Hints

• What is a Search Hint
• How to Accept a Hint
• How to Adjust Tree Hint Settings
• How to Request Hints for a Specific Person

What is a Search Hint?

Search Hints are automatic searches of specific collections of the major record providers. When you get a hint from FamilySearch or another provider, they use their search engine to selects a few hints to display. Although what you want is in the search results, that record may be record number 8359. Being so low on their list, it won't be shown as a regular hint. Search hints helps you search appropriate collections of records. So, if you need Minnesota birth records, Search Hints will automatically search the Minnesota birth records. Just click on the Search Hint and RootsFinder will take you to the search results page for the Minnesota birth records. If the record you're looking for doesn't appear, you can change the search parameters.

How to Accept a Hint

The easiest way to accept hints is to use the Chrome browser and have the web clipper installed. This will enable you to gather all information from the source at once, automatically, with the clipper. To review and accept a hint:

• Go to the person's page, then look in the hints section

• Click the title of a hint to open the card. 
• Click the link to the record. The link will take you to a partner site. You may need to log into the partner site, and a subscription to that site might be required. This is out of RootsFinder's control. Any login, subscriptions, or support you may need from a partner site is completely separate from RootsFinder. We work with partners to provide the best hints possible for our users, but we have no control over access to their actual data and/or images.
• Review the information at the partner site. 
• If you're using the Chrome browser and have the clipper installed, click the clipper to gather all the information automatically. If you're not using Chrome or if you haven't installed the clipper, you will need to enter the information into your tree manually. (See "Add Events and Facts to a Timeline" for help adding information manually.)
• Tag information to people in your tree.
• Feel free to add additional information into the clipper as needed. When you click "Save" from the clipper, all the information will be added to the people you've tagged
• If you've accepted the hint using the clipper, the hint will be removed from your leads automatically. If not, or if you no longer want to see the suggestion, just click the delete icon from the card on the person's page.

How to Adjust Tree Hint Settings 

RootsFinder gives you control over what hints you receive to help you grow your tree. To do this:

• Go to the Hint Settings (accessed from the bottom of the left-hand menu)
• Select who you want hints for in your tree
  • Direct ancestors only (will not show hints to siblings or collateral lines unless you specifically request hints for someone)
  • People without parents (will only show hints for people at the end of a line, no one in between unless you specifically request hints)
  • Everyone in your tree (you can turn hints off and back on again)
• Select which sources you want to receive hints from

How to Request Hints for a Specific Person

When you set up your hint preferences, you may have selected "Direct ancestors" or "People without parents," which means you won't get hints for everyone in your tree. If you find someone in particular you want hints for, you can add them to the list of people you're tracking. 

To do this, click the star icon in the toolbar under the header on their profile page. Click again to turn hints off and stop receiving hints if you no longer wish to track them.