Category: Tips and Tricks

Merge Duplicate Subjects Without Losing Evidence
Duplicate subjects are one of the most common headaches I hear about. It usually happens one of two ways:
- You merge in a cousin’s file and end up with two of your great-grandmother.
- You add someone before realizing you already had her under a maiden name.
I built subject merging into Evidentia 3+ to fix exactly that: fold the two into one by dragging the evidence from one record onto the other, and not a single proof gets left behind.

If you have just read Merge Database, you already know why the duplicates appear: when you combine two databases, Evidentia matches records by their internal identity, so the same person from two files arrives as two records. This is the tool that let’s you clean that up.

Open the merge view

Start on the Subjects tab, where your subject list lives. Select either of the two people you want to combine, then click Merge Subjects on the subject’s toolbar. The detail pane changes into a two-column merge view, with an empty panel on the left and another on the right.

Load your two duplicate subjects, and mind the direction

Drag one subject from your list into the left panel and the other into the right. The direction is the one thing to get right, so it is worth saying plainly:
- The subject on the left is the one you are keeping. Everything flows toward it.
- The subject on the right is the duplicate you are clearing out. Once its proofs have moved, Evidentia offers to delete it.
Put the record with the better name, notes, or attributes on the left. You can always press Clear or Reset from the toolbar and start over if you load them the wrong way around.

Move the proofs and evidence

Under Proofs & Evidence on the right-hand record, each item carries a small grip handle, the vertical dotted icon you may recognize from other drag-and-drop tools. That handle is what you grab.
Three ways to transfer
- A whole proof. Grab the grip handle on a proof’s title row and drag it to the left. Its evidence comes along.
- A single piece of evidence. Each evidence item has its own handle, so you can move one item without moving the whole proof.
- Everything at once. Click Transfer All in the toolbar to move every attribute, proof, and evidence item in one go.
Attributes work the same way. If you change your mind mid-merge, drag an item back to the right, and it returns to where it started.

[ Screenshot to add: the subject merge view mid-drag, showing the grip handle on a proof and the drop target on the left. An animated capture works well here. ]

Confirm the merge

When the evidence is where you want it, click Merge. Evidentia shows a Confirm Subject Merge dialog that spells out exactly what is about to happen, for example: “3 attribute(s), 2 proof(s), and 4 evidence item(s) will be moved to the subject on the left.” If every proof has been moved off the right-hand record, the dialog also tells you that the subject on the right will be deleted. Click Yes, Merge to finish, or Cancel to keep looking.

Duplicate sources merge the same way

The same drag-and-drop idea handles duplicate sources. On the Sources tab, drag two sources into the left and right panels, move the citations from the right onto the left, and click Merge. The confirmation reads “{n} citation(s) will be moved to the source on the left.” It is the subject workflow in miniature, aimed at your source list instead.

Read the confirmation before you commit

The merge itself cannot be undone with a single click, so let the confirmation dialog do its job. Its counts and its note about deletion are your last check that the evidence is moving in the direction you intended. When in doubt, cancel, and take a backup first.

Merging duplicate subjects is the tidy end of a larger workflow: split your research into multiple databases when it helps, combine them when you are ready, then fold the duplicates together here. Each proof you preserve is one you never have to reconstruct.

Drag-and-drop merge is part of Evidentia 3+. See what else is new, or start your own research.

Explore Evidentia 3+

— Ed Thompson, Evidentia Software
August 11, 2026
Merge Database: Combining Two Evidentia Files Into One
A cousin sent you a database for the branch you share, or you started a separate file for a single line and now want it back with everything else. Merge Database, added in Evidentia 3+, is built for exactly that: it pulls the records from one file into another and leaves what you already have untouched.

When I built Merge, I made it the opposite of Restore, even though the two sound alike: Merge brings new records into what you already have, while Restore wipes the database and drops a backup in its place. Keep them straight before you reach for one. Pulling evidence together this way is also the reasonably exhaustive research the Genealogical Proof Standard expects.

Merge adds. Restore replaces.

Restore takes a backup file and overwrites your current database with it. Everything in the open database is set aside and the backup takes its place. That is the right tool when you are recovering from a problem and want the backup’s version of the world back.

Merge Database does the opposite of overwriting. It reads the records from a file and adds them to your current database. What you already have stays put; the incoming records join it. The featured image at the top of this post lays the two side by side, and it is the one distinction to keep straight before you begin.

