In this Goal you will learn how to merge duplicate ancestors in the tree.
Duplicate entries for ancestors have been added over time to Family Tree. To eliminate duplicates, you can merge two similar entries for an ancestor, keeping the information in just one entry. If you would like to practice making changes on a test family tree that will not affect the data on FamilySearch, visit beta.familysearch.org. The test data in that tree is re-populated from FamilySearch each December.
Use the Find Similar People feature in FamilySearch to look for duplicate records. This feature is found in the Details tab of the Person page, in the Tools tile (right side).
Merging duplicate entries can be a complicated process, so use caution. There are many places in the Family Tree where duplicate appear that may not be shown on the Person page.
Open the Person page for an ancestor who may have duplicate entries in Family Tree. Possible Duplicates in the Family Tree most frequently appear in the Research Help section of an individual's Person page, although the notices may also appear while adding new people to the Family Tree and in other circumstances.
Click Possible Duplicate to see a link to its entry.
Click Review Merge to determine if the matching person is a duplicate or merely someone with similar information.
(Step 1 of 3) Look at the entries on the left and right sides of the screen (see the example below). Scroll down to see all of the matching information, including sources (which can be opened to show details). The entries on the left will be be deleted when a merge is done; the entries on the right will be preserved. Be sure to read any merge warnings or information items that may appear in the top banner.
If the person on the right is not a possible duplicate, click Not a Match (upper right) to return to Family Tree. You can click any of the links on the either screen to see more details. If the person on the right might be a duplicate, click Yes Continue. The Step 2 screen appears, as shown below.
(Step 2 of 3) If there are any items in the left screen that should replace corresponding items in the right screen, click Replace for each of the items. Items on the left that do not have corresponding items on the right will be automatically pulled into the right screen. If you see any of these items in the right screen that need to be removed, click Undo for the items. Be sure to scroll down to review all items; then click Continue. The Step 3 screen appears, as shown below.
(Step 3 of 3) Review all entries in the Confirm screen. If you need to make additional changes, click Back (upper left) to make the edits and then return to this screen. In the box that is provided, type a reason for the merge. (You can click Add to use one of the suggested reason statements.) When you are ready, click Finish Merge. A summary of your merge appears in Latest Changes for the person (right side of the Person page).
Merge Analysis View
You can use FamilySearch's Merge Analysis to see additional details for people who have been merged, such as relationships and sources.
To use the Merge Analysis view,
In a person's Profile, click Latest Changes on the right side and select Show All.
Look for a merge that has been done, and click Merge Analysis.
For more details on using Merge Analysis, read this blog article.
BYU—To Merge or Not to Merge—50:42 - 2020
FS—Quick Start, Family Tree (p.5-6) - 2014 
