 RootsTech 2026 wrap-up highlighting keynote speakers, genealogy innovations, and major announcements from the world’s largest family history conference RootsTech 2026: World’s Largest Family History Event Wrap-up If you don’t know what RootsTech is, it’s the largest family history and genealogy event in the world—celebrating family, connection, and discovery! RootsTech has certainly done it again! That was another fantastic, fun-filled three days. Somehow, they manage to top themselves every year. The RootsTech 2026 event, hosted by FamilySearch, has officially come to an end—but the learning certainly hasn’t. One of the best parts of RootsTech is that the experience continues even after the event. Most of the sessions, keynotes, and Expo Hall content remain available online, and you can revisit the sessions you saved to your playlist for up to three years. So, if you didn’t get to everything during the conference (and let’s be honest—no one ever does!), you still have plenty of time to explore more of the hundreds of sessions available. RootsTech: The Event of the Year, Once Again RootsTech began in 2011 as an in-person genealogy conference in Salt Lake City. Over the years, it has evolved into a truly global event. When the conference went virtual during the pandemic, participation exploded, bringing millions of attendees from around the world together to celebrate family history. Today, RootsTech continues as a hybrid event, combining the excitement of the in-person conference in Salt Lake City with an online experience that allows people from around the world to participate. And once again this year, it did not disappoint. My RootsTech 2026 FavesI attended virtually again this year, which meant I missed a few in-person-only sessions and events, such as MyHeritage’s featured session and connecting with some groups I belong to in person. But even so, I had an amazing experience! I absolutely loved everything about RootsTech—from the keynote speakers, the sessions, and the new theme song “Where You Belong”, to the Relatives at RootsTech feature, the Expo Hall, and the lively chat discussions happening throughout the event. Keynote Speakers All of the keynote speakers were fantastic this year, but a few stood out as my absolute favorites: Marlee Matlin The Academy Award-winning actress and author delivered a powerful and emotional message about inclusion and accessibility in family history. Her words were incredibly moving, emphasizing that representation of our ancestors is powerful—but true inclusion goes beyond that. I’ll admit, I even got a little emotional during her talk. José Hernández The Mexican-American engineer and NASA astronaut shared a powerful and inspiring story about perseverance, family, and dreams. His message about how family stays with you throughout life and shapes who you become was incredibly meaningful. Tara Roberts National Geographic explorer, author, and historian Tara Roberts shared her extraordinary work documenting slave ship wrecks and reconnecting descendants with their ancestral past. Her message about connection—to our ancestors, our communities, and our future selves—was deeply inspiring. The Emcees and General Sessions As always, Kirby Heyborne was a fantastic emcee, bringing energy and humor throughout the event. One of my favorite moments was during the final general session when he learned a simple Irish dancing shuffle live on stage! The final session also included a special performance by the Gardner Brothers, along with a beautiful live performance of the RootsTech theme song in dual languages. Other Favorites Some of my favorite parts of the conference each year are the:
One thing I did miss this year, that they didn’t have, was the Impact Forum, which has been one of my favorite parts of the conference in previous years. Those sessions are always incredibly powerful and meaningful. My Favorite Classes I attended quite a few classes during the three-day conference, and there were some truly excellent speakers and topics this year. Some of my favorite speakers and their topics for being very well organized, clear, concise, thorough, and excellent included: Angela Packer McGhie “The GPS in Practice: Examples of Reasonably Exhaustive Research” Kate Townsend “Planning and Organizing Research Findings for Tough Problems” Dana Palmer “Wanted! Seeking the Identity of Unknown Parents” Katherine Schober “The German Records You May Be Missing” Daniel Horowitz “Genealogy, Upgraded: AI and Smart Tools on MyHeritage” My #1 Favorite Session My absolute favorite class of the entire conference was: Kelley Conner Lear “Question Everything: Sharpen Evaluation, Avoid Assumptions, and Clarify Your Writing” This was not only a fantastic presentation—it was one of the best sessions on the Genealogical Proof Standard (GPS) that I’ve ever seen. GPS presentations can sometimes feel a bit dry, but this one was anything but. The slides were excellent, the presentation was engaging, and the approach to evaluating evidence was incredibly clear and practical. Honestly, her process deserves to be turned into a book—something like “The Simplified GPS.” RootsTech 2026 at a Glance Attendees Participation continues to grow year after year as the global genealogy community expands. Last year they had millions of participants from 235 countries and all 50 states join in person and online, much more than the year before, and I’m sure there were many more this year! Main Stage Highlights
