Link to Ancestry sources from RM citation

RootsMagic
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How do I link to an Ancestry source citation in RM? I see the source (a family history book) and I see the Footnote/short footnote and Bibliography as cited in Ancestry, but I don’t see a link to access it. Does this mean I have to go back to Ancestry and search for the book from there each time I want to reference it? I’d really like to access it directly from RM. Is that possible?

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This is what Gemini said so…

While Ancestry’s TreeShare brings over the citation text and maps the underlying connection, RootsMagic treats the Footnote, Short Footnote, and Bibliography fields strictly as text templates meant for report generation—meaning they don’t automatically render as clickable hyperlinks in the user interface.

To access the source directly from RootsMagic with a single click, you can use WebTags.

How to Add a Direct Link Using WebTags

RootsMagic allows you to attach web links directly to individual citations so you can jump straight to the online record:

  1. Copy the URL: Go to Ancestry in your browser, navigate to the specific book or record page, and copy the web address (URL) from your browser’s address bar.

  2. Open the Citation in RootsMagic: Navigate to the person, open their facts, and click on the citation to open the Citation Edit screen (or open it from the main Sources list).

  3. Add a WebTag:

    • Look for the WebTags section or icon associated with that specific citation.

    • Click Add WebTag (or the + sign in the WebTags panel).

    • Paste the Ancestry URL into the URL field and give it a descriptive name (e.g., “Ancestry Book Record”).

  4. Save: Save your changes.

Once added, that citation will carry a live, clickable web link right inside RootsMagic. Whenever you view that citation, you can click the WebTag to instantly open your browser directly to the exact page on Ancestry without needing to search for it again.

Alternative Quick Workarounds

  • Detail Comment / Research Notes: You can also paste the URL directly into the Detail Comment or Research Notes field within the citation window. While some versions/fields may require a quick copy-paste into your browser rather than being a hot link, it keeps the URL permanently stored right next to the citation details.

  • Custom Source Templates: If you regularly cite online books or databases, you can edit or create a custom source template that includes a dedicated URL field as part of the citation structure itself.

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Thank you so much for that reply!

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