Use the My Quick Links Bookmarks at Ancestry.com

Bookmarking frequently used websites can be a boon to our research. I posted about how I organize and use bookmarks in my Google Chrome browser at http://blog.genealogyguys.com/search/label/Bookmarks. However, there is another bookmark facility that I use all the time ... at Ancestry.com.

As an Ancestry.com subscriber, you should have a My Quick Links area on the right side of the page. This is an excellent place to add bookmarks to the things you frequently use when you're working in Ancestry. It's easy to add to the list and you can link to web addresses of databases within Ancestry and anywhere on the Internet.

Here is a shot of the My Quick Links I use. My first link is the Ancestry Card Catalog because I use it all the time to search for databases there. I've also included my most frequently used databases so that I can quickly navigate there without having to use the Card Catalog or drilling down through database/collection menus. For example, I'm always using the U.S. Census Records collection, the SSDI and the Social Security Apps & Claims, 1936-2007, and the U.S. Wills & Probate database (and yes, I have two links to different collections).

I am originally from North Carolina and have many family members who lived - and died - there. An indexed image database I use often is the North Carolina Death Certificates, 1909-1976. It provides a wealth of information about the individuals, including their death date and location and the date and place of burial.

You can add many links so that you can quickly access those collections you use a great deal.



It's easy to add a link. Simply navigate to the database you want to link to and copy the URL from your browser. Then go back to the main Ancestry page and click on the Add a Link button. You'll be presented with the  window shown below. Paste the URL you copied into the Web Address box. (Notice the e.g. sample for format.) Then add a meaningful name so you'll recognize it in the list. I typically use the Ancestry database name for convenience. A Save button will appear. Click on that button and the link will be added to the bottom of your list. You can then click and drag the name anywhere in the list to organize the links as you like.

The My Quick Links is not limited to just Ancestry.com links. You can add any URL to your list for anywhere on the Internet. I decided to add a link to our podcast site and a link to Cyndi's List. I copied and pasted the URL into the Web Address box and typed in the name and then clicked the Save button.

The new links were added to My Quick Links as shown below. The icon to the left of the link name indicates were the link is located. The Ancestry logo indicates that it is a link into their site; a bookmark ribbon loo indicates the link is another on the Internet.

I'm now ready to expedite my navigation from with Ancestry.com to specific databases or elsewhere on the Internet. If you ever want to delete one of the links, click on the trash can icon at the right of the name.

Try the My Quick Links facility for yourself. I know you'll find it is a great time saver.