FamilySearch Expands Full-Text Records Search Beyond Labs

Exploring FamilySearch’s updated Full-Text Records Search

FamilySearch has officially moved one of its most exciting experimental features out of the Labs section and into its main platform! As of August 28, 2025, the Full-Text Records Search is now available directly under the “Search” dropdown on FamilySearch—no sign-up for Labs required.

This new tool, powered by artificial intelligence (AI), allows researchers to search the actual text within digitized historical records. Until now, many of these records have never been searchable beyond basic index entries, meaning important details could easily be overlooked. With Full-Text Records Search, FamilySearch has opened the door to uncovering hidden names, places, and details buried in handwritten or printed documents.

What’s New?

When FamilySearch first launched this feature in the Labs earlier this year, only two record groups were available for testing—U.S. Land and Probate Records and Mexico Notary Records. Now that the tool has been officially released, the coverage has expanded significantly. Instead of just a handful of collections, dozens of record collections are now searchable, with more being added over time.

This means researchers can now run searches across a much broader range of records and potentially uncover new information that traditional indexing might have missed.

👉 Want to see how this feature looked when it first launched in FamilySearch Labs? Check out my original post from March 2024 here.

How It Works

Using the Full-Text Records Search is simple:

1. Go to FamilySearch.org.
2. Hover over the “Search” dropdown.
3. Select “Full-Text Records Search.”
4. Enter names, places, or keywords just as you would in a standard search.

The tool will scan the entire text of digitized records, not just indexes, and return matching results.
Even better, each result comes with:

• The original record image
• A full transcript of the text
• The option to download the transcript for your research files

FamilySearch Full-Text Records Search Example- Land Records for My 4th Great Grandfather, Samuel Taylor

Why This Matters

For genealogists, this update is a game-changer. Many records have never been fully indexed, leaving important context, witnesses, property details, and family connections hidden in plain sight. AI-driven full-text searching brings these details forward, helping you:

• Spot extended family members listed in land transactions or probate files
• Identify connections in notary records across Mexico and other regions
• Access downloadable transcripts for easier reading and citing

With this new tool, FamilySearch has made exploring historical records faster, deeper, and far more productive.

Try It Today

If you tested this feature back when it was in the Labs, you’ll be thrilled to see how much it has grown. And if this is your first time trying it—prepare to be amazed at the details you can now uncover in your family history research.
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Head over to FamilySearch and try the Full-Text Records Search today, with your free FamilySearch Account. You never know what hidden discovery is waiting to be found!

Full-Text Search

More FamilySearch Updates, Features, and Tools

Learn about other FamilySearch updates and features to help in your family history and genealogy research under the FamilySearch category and on my dedicated Genealogy Resources page.

​More Genealogy Resources

Learn about other family history and genealogy resources under the Genealogy Resources category and on my dedicated Genealogy Resources page.