# Merging 2 or more trees **URL:** \ **Category:** RootsMagic\ **Tags:** question\ **Created:** [July 16, 2025, 5:11pm UTC](https://community.rootsmagic.com/t/merging-2-or-more-trees/14254 "2025-07-16T17:11:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![TomH](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/community.rootsmagic.com/tomh/32/30_2.png) [@TomH](https://community.rootsmagic.com/u/TomH)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2025, 2:22am UTC](https://community.rootsmagic.com/t/merging-2-or-more-trees/14254/21 "2025-07-20T02:22:02Z")
OK, I understand why you were focused on the transformations of Ancestry GEDCOM via RM. I could not remember if Ancestry-\>GEDCOM-\>Ancestry maintained the Ancestry Sources. Not sure if there is any way around it. The only other approach is using TreeShare to download the two A-Trees to separate RM databases @kevync1985 mentioned, combine via drag’n’drop but, ultimately, you have to have the resulting database disconnected from Ancestry in order to TreeShare up to a new A-Tree. If you exclude media in the upload, it will go faster. It has been 7 years since I was deep-diving into TreeShare ([Ancestry TreeShare – Impact #ancestrycom #TreeShare – SQLite Tools for RootsMagic](https://sqlitetoolsforrootsmagic.com/ancestry-treeshare-impact/)). At that time, it seemed that there was a way to disconnect yet preserve/restore the Ancestry sources in a TreeShare upload to a new A-Tree. ---
**Author:** ![jones6780](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ccd318/32.png) [@jones6780](https://community.rootsmagic.com/u/jones6780)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2025, 3:29am UTC](https://community.rootsmagic.com/t/merging-2-or-more-trees/14254/22 "2025-07-20T03:29:40Z")
When you export from Ancestry it does not include media. I tried to upload using treeshare and quit after 11 hours and only 14% complete. That was a waste of time. I think the only way to use treeshare is to import your gedcom. Then RM does it’s thing and stripes the “SOUR” tag value and there goes your sources. Anytime the gedcom touches RM the source tags are changed/corrupted. I don’t know any way around it. I will read your links provided tomorrow. ---
**Author:** ![CherylC](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/community.rootsmagic.com/cherylc/32/4494_2.png) [@CherylC](https://community.rootsmagic.com/u/CherylC)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2025, 4:24pm UTC](https://community.rootsmagic.com/t/merging-2-or-more-trees/14254/23 "2025-07-20T16:24:40Z")
If you have multiple trees in your database, I’d be cautious about dragging and dropping. It’s discussed here: [Copying trees adds additional people (sometimes)](https://community.rootsmagic.com/t/copying-trees-adds-additional-people-sometimes/13995), including a workaround. The issue has been reported to development but it hasn’t been fixed yet. ---
**Author:** ![Norman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/97f17d/32.png) [@Norman](https://community.rootsmagic.com/u/Norman)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2025, 3:14pm UTC](https://community.rootsmagic.com/t/merging-2-or-more-trees/14254/24 "2025-07-22T15:14:49Z")
I’m a newcomer to Roots Magic 10 (but over 30 years with other family history sites and programs) but have recently helped an Ancestry member to download GEDCOM files of three trees that needed to be merged. It was immediately clear that links to media sources were not compatible with the GEDCOM standard and therefore only those with valid GEDCOM tags could be used by other family history programs. I suspect that if the downloaded tree was uploaded without alteration, then the links would allow the media to be reconnected within Ancestry, not really very useful. Merging these three trees was straightforward, as they consisted of a main tree and two branches. Just removing the duplicate individual records where the branch occurred, allowed a combined tree to be achieved. I used RM 10 and two well know family history programs to experiment with the merge and they all produced an acceptable result, some easier than others. The purpose of the merging was to be able to manipulate the data on a local computer and never to upload it to Ancestry. I had been convinced for many years that the links provided by Ancestry to their images are theirs only, and not within the GEDCOM specification. It is for that reason that all my research is held on a local computer and uploaded to my own website for viewing. I have never used the TreeShare facility so unable to comment on what that can accomplish. ---
**Author:** ![jones6780](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ccd318/32.png) [@jones6780](https://community.rootsmagic.com/u/jones6780)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2025, 3:47pm UTC](https://community.rootsmagic.com/t/merging-2-or-more-trees/14254/25 "2025-07-22T15:47:55Z")
Ancestry source information is changed by RM. There is another free program Ancestris that will validate/correct a gedcom to version 7 and preserve the Ancestry source information. I have requested a refund from RM as it does not do the task that I need. ---
**Author:** ![kfunk](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/community.rootsmagic.com/kfunk/32/68_2.png) [@kfunk](https://community.rootsmagic.com/u/kfunk)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2025, 4:09pm UTC](https://community.rootsmagic.com/t/merging-2-or-more-trees/14254/26 "2025-07-22T16:09:13Z")
> [@jones6780](#): > > I have requested a refund from RM as it does not do the task that I need. Good luck on that. I have yet to meet a software company that refunds money after the software is installed. You should have spent some time working with the FREE trial before making a purchase. ---
**Author:** ![TomH](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/community.rootsmagic.com/tomh/32/30_2.png) [@TomH](https://community.rootsmagic.com/u/TomH)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2025, 5:11pm UTC](https://community.rootsmagic.com/t/merging-2-or-more-trees/14254/27 "2025-07-22T17:11:29Z")
> [@jones6780](#): > > I have requested a refund from RM as it does not do the task that I need. Did RM Inc advertise or promise that it would do precisely what you want? I know that there can be a gap between the marketing department and engineering and there is no question that some of RM’s advertised features leave much to be desired. However, on this one, you may have assumed too much. ---
**Author:** ![rzamor1](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/community.rootsmagic.com/rzamor1/32/8_2.png) [@rzamor1](https://community.rootsmagic.com/u/rzamor1)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2025, 11:03pm UTC](https://community.rootsmagic.com/t/merging-2-or-more-trees/14254/28 "2025-07-22T23:03:32Z")
RootsMagic has a very generous 30 day money back guarantee policy. They need to fill out a certificate of destruction, and remove the program from their computer afterwards. > **[RootsMagic Shipping and Returns](https://rootsmagic.com/Store/Returns/)** ---
**Author:** ![kfunk](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/community.rootsmagic.com/kfunk/32/68_2.png) [@kfunk](https://community.rootsmagic.com/u/kfunk)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2025, 12:24am UTC](https://community.rootsmagic.com/t/merging-2-or-more-trees/14254/29 "2025-07-23T00:24:36Z")
Cool, now I know how to get RM11 for free! Of course I will destroy it! 😉 😉 [Previous page](https://community.rootsmagic.com/t/merging-2-or-more-trees/14254.md?page=1)