Expo Hall The Expo Hall once again featured many of the biggest names in genealogy and family history technology, including:
Relatives at RootsTech 2026 The Relatives at RootsTech feature is always one of the most fun and unique parts of the event. This year, out of 372,999 participants, I had: 21,897 relatives at RootsTech! It’s always fascinating to see how many distant cousins are attending the event from around the world.  New 2026 Innovations and Tech I Learned About One of the most exciting parts of RootsTech, and what I look forward to the most, each year is learning about the latest innovations and technology shaping the future of genealogy. Here are some of the highlights from this year. FamilySearch FamilySearch continues to push forward with new tools and AI features. Some of the most exciting updates included:
Connect My Variant This innovative nonprofit focuses on connecting relatives who share genetic variants linked to hereditary diseases. Features include:
Goldie May Goldie May introduced a new AI Assistant designed specifically for genealogists. Its capabilities include:
Storied Storied continues to expand its storytelling capabilities. New features include:
Ancestry Ancestry announced several new AI-powered features, including:
FamilyTreeDNA FamilyTreeDNA introduced a new Family Finder test using full genome sequencing, offering deeper insights into ancestry and genetics. LifeWeaver LifeWeaver is a new platform designed to organize digital memories. It can weave together:
MyHeritage MyHeritage introduced several new tools as well:
A Few Final ThoughtsAs always, there was far more content than anyone could possibly experience in just three days. Fortunately, the playlist feature allows you to save sessions and organize them into custom playlists to watch later. Some helpful reminders:
See You at RootsTech 2027!RootsTech will return March 4–6, 2027, and I’m already looking forward to next year’s event. If you missed this year’s conference, it’s not too late to sign up and start watching sessions online for free. Discover Your Story—TogetherDon’t forget that family history isn’t just about discovering names and dates—it’s about connection. Genealogy brings us together with the people who came before us, the relatives we share today, and even those we have yet to meet. Every story we uncover adds another piece to a much larger picture that spans generations. Take time to explore your family’s past and the stories that shaped your life. Connect with relatives, near and distant. Preserve the memories, traditions, and experiences that define your family. Share what you discover so future generations can learn from those who came before them. Because family history is not something we discover alone. It is something we discover together. If you attended RootsTech this year, I’d love to hear about your experience in the comments below. How many Relatives at RootsTech did you have? What were your favorite sessions? Did you find any new tools or features you’re excited to try? Past Rootstech Event HighlightsSee what the past RootsTech highlights were and learn about past and upcoming events under the Genealogy Events category.
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 Ancestry adds “Add Range” year search option for better genealogy results and research accuracy While working on a recent client case, I noticed something new in Ancestry’s search function — a small feature that has been long overdue. You can now click “Add Range” next to any year field and instantly convert it into a start and end year range. Yes. Finally. For those of us who work in genealogy every single day, this is not just a cosmetic update. It solves a very real, very common research frustration. What’s New? When entering a year for:
Click it, and the single year transforms into:
No more having to rely solely on:
It’s clean. It’s simple. It’s practical.
Why This Matters (More Than It Seems) As professional genealogists, we rarely work with perfect years. We work with:
That’s a significant improvement. FamilySearch Has Had This for Years Let’s be honest — FamilySearch has allowed clear year ranges for as long as many of us can remember (at least since I began researching in 2010). Ancestry’s flexibility has often relied more on interpretation than researcher control. This update shifts that balance slightly back into the researcher’s hands. And that’s always a good thing. Real-World Example In the client case I was working on, I needed to search for an event that occurred sometime between:
Instead of running five separate searches or adjusting the +/- tolerance repeatedly, I could simply enter: Start Year: 1847 End Year: 1852 Done. Cleaner results. Less friction. More efficiency. Small Feature. Big Win. Is this groundbreaking? No. Is it necessary? Absolutely. Sometimes the most valuable updates in genealogy research tools aren’t flashy AI rollouts or beta experiments. Sometimes it’s simply giving researchers better control over how we search. And this one? Long overdue. Have you noticed this new addition yet? Have you tested it on a difficult case? I’d love to hear how you’re using it. More Ancestry Updates and FeaturesLearn about more Ancestry updates, tips, tools, and features and other family history and genealogy resources under the Ancestry.com and the Genealogy Resources categories of my blog and on my dedicated Genealogy Resources page.
