How to Use Your AncestryDNA Results to Learn More About Your Family
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If you’ve taken the plunge and sent in your DNA test, you’re probably staring at your results, wondering what they really mean. Learning how to use your AncestryDNA results is one of the most exciting steps in family history research, but it can also feel overwhelming at first. With the right approach, those percentages, maps, and long lists of DNA matches can turn into real stories about your ancestors.
Hi, I’m Jessica. Genealogist, researcher, and your guide here at Heritage Discovered. I help people make sense of their DNA results and uncover the stories hiding in their family trees. Whether you’re exploring New England, Quebec, or Hawaiian roots, I’m here to help you move forward with confidence.
In this post, I’ll walk you through what your AncestryDNA results can (and can’t) tell you, how to interpret ethnicity estimates and DNA matches, and ways to stay organized as you connect the dots.
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What AncestryDNA Can (and Can’t) Tell You
Your AncestryDNA results are a powerful tool, but they’re not a crystal ball. Here’s what they can do:
Show you your ethnicity estimates based on regions of the world and which parent you inherited those regions from, even if they haven’t taken a test..
Give you a list of DNA matches, the people who share segments of DNA with you.
Connect you with close and distant cousins, many of whom have family trees online.
But here’s what they can’t do:
Provide you with your full family tree.
Guarantee the exact percentage of your ancestry from any one region (the estimates shift as Ancestry updates its science).
Replace good, old-fashioned records research in archives and libraries.
Think of DNA as a flashlight. It helps illuminate hidden corners of your tree, but you still need a map to guide the journey.
Understanding Your Ethnicity Estimate and DNA Regions
Most people log in for the first time and head straight for their ethnicity estimate. It’s fun to see percentages pop up. For example, 23% Irish, 10% Indigenous Americas, and 42% French.. But those numbers are estimates, not absolutes.
Here’s how to make the most of them:
Focus on the regions, not the numbers. Whether your French Canadian result says 38 percent or 42 percent, the important takeaway is that you do have ancestry in that region.
Explore the migration stories. Ancestry often provides narratives about how groups of people moved across the world and immigrated. These stories can point you toward specific time periods and locations to explore.
Compare with family stories. Maybe you’ve heard about a Scottish great-grandmother. Does your DNA back that up, or suggest another possibility?
Ethnicity estimates are a starting point, not an ending point.
How to Navigate and Interpret Your DNA Matches
The real magic of learning how to use your AncestryDNA results comes from your DNA matches. These are (mostly) living people who share DNA with you, which means you have a common ancestor somewhere up the line.
Here’s how I recommend approaching them:
Sort by relationship closeness. Your closest matches will usually be parents, siblings, or cousins you already know. From there, look at second, third, and fourth cousin matches to build out your research.
Look at the amount of DNA shared. Ancestry shows shared centimorgans (cM), a type of measurement used for DNA, which help estimate how closely related you might be. For example, 200 cM might mean a second cousin once removed.
Check if they have trees. Even a small, public tree can give you clues to shared ancestors.
Each of these steps helps you move from raw numbers to real family connections. Think of your DNA matches as puzzle pieces. On their own, they may not show the full picture, but together they reveal patterns, relationships, and stories you can follow up with records.
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Using Shared Matches and Trees to Build Your Network
Shared matches are one of the most valuable features in AncestryDNA. If you and another match both share DNA with a third person, you know the three of you likely connect on the same branch of your tree.
Here’s how to use them:
Cluster your matches. Group together people who share DNA with one another. These clusters usually represent a particular ancestral line. Ancestry’s color-coding feature makes this easy. I group my matches by great-grandparent line.
Compare trees. Look for common surnames, locations, or even occupations.
Build hypotheses. If a lot of the people on a match’s tree trace back to Quebec, you can hypothesize that your connection is on your French Canadian side.
This technique can quickly narrow down which side of the family a mystery match belongs to.
Tips for Contacting DNA Matches the Right Way
Reaching out to matches can feel intimidating, but it’s worth it. The key is to be friendly, clear, and respectful of their time.
Here are a few tips:
Start with a compliment. If they have a tree, thank them for making it public.
Be specific. Mention the amount of DNA you share and a possible connection (“We share 87 cM, which might make us third cousins. I noticed we both have ancestors from Vermont, do you know if your line connects to the Neaves family?”).
Keep it short. Nobody wants to read a novel in their first message.
Offer to share information. I like to encourage people to reply by offering to share photos or other family information that I have.
Be patient. Not everyone logs in regularly, so it might take weeks or months for a reply.
The goal isn’t necessarily to get information from them right away, but to make a connection and build trust. You can have some wonderful experiences connecting with cousins who share old family photos you’ve never seen before — all because you sent a short, polite message.
Organizing Your DNA Research with Charts and Logs
Once you start working with your matches, it’s easy to lose track of who’s who. That’s why I always recommend using simple charts and research logs.
Some ideas:
DNA match tracker. Keep a genealogy tracker with names, shared cMs, tree availability, and notes.
Cluster charts. Use color-coding to group matches by ancestral line.
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When to Bring in a Genealogist to Help with DNA Analysis
Sometimes, despite your best efforts, the puzzle pieces don’t quite fit. That’s when bringing in a genealogist can make a huge difference.
Here’s when it might be the right step:
You’ve hit a brick wall with your DNA matches.
You’re adopted or suspect an unknown parent or grandparent and need careful, sensitive research.
You want to combine DNA results with traditional records to prove a lineage.
I’ve worked with clients who felt stuck for years, but once we combined their DNA results with church records, notarial documents, or town archives, everything clicked into place.
If you’re in that spot, consider scheduling a free 20-minute consultation with me. We can talk about where you’re stuck and whether a research package or a one-on-one “Pick a Genealogist’s Brain” session would be the best fit.
How to Use Your AncestryDNA Results
Learning how to use your AncestryDNA results is a journey, not a one-time project. Your ethnicity estimate gives you broad strokes, your DNA matches fill in the details, and your research logs keep everything organized. Along the way, you will find new cousins, uncover forgotten stories, and maybe even solve mysteries that have been hiding in plain sight.
Take it step by step, celebrate small wins, and remember that DNA is just one piece of your family history. When you pair it with records, archives, and maybe some professional guidance, you will get the clearest picture yet of where you come from.
If you want a partner for the next step, I would love to help you turn your AncestryDNA clues into an action plan (and do the heavy lifting with records and archives for you). Book a free 20-minute consultation, choose a research package, or try a Pick a Genealogist’s Brain session to focus on a specific DNA question. We’ll review your matches, map out your priorities, and outline exactly how to move forward, together.