A free manual log for genetic genealogy research notes

DNA match research log.

Keep an alias, the database you checked and what you still need to investigate beside each match note. Separate a service’s reported label from the family records you have compared and the connection you are considering.

Up to 20 matches · Text download · Blank or filled printing · No account

Getting the worksheet ready…

Your DNA-match notes stay in this page’s memory. They are not uploaded or autosaved: refreshing or closing clears them. Download text or print before leaving. Keep reported labels and family-record evidence separate.

Keep each match note beside its sources

Start with one research note and add up to twenty. Record a database, what it displayed and which family records you still need to compare. Every field is optional; the worksheet does not calculate a relationship.

Worksheet title (optional)Choose a match

Match 1

Match alias or research label

Use an alias or short label you can recognize. Include only details you are permitted to keep.

Testing database or list

Name the database or list where you saw the match. Writing its name does not connect an account.

Date you checked the match

Keep the date of your observation separate from dates in family records.

Shared DNA as reported

If useful, copy the value and units exactly as displayed. Leave an unavailable value blank; the log does not interpret it.

Relationship label as reported

Identify whose label this is, such as a service label or your provisional note. Keep it separate from a documented connection.

Documentary research and proposed connection

Keep the family records you compared beside the connection you are investigating. Separate a source statement from your interpretation.

Shared-match aliases and context

Use aliases and identify the database and date behind an observation. Keep a suggested group provisional.

Uncertainty and other explanations

Keep missing evidence and competing possibilities visible. A service label or shared surname is not a conclusion supplied by this worksheet.

Source references and versions checked

Identify the list or report consulted and precise references for the family records. Note which version and date you checked.

Next source or research question

Choose a source or comparison that could clarify the question. This is only your note; it does not send a message.

DNA match research log

Keep reported match details, family-record sources and open questions together.

Made with MemoirWell · memoirwell.com/tools/dna-match-research-log

Match 1

Match alias or research label — match 1

Testing database or list — match 1

Date you checked the match — match 1

Shared DNA as reported — match 1

Relationship label as reported — match 1

Documentary research and proposed connection — match 1

Shared-match aliases and context — match 1

Uncertainty and other explanations — match 1

Source references and versions checked — match 1

Next source or research question — match 1

What should a DNA match log keep track of?

A log gives you a place to return to the same research question without relying on memory. Genealogy Explained’s spreadsheet guide discusses recording match usernames, testing databases and research notes. The Shy Genealogist’s account of a working tracker describes adapting notes and shared-match references as research changes. This original worksheet organizes your notes without reproducing either template.

Keep observations and conclusions separate

Record where and when you saw a match. If you keep a reported value or relationship label, identify its source and preserve the wording. In a separate field, write which family records support the connection you are investigating and which questions remain open. Entries stay in the order you add them.

A fictional example

Match alias: Maple A. Database: an invented example list, checked today. Reported label: copied into my private notes as displayed. Research note: I have not compared the original records behind a suggested tree. Next check: Find that record and keep its exact reference. The worksheet holds the question open and adds no relationship conclusion.

Before you save your DNA-match notes

Is this a free printable DNA match log template?

Yes. Print one blank entry with handwriting lines or type up to twenty match notes. Filled printing includes entries with anything written, including an unnamed entry with only a source. Original entry numbers remain and untouched extras are skipped.

Does it calculate relationships or analyze DNA files?

You enter the notes yourself. The log does not accept genetic files, connect to testing services, calculate shared DNA, estimate relationships or identify people. A reported label stays a reported label; you evaluate the evidence outside this worksheet.

Does it send messages to matches?

No. The next-question field only keeps your note. Use the separate genealogy correspondence log for a request you chose to send elsewhere. There are no messages, invitations or account connections here.

Are my notes uploaded or saved automatically?

They stay only in this page’s memory. They are not uploaded or autosaved; refreshing or closing clears them. Download text or print before leaving. Use aliases if they serve your research and include only details you are permitted to keep. Saved text or PDF copies cannot reopen here as editable entries.

Can I print from the editor or save a PDF?

Yes. Choose Review my log and Print or save PDF, or use your browser’s print command while editing. Check Letter or A4 in the preview. Each additional entry starts on a new page, and long notes can continue onto further pages. Clear and Undo affect the selected match note.

Keep a remembered story beside your research

Save this log first. MemoirWell’s separate guided interview can help develop your own memory into an AI-assisted draft chapter to check and edit. These research notes are not transferred automatically.

Start a free first chapter

Download or print before leaving this page.