Help & Tutorial — Ordinance Seeker

Step 1

Getting Started

Before running a search, you need an active subscription and an Ordinance Seeker account.

1

Subscribe
Visit the Pricing page to start a 7-day free trial or subscribe monthly or annually. You'll create an Ordinance Seeker account (Google or email) during checkout.
2

Install the extension
Add Ordinance Seeker from the Chrome Web Store. The green tree icon will appear in your Chrome toolbar.
3

Sign in to the extension
Click the extension icon and sign in with the same Google account or email you used when subscribing.
4

Log in to FamilySearch
Go to familysearch.org and sign in to your FamilySearch account.
5

Navigate to a person's pedigree view
Open any person in the FamilySearch landscape/pedigree tree view. The URL will contain /landscape/.

Tip: You must be on a FamilySearch pedigree/landscape page for the search buttons to be active.

Step 2

Starting a Search

You can search for descendants (children, grandchildren, etc.) or ancestors (parents, grandparents, etc.) of the person currently open in FamilySearch.

1

Click "Search Descendants" or "Search Ancestors"
Choose which direction to search from the extension popup.
2

Name your search or continue an existing one
If this person is already the starting point of a saved search in that direction, you'll be prompted to continue it. Otherwise, a name is auto-suggested from the person's name and FamilySearch ID — you can edit it or leave it as-is.
3

Click "Start Search" or "Continue Search"
The search begins immediately. You can monitor progress from the extension popup.

Tip: You can run searches on multiple family lines at the same time — even from different computers on the same account — and they will all sync together.

Resuming a search: To add more results to an existing search, navigate back to the same FamilySearch person the search was originally started from and click the search button again. Ordinance Seeker will automatically recognize it and prompt you to continue.

Search limit: You can have up to 10 searches. Delete a search before creating a new one if you've reached the limit.

Step 3

While a Search is Running

Ordinance Seeker runs automatically in the background while you keep FamilySearch open.

1

Monitor progress
Click the extension icon at any time to see how many people have been found and whether the search is running or paused.
2

Pause or stop
Use the Pause and Stop buttons in the popup to pause or stop the search at any time.
3

Resume later
If you stop or close the browser, your progress is saved automatically. Open FamilySearch, navigate back to the same person, and start the same search again — it will pick up where it left off.

Do not click or drag the FamilySearch tree while a search is running. Ordinance Seeker navigates the tree automatically by clicking and expanding nodes. If you interact with the tree — scrolling, dragging, or clicking on people — it will interfere with the search and cause it to stop. Leave the FamilySearch tab alone while a search is in progress.

Tip: Results are saved to the cloud as they are found, so even a stopped search preserves everything discovered so far.

Note on result counts: While a search is running, the count shown in the extension popup may be higher than the count shown in the Saved Searches window. This is normal — when you open the Saved Searches window, it automatically removes duplicate entries that may have been found across multiple searches on the same account. The Saved Searches window always shows the true deduplicated count.

When a search finishes completely, a green complete badge appears next to that search name in the Saved Searches dropdown. You can also mark any search complete or incomplete manually using Search Options → Mark as Complete.

Step 4

Viewing Saved Searches

Open the Saved Searches window from the extension popup to review and manage your results.

1

Select a search
Use the dropdown at the top to pick which search to view. Searches marked complete ran all the way through.
2

Browse results
Use the Previous/Next buttons and the Show dropdown to page through results.
3

Open a person
Click a person's name to view their FamilySearch profile, or click Open Tree to open their pedigree view.
4

Go to search origin
Click the underlined search name in the status bar (e.g. "42 saved in Jane Smith XXXX-XXX") to open the FamilySearch page where the search was started.
5

Delete individual names
Check the boxes next to names you want to remove and click Delete Selected. Deletions sync to all your devices immediately.

Options

Search Options

Click Search Options in the Saved Searches window to access these actions for the currently selected search.

Rename Search

Give the current search a new name. The name must not already be in use.

Delete Search

Permanently delete the current search and all its results. Cannot be undone.

Delete All Names

Clear all results from the current search but keep the search itself, so you can run it again.

Mark as Complete / Mark as Incomplete

Manually toggle the green complete badge on a search. Useful if you've finished a search and want to mark it, or if you want to remove the badge.

Delete Multiple Searches

Open a window to select and delete several searches at once.

Export Search

Download the current search as a CSV file you can open in Excel or share with others.

Tip: Use Export to back up your results or share them with family members.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a free trial?

Yes. You can try Ordinance Seeker free for 7 days. A payment card is required upfront but you will not be charged until the trial ends. Cancel any time before day 7 and you will not be billed.

How do I cancel my subscription?

Go to the Account page, sign in, and click Manage Subscription. This opens the Stripe billing portal where you can cancel, change your plan, or update your payment method. Cancellation takes effect at the end of your current billing period — you keep access until then.

What happens to my saved searches if I cancel?

Your data is saved in the cloud and is not deleted when you cancel. If you resubscribe later, all your searches will be exactly as you left them.

Can I use one subscription on multiple computers?

Yes. Sign in with the same Ordinance Seeker account on any computer and your subscription and saved searches will be available everywhere.

Can I run searches on multiple computers at the same time?

Yes. You can run searches simultaneously on multiple computers using the same FamilySearch account. Results from all devices sync together automatically — no data is lost or overwritten.

What happens if I delete someone and then run the search again?

Deleted names stay deleted. The search only adds people it finds that aren't already in your results — it never restores deletions.

Why doesn't a search show the "complete" badge?

A search is marked complete automatically only after it finishes scanning the entire tree without being stopped. If a search was stopped or hasn't been run all the way through, no badge will appear. You can also add or remove the badge manually using Search Options → Mark as Complete.

Can I search from someone else's account?

Yes. Each FamilySearch account has its own separate set of saved searches. When you log in as a different account, Ordinance Seeker automatically switches to that account's searches.

How do I export and share results?

Use Search Options → Export Search to download a CSV file. You can open it in Excel, Google Sheets, or share it with family members.

The extension isn't finding anything — what's wrong?

Make sure you're on a FamilySearch landscape/pedigree page (the URL contains /landscape/) and that you're logged in to FamilySearch. If the problem persists, try refreshing the page and starting again.

How do I contact support?

Email us at ordinanceseeker@gmail.com and we'll get back to you as soon as possible.