Are you curious to know how to create, edit and delete custom groups on Ancestry? In this post we cover exactly how this feature can help keep your DNA list organized.
Ancestry’s Custom Group feature can be easily accessed directly from its main DNA match list page, while your complete DNA match list can be seen by selecting “All matches” under your Parent tab.
What Is an Ancestry Custom Group? An Ancestry Custom Group allows you to assign one or more DNA matches in your Ancestry DNA match list a personalized label or tag from among a preselected selection of colors available on Ancestry DNA match lists. You can assign any group you create an identifying color from their preset options list of preset colors available to choose from when creating their Custom Group label or tag.
Once you create a custom group, you can manually assign DNA matches to that group. Some people use custom groups to organize matches by pairs of ancestors, groups of cousins, mystery matches or matches they are researching – among other uses.
How Can Custom Groups Benefit My DNA Matches? By creating custom groups, creating custom groups is a good way to organize large numbers of DNA matches efficiently, save time in future research on new matches, and keep track of any information learned thus far.
As soon as this feature was made available, I developed the habit of assigning my DNA matches into custom groups. On my list, I have created groups consisting of pairs and single ancestors as well as those possibly descended from an “unknown ancestor”.
Custom labeling is an invaluable way of organizing matches and remembering their relationships. Before I began custom labeling my matches, I often had difficulty recalling how each was related without including notes about each or adding them to my family tree.
Custom groups for matches can also help you discern how new DNA matches may relate to you. For instance, if a new DNA match falls within a custom group that descended from one set of ancestors, using that as an indicator, may give an idea as to the extent to which you might share DNA ancestry and therefore could potentially connect.
Do DNA matches know they’re part of my custom groups?
No. No one but those you have given direct access can see notes and labels you place on their Ancestry DNA match lists, including group labels that you have added.
How Many Custom Groups Are Possible
Ancestry currently allows its DNA customers to create up to 24 custom groups, each assigned a color that makes their visuals distinct. With 24 custom groups available for us to label for our great-great grandparents individually while having several extra in reserve for more distant ancestors or matches that we want to research further.
How to Create a Custom Group on Ancestry DNA Results
Creating a new Custom Group on your Ancestry DNA match list is straightforward. Simply navigate from your main list of DNA matches, click Groups button and then press downward “caret” symbol to create one.
Once clicked, a dialog box will appear with options to “Create custom group”. Here you can name and customize the color of your new custom group – ideal for color coding groups!
Importantly, the “Groups” button on your DNA match list allows you to filter out matches that do not interest you by creating custom groups and clicking on the Groups button – then selecting which custom groups would like displayed from there.
This feature will filter out any unrelated matches and display only those members that you have assigned to a custom group.
How Can I Change the Name and Color of a Custom Group
There may come times when you want to modify the name or color of a custom group you created yourself. Perhaps you discovered that DNA matches that you initially assigned to both great-great grandparents are actually descended only by your great-great grandfather! In these instances, changing its name or color might be appropriate.
Consequently, you may wish to change the name of the group in order to reflect this transition.
To do so, access the group name editing screen. First, scroll down your DNA match list until you find an unassigned match, click on its Plus (+) icon and add them.
Once selected, a small menu will open allowing you to add this match into a group. Select this option to bring up a list of custom groups where you can edit their names.
On a desktop or laptop computer, a menu will appear to the right of your screen that lists your custom groups in alphabetical order. When editing any one of them, there will be an icon featuring a small, grey pencil pen – click there!
Once that screen opens up, you can change the name and color of your Custom Group as you please before pressing “Save.”
Name or color changes do not impact any DNA matches you have assigned to a custom group, only the name or color change does. To remove people from a group, filter your DNA match list so only people in that particular group appear, then remove those matches who no longer belong in this particular category manually.
How to delete custom groups of DNA matches on Ancestry
At times it may become necessary for you to delete one of the Custom Groups you have created on Ancestry. Simply follow the same procedure used for accessing your list of Custom Groups shown earlier and select “Delete Group.” The grey pencil icon next to any group that needs deleting will turn red when selected and the “Delete group” option will become visible for selection.
Removing a custom group label that you have created does not delete DNA matches on Ancestry; however, you can hide specific DNA matches if desired.
By deleting a custom group label, all DNA matches contained within will be released back into your main list and may be assigned individually into new groups or assigned back into existing ones.
Conclusion
We hope that this post has provided you with all the knowledge you need to create, delete and edit custom groups of DNA matches on Ancestry results. This feature is extremely beneficial and allows you to stay organized so you can make the most out of all of them.
If you have any inquiries or would like to share how your family uses custom groups on Ancestry, or would like some input in the form of comments below. I welcome all your thoughts!
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