Update on the FamilySearch Family Tree Consultant Planner

I realized after I wrote recently about the ethics of using the FamilySearch.org Family Tree Consultant Planner, that many people would not know what I was writing about. The Consultant Planner is a tool for helping others with their research on the Family Tree. It is similar to the older Helper Mode, but with additional features for those doing the helping. It is accessed under the Help menu in the upper right-hand corner of the screen.

To view the features, you can sign in for yourself. Simply go to the link to Help Others and add yourself as a person.

Fill out the form and then you can click on your name and see the fan chart view above for yourself. Note that there are now four different views of the fan chart. If you are having trouble navigating the Consultant Planner or have questions about the functions, you can click on the "Tips" link and see an short explanation about the parts of the page.

These Tips are contextual and will explain all of the parts of the pages throughout the website, not just in the Consultant Planner.

You might notice that the link granted to the Consultant lasts for one year and then expires. People I helped a year ago are now dropping off of my list. The main advantage of the Consultant Planner is that you are able to view the Family Tree from the perspective of the person who is being helped. If you look at the right-hand side of the screen, you can see a green bar that tells you, you are acting as a Consultant for the person named in the green bar.

If you click on the green bar, or click on the "x" you can stop helping. If you happen to be on the receiving end of being helped, you can always "fire" your consultant by going to the settings menu viewable when you click on your name.

In the Setting section, select the Connected Accounts tab and then you can revoke access to anyone who has access to your account, either with the Consultant Planner or through a program.

The object of using the Consultant Planner is to provide help to people who need that help. Here are two videos from the BYU Family History Library YouTube Channel that explains the Consultant Planner in detail.

The FamilySearch Consultant Planner: For Find-Take-Teach and Beyond - Kathryn Grant

FamilySearch Consultant Planner by Judy Sharp