The information provided on this tab is used to include both information shared with your matches as well as private contact information and more. If you do not provide any contact information, FamilyTreeDNA will not be able to reach you or assist you in accessing your account, which may affect test processing.
Contact Information Overview
The Contact Information tab contains the following fields:
- Contact Information tab - Allows you to toggle between different tabs and pages within your Account Settings.
- First Name - (Required) Your first or given name.
- Middle Name - Your middle name.
- Last Name - (Required) Your last name. This is the name that will appear to matches. You may want to consider adding your maiden name if you have changed your legal last name. The birth surname appears on your Match Profile Card, but at a glance, your matches may find it more useful to see your birth.
- Birth Surname - Your surname at birth. For genealogical purposes, it is important for you to include your family name (e.g., maiden name). The birth surname appears on your Match Profile Card,
- Prefix - Prefix of your name. For example, Miss or Mr.
- Suffix - Suffix of your name if you have one. For example, Sr., Jr., etc.
- Profile Picture - Upload or change your profile picture. This will appear to matches.
- Shipping Address - This is the address we will mail any replacement kits if they are lost in the mail, or if an additional DNA sample is needed to continue processing your test.
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Email Address(es) - (One email address required) These are the email address(es) on your account. You can list an unlimited number of secondary emails, and each will receive notifications of matches, results, and other notifications.
- If you have more than one, click the check box next to the one you want to set as your primary email address. This email will be displayed with your contact information for your matches to see. Additionally, match notifications, etc. will be sent to this address.
- Note: Only the primary email will receive password reset emails.
- Personal Story - You can enter a brief personal story to share with your matches.
- Test Taker's Date of Birth/Place of Birth - Date and place of your or test taker's birth.
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Test taker is deceased - Click this check box to acknowledge that the test taker is deceased. When the test taker is marked deceased, no additional test kits will be sent. If a test has been ordered that requires an additional DNA sample, that order should be canceled or transferred to another tester.
- Note: If you have marked a test taker as deceased by mistake, you need to contact customer service to toggle this check box off.
Information Shared with Matches
The contact information shown with matches on the match card includes:
- Email Address
- Name
- Birth Surname
For a more detailed list of information shared with contacts, please see out Information Shared with Matches article.
Adding/Updating Contact Information
To add/update your contact information:
- Access your Account Information page.
- At the top of the page, click Contact Information. The Contact Information tab is displayed.
- Update your contact information as needed.
- In the lower-left corner, click Save.
Adding/Updating Mailing Address
To add/update your mailing address:
- Access your Account Information page.
- At the top of the page, click Contact Information. The Contact Information tab is displayed.
- Update your mailing address as needed.
- In the lower-left corner, click Save.
Adding/Updating Email Address
To add/update your primary email address:
- Access your Account Information page.
- At the top of the page, click Contact Information. The Contact Information tab is displayed.
- In the Email Address field with your current email, update the email address as necessary.
- In the lower-left corner, click Save.
Important: If you have more than one email address entered for your information, make sure to select the check box to the left of the email address that you want to use as your primary email.
Uploading a Profile Picture
To upload a profile picture:
- Access your Account Information page.
- At the top of the page, click Contact Information. The Contact Information page is displayed.
- To the right of the name fields, click the Upload button, and follow the instructions on the page.