What to do with your DNA Test Results in 2022 | Part 1

Wondering what you need to do to best understand your DNA test results?
Look no further. This video explains the best methods for understanding your DNA test results.

This video originally appeared in RootsTech 2022.

Check out our AncestryDNA Tour with Your DNA Guide:

Are you looking for more from your DNA test results?

[curtiswilliams]

I love your suggestions especially about setting our expectations for going as far as our 3x great grandparents. It's what I've done via my matches and I've gotten further than I thought I would.

Also you probably know, Black Americans have "The 1870 Brick Wall, " due to the history of the US and just from census records going back to 1870, we(I'm Black American) can find 3x great grandparents and have our matches verify it for us. Awesome video and series(I watched all 3 videos).

[BonnieDragonKat]

Also something to note is that you may not get a reply from a match because they only did DNA for Ethnicity and its also possible a match has passed away.

[user_a]

I'm not interested at all in "matches" or near relatives. I am interested in the phenotype and medical knowledge in my DNA.

[alysecollins]

I had my uncle test on FamilyTreeDNA and he got 0 matches at the 37 marker level. We are looking for information about my 3rd great grandfather. We think we know his name - but know little about him. Do you think it's worth upgrading the test to the 111 marker level, considering their are 0 matches at the 37 marker level. The surname is Joner.

[martnal]

The advice on contacting DNA matches is good but very brief. I get a very good response rate. Be polite and friendly but formal. You only get one chance to make a first impression. Don't use jargon, trendy phrases, teen speak, or sport phrases (like 9-yard holes etc! or whatever it is), and 'reach out' is the most abominable expression of all time. It sounds so patronising. The word is 'contact'. Write as if you are writing to an elderly aunt, an archbishop, or your old scary headmaster. You actually might be. Look for a list of 'buzzwords' and DON'T USE THEM. They turn people off. And don't use those little pictures, they get misinterpreted. (Is that a shy wink, a flirty wink, an ailment or what?) Use proper sentences, with punctuation. If you can't manage that, you'll struggle with DNA genealogy. Don't say 'Want help with family'. Say 'I am really interested in family research and I think we can help each other'. If any of this advice offends you, then you need it most.

[mattpotter]

What? There's no Irish or Italian in your American pedigree chat?!!! That is very unlikely!!! As for you comments on there not being many outside the US that have treated, whilst true, mainly because the US has such a large population that can afford to and are actively wanting test their DNA to find ancestors or find out their ethnicity (because most are of ancestors that migrated to the US from many different places), but I think places like the UK, Ireland, and even Australia/NZ will have reasonable numbers, and even those in the US will match via ancestors from or currently in these countries. Great video, looking forward to parts 2 and 3!!!

[shawnstancil]

I have a genetic distance of 6 with a Hernandez. 24 generations back we are 99:91 percent related that would back around 600 to 700 years ago. This is according too family tree dna. According to my heritage and family tree it showed Spain. It showed Spain Also on Crigenetics dna test as well.