.

• Can AncestryDNA tell me about my Native American ethnicity?

  The AncestryDNA test may predict if you are at least partly Native American, which includes some tribes that are indigenous to North America, including the U.S., Canada and Mexico. The results do not currently provide a specific tribal affiliation. (Please note that your AncestryDNA ethnicity results cannot be used as a substitute for legal documentation.)

• How do I take the test?

  AncestryDNA is a simple saliva test you can do in the comfort of your own home. Once you order, you will receive the AncestryDNA kit in the mail in a matter of days. Your AncestryDNA kit includes full instructions, a saliva collection tube, and a pre-paid return mailer (so you don't have additional costs to return your DNA.) After returning your sample by just dropping it in the mail, your DNA is processed at the lab. You then receive an email notifying you that your results are ready to explore on the AncestryDNA website.

• How large is the AncestryDNA database?

  AncestryDNA is the leader in DNA testing for family history and includes more than 18 million people who have taken the AncestryDNA test as well as the ability to access Ancestry, the world's largest online family history resource, which includes millions of family trees and over 20 billion historical records.

• How long does it take to get my results?

  Your AncestryDNA test results will normally take about 6-8 weeks to process from the time that the lab receives your DNA sample. Due to high demand, results may take longer than 8 weeks. Please note that you must also activate your DNA kit online in order to begin processing.

• How do I see my results?

  When your AncestryDNA results are ready, you will receive an email from AncestryDNA notifying you, with a link to view your results. Your results will also be available online in your password-protected AncestryDNA account.

• What technology is behind this new service?

  The AncestryDNA test uses microarray-based autosomal DNA testing, which surveys a person's entire genome at over 700,000 locations, all with a simple saliva sample. Additionally, the new online interface integrates state-of-the art tools for you to utilize your DNA results for family history research.

• Can a woman take this test?

  Yes, both women and men can use AncestryDNA since we all carry the DNA that is being tested. In fact, men and women are tested in the same way for the same number of markers. Unlike some other DNA tests, which only analyze the Y-chromosome (and can only be taken by a male to look at your direct paternal lineage) or mitochondrial DNA (can be taken by a male or female but only looks at your direct maternal lineage), AncestryDNA looks at a person's entire genome at over 700,000 locations.