---
title: Getting Started
description: "AP Family Archive publishes your family history as a complete website on your own WordPress site: a person page for every ancestor, a family group page for every couple, a surname index and full search - cross-linked, with sources cited…"
url: "https://www.ancestorpress.com/docs/fa-getting-started-guide/"
updated: "2026-08-30"
category: AncestorPress Family Archive
---

# Getting Started

AP Family Archive publishes your family history as a complete website on your own WordPress site: a person page for every ancestor, a family group page for every couple, a surname index and full search - cross-linked, with sources cited and living people protected automatically.

## First run

- Install and activate from **Plugins → Add New**.
- Open **AP Family Archive** in the admin menu. On the **Dashboard** tab, choose the tree to publish - or import a GEDCOM first from the **Import / Export** tab (see "Importing from GEDCOM").
- Click **Make the pages for me**. The archive views are ordinary WordPress pages carrying shortcodes, created as **drafts** so you can review them first.
- Review and publish the draft pages. They work with any theme.

## The tabs

- **Dashboard** - choose the published tree, create the pages, and see the archive at a glance.
- **People**, **Families**, **Sources**, **Media** - browse and manage the records in the working tree.
- **Branches** - describe family branches (see "Reports and Branches").
- **Import / Export** - GEDCOM in and out.

## Works with AP Family Trees

Archive and AP Family Trees share one data core. Install either first, alone or together - the same people appear in both with no re-import.