For everyone who wants their family's story to last
The research you're building deserves to be trusted.
You're not just collecting names and dates. You're building something your family will carry forward for generations. Threadmark shows you exactly where your research is solid — and where it needs strengthening — so the story you leave behind is one worth trusting.
- Family data never stored
- Honest, consistent scoring
- No signup to try
Sample research check
A 4,218-person family tree
Good foundation.
Most of the research is solid. 35 specific gaps to address.
- Research coverage
- 82%
- Source documentation
- 61%
- Evidence analysis
- 74%
- Conflict resolution
- 55%
- Written conclusions
- 40%
14 individuals are missing source citations for birth events. GPS-02 requires complete documentation for all claims.
Why this matters
A family tree is more than a list of names.
Every person in your tree was someone's whole world. The great-great-grandmother who crossed an ocean. The grandfather who never talked about the war. The aunt who kept every letter anyone ever sent her.
You're not just doing research. You're preserving evidence that these people existed — that their lives mattered, that the thread connecting them to you is real and documented and true.
That work deserves to be built on solid ground. Not because a certification requires it — but because the people who come after you deserve to inherit something they can trust and build on.
What the standard actually asks
What makes research trustworthy?
Professional genealogists use a framework called the Genealogical Proof Standard to evaluate whether research is credible. You don't need to know the name to understand what it's asking — it's really just five common-sense questions about your work.
- GPS-01
Did you look everywhere reasonable?
Not just one source — census records, vital records, church records, newspapers, military files. Thorough research leaves fewer gaps for doubt.
- GPS-02
Did you document where you found it?
Every claim in your tree should point to a real source. Not just 'Ancestry' — the specific record, repository, and citation.
- GPS-03
Did you analyze what you found?
Sources don't always agree. Good research examines what each source says, where it came from, and how much weight to give it.
- GPS-04
Did you resolve the contradictions?
Two records say different birth years. Which is right? Credible research addresses conflicts directly rather than ignoring them.
- GPS-05
Did you write down your reasoning?
The conclusion should be explained — not just asserted. Future researchers (including your own family) need to understand how you got there.
Threadmark checks your family file against all five of these — automatically — and tells you exactly which ones your research already meets, and which ones need more work. No prior knowledge required.
Privacy
Your family's story never leaves your session.
Your GEDCOM file contains real people — living relatives, sensitive records, private family information. Threadmark processes it in memory. Once your scan is complete, the file is deleted. We never store your file, never retain your family's data, and never use your tree to train AI models.
This is a promise, not a policy footnote.
How it works
Three steps from uncertainty to a plan.
- 01
Export your family file
Export your tree as a GEDCOM file from any platform — Ancestry, FamilySearch, RootsMagic, or any other genealogy software. If you've been building a tree, you already have one.
- 02
Upload and get your score
Threadmark checks every individual, event, source, and relationship against the five research standards. Most trees complete in seconds. Your file is deleted once the scan is done.
- 03
Know exactly what to do next
You get a prioritised list of specific, named gaps — not a vague grade. Each one links to a plain-English explanation of the standard behind it.
What you get
A clear picture, not a vague grade.
Consistent, honest scoring
The same family file always produces the same score. No guesswork, no AI interpretation in the audit — just a clear, rules-based picture of where your research stands.
Issue-level precision
Threadmark doesn't just give you a number. It finds every specific gap — a missing source on your great-grandmother's birth, a date conflict in your grandfather's military record — by person, by event.
Optional AI assistance
Once your score is ready, optional AI tools build a research roadmap across your findings and help you work through conflicting evidence. They never change your score — they just help you act on it.
Exportable reports
Export a clean PDF or document of your audit — to keep for your own records, share with family, or use as a working checklist for your next research session.
Works with any platform
Export your GEDCOM from Ancestry, FamilySearch, RootsMagic, MacFamilyTree, Gramps, or any other genealogy software. Threadmark reads them all.
Learn as you go
Every result links to a plain-English explanation of the standard it's measuring. You don't need to know the GPS before you start — Threadmark teaches you as it works.
Who it's for
Built for the serious hobbyist.
You don't need a credential to care about doing this right. If you've spent years building your tree, Threadmark shows you exactly where the documentation gaps are — so the research you leave behind is something your family can trust, build on, and eventually turn into the stories they'll tell about where they came from.
No jargon required
Threadmark explains everything in plain English as it works. You'll learn what the standards mean by seeing how your own research measures up — not by reading a textbook first.
Clean data is the foundation
Once you know what's solid and what's uncertain, you know what's worth writing about and what still needs work. That clarity is the point.
Pricing
The analysis is free. The working layer is $19.
Free is not a preview — you get your real score and every issue found, with no account.
Free
$0no signup, no cardThe full analysis, every issue, and a PDF report — no account needed.
Project Scan
$19one-time · 30-day project windowA 30-day working window: cross-device history and separate AI allowances.
Not purchasable yet — checkout is still being built.
Stay posted
Hear when Project Scan opens.
The free scan is open right now and this list is not a queue for it — you never need an email address to check your tree. This is only for word about Project Scan and what follows it.
No spam, no card, and one click to leave.
Questions
Before you upload anything.
I've never heard of the GPS. Do I need to know it to use Threadmark?
Not at all — that's exactly why Threadmark exists. The Genealogical Proof Standard is the professional framework that defines what makes genealogical research credible. Most hobbyists have never heard of it, but they're already trying to do everything it describes: find solid sources, resolve conflicting dates, document their reasoning. Threadmark shows you where your research already meets that bar — and where it doesn't — in plain English, without requiring you to study the standard first.
What is the GPS, in plain English?
The Genealogical Proof Standard is a five-part checklist that professional genealogists use to determine whether research is trustworthy enough to stand behind. It asks: Did you look everywhere reasonable? Did you document your sources properly? Did you analyze what you found? Did you resolve any contradictions? And did you write down your reasoning? Threadmark checks your family file against all five of these — automatically.
Does Threadmark store my family file?
No. Your GEDCOM is processed in memory. Once your scan is complete, the file is deleted. We never store your file, never retain your family's data, and never use your tree to train AI models. Your family's information — including every living relative in it — stays entirely yours.
Is the score calculated by AI?
No. The score is produced by a deterministic rules engine — not AI. The same file always produces the same score, every time. Optional AI assistance is an additive feature that helps you plan and act on the issues found. It never changes your score.
What's the difference between Threadmark and a GEDCOM validator?
GEDCOM validators check whether your file is technically correct — proper tags, valid structure. Threadmark checks whether your research is credible — whether the sources, evidence, and reasoning behind your family history meet a standard worth trusting. These are completely different things.
Can Threadmark fix my tree for me?
No, and that is deliberate. Threadmark never edits your tree and does not connect to Ancestry or any other platform. It reads a copy of your file and reports what it finds. Every change stays your decision, made in whichever software you already use.
I'm a hobbyist, not a professional. Is this for me?
This is built for you. The GPS isn't just for professionals — it's the framework that separates a list of names and dates from a documented family history your children and grandchildren can actually trust and build on. If you want the work you're doing to mean something beyond your own lifetime, Threadmark helps you understand exactly where it stands and what to strengthen next.
The people in your tree deserve to be remembered accurately.
Upload your family file and see exactly where your research stands — in seconds. Free to start. Your file is never stored.