2/15/2026 From Research Report to Legacy Book: Giving Family History to a Teenager (Without Making It Boring)Read Now Turning professional genealogical research into a meaningful legacy book for a graduation gift Most genealogists know the feeling. Hand a fully sourced, carefully written research report to someone in their 60s or 70s, and they may read every page. They’ve reached a stage of life where identity, legacy, and connection to the past feel deeply personal. Hand that same report to a 17-year-old about to graduate high school… and it may never be opened. So what happens when family history is meant to be a graduation gift? That was the question behind a recent Legacy Book project I completed for a godmother who wanted to give her goddaughter something meaningful for graduation — something lasting. Not a gift card. Not a piece of jewelry. But her story. And that required a very different approach. The Reality of Audience There is nothing wrong with a formal genealogical report. In fact, I firmly believe in them. They document the work. They preserve the evidence. They protect professional standards. But a 75-page report full of citations, research logs, and formal analysis is not the same thing as a legacy gift — especially for someone just stepping into adulthood. Younger generations are not necessarily less interested in family history. They are simply at a different stage of identity formation. They are building careers, friendships, and independence. They are not usually searching for ancestral closure. If we want them to engage, we have to meet them where they are. That means shifting from documentation to storytelling. Professional Standards vs. Presentation Within the genealogical community, there is often an expectation that professional work must include a formal report with full citations, analysis, and documentation — and I agree with that standard. For this project, I completed all of that. There is a fully documented research report. There are source citations. There are timelines and supporting materials. But that documentation was not the presentation layer. The gift book was not the research report. It was the story built from the research. There is a difference. One documents. The other resonates. Both matter. What I Included (and What I Didn’t) The Legacy Book included:
The documentation exists — it just doesn’t interrupt the story. A teenager does not need to read footnotes to understand that her ancestors were resilient, determined, and strong. She needs to feel it. Using AI as a Writing Assistant This project also reflected something I’ve been exploring more intentionally in my work: the use of AI as a structuring tool. I used ChatGPT to help:
AI did not conduct the research. It did not interpret the records. It did not draw conclusions. It helped structure and polish storytelling based on research I had already completed and verified. Used responsibly, AI is not a replacement for professional genealogical work. It is a drafting assistant — much like an editor, style guide, or writing tool. And in a project like this, where tone and engagement really matter, it proved useful. Why This Matters If we only prepare family history for those already deeply interested in it, we risk waiting until stories are nearly gone. What if we introduced legacy earlier? At graduation. At marriage. At major life transitions. What if family history became something that accompanied identity formation instead of something pursued only in retirement? This project reminded me that genealogy is not just about preserving the past. It is about placing that past gently into the hands of the future. And sometimes, the most professional thing we can do is tell the story in a way that invites someone in — rather than overwhelms them. A Personal Reflection This book will likely mean different things at different stages of her life. At 17, she may appreciate the strength and determination. At 27, she may notice the sacrifices. At 37, she may see herself reflected in the generations before her. That is the beauty of legacy work. Research preserves facts. Storytelling carries them forward. And when done thoughtfully, you can uphold professional standards while still creating something that feels personal, accessible, and deeply human. Because in the end, genealogy is not just about the past. It’s about belonging. Some Examples from the Legacy BookMore Publishing Your Family HistoryLearn about more ways to publish your family history and genealogy under the Publishing Your Family History category.
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Author, Diane HenriksHi, I'm Diane Henriks, a professional genealogist, speaker, author, investigator, and the founder of Know Who Wears the Genes in Your Family who... Know Who Wears the Genes in Your Family: Family History and Genealogy BlogI hope my family history and genealogy blog on genealogy research tips, resources, events, and more, along with my own genealogy journeys, will help you in your research and in building your family tree to learn more about your ancestors and family history to preserve for future generations to come! Categories
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