Think of Merge as stitching, not swapping. Two pieces of your research come together along a seam, and both are still there when the needle stops. Restore, by contrast, hands you a whole new bolt of cloth and sets the old one aside.

How to use Merge Database

Before you start, one requirement: Merge reads an Evidentia backup or export file. If the research you want to bring in is sitting in another live database, export or back it up first so you have a file to point at. A raw database that is currently in use is not what Merge expects.
Merging step by step
1. Open Options and go to the Databases panel.
2. Click Merge Database.
3. Choose the Evidentia backup or export file you want to bring in.
4. Read the confirmation dialog. It counts, for each kind of record, how many are in the file, how many are duplicates of records you already have, and how many are new.
5. Choose how a record that matches one you already have should be handled: Keep database record or Keep file record. The note just below spells out exactly what each one does.
6. Confirm. Your system templates and claim types are preserved, and the new records join your database.
The one choice that can overwrite your data

Both options add whatever is new. They differ only when a record in the file matches one you already have.
- Keep database record (the default): your version wins. The file’s copy is set aside, and nothing you already have changes. You only gain the new records.
- Keep file record: the file’s version wins. It overwrites your record, and anything you had entered is replaced.
Merging a cousin’s file into your own well-sourced database? Keep database record is almost always what you want. Reach for Keep file record only when the file genuinely holds the better, newer information.
What to expect afterward

When Merge decides whether an incoming record duplicates one you already have, it matches on the record’s internal identity, not on the name. Two databases that were built separately give the same ancestor two different internal identities. So if you merge your cousin’s file and it holds the same Great-Grandfather John you already have, Merge sees two unrelated records and keeps both.

That is not a flaw. Evidentia has no reliable way to know that your John and your cousin’s John are the same man without your judgment, and quietly collapsing them would be worse than leaving the decision to you. The result is that combining two databases often leaves you with a few people entered twice, ready for you to review.

Back up first, and merge with a clear head

Merge never deletes your existing records, but it does change your database, so take a backup before you begin. If you are unsure whether a file is the right one, the confirmation dialog is your friend: its counts tell you what you are about to bring in before anything is written.

Once two databases are combined, the natural next task is cleaning up the people who now appear twice. Evidentia 3+ makes that a matter of dragging one record onto another, and I walk through it in Merge Duplicate Subjects Without Losing Evidence. If you have not yet decided whether to keep your research in one file or several, Multiple Databases in Evidentia covers that choice.

Merge Database is one of the newer additions in Evidentia 3+. If you are not running it yet, here is where to start.

Explore Evidentia 3+

— Ed Thompson, Evidentia Software
August 4, 2026
Multiple Databases in Evidentia: Why and When to Split
Most of us begin with a single Evidentia database and never give it a second thought. For most work that is exactly right. A single file keeps everything connected. But splitting your work carries both benefits and costs, and it helps to understand both before you do it.

Below I walk through what a database actually holds, five reasons researchers keep more than one, and how to create a new database when the time comes.

What one database actually holds

A database in Evidentia is a self-contained body of research. It holds its own subjects, sources, citations, claims, and proofs. It also has its own Record Library, so the document images you attach live in a folder tied to that one database.

Two consequences follow from that, and both deserve thought before you split anything:
- Subjects cannot be linked across databases. Evidentia opens one database at a time, so there is no way to connect a person in one file to a person in another.
- Each database keeps its own Record Library. A census image you rely on in two databases has to be stored in each of them separately.
Five reasons to keep multiple databases

Keeping multiple databases earns its keep when your research has a natural seam. These are the five reasons that come up most often in my own work and in questions from the community.

1

Separate family lines that will never connect

Your own ancestry and your spouse’s, or an adoptive line you are keeping apart from a biological one. When two bodies of research will never link to each other, holding them in separate databases costs you nothing, and each stays uncluttered.

2

A focused proof project

Say you are building a case to the Genealogical Proof Standard for one hard question: which of three men named John Smith fathered your ancestor. A dedicated database can hold only the evidence that bears on that question. The proof argument stays clean, and your analysis is not buried under hundreds of unrelated people.

3

Client work and focused studies

If you research for other people, or you run a one-name or one-place study, each project wants its own boundary. Its own subjects, its own sources, and its own Record Library, so a client’s record images never mix in with your family’s.

Think of each database as a labeled box on a shelf. You can carry one to the reading room without hauling the whole archive along with it. The trade is that the boxes do not talk to each other, so it pays to put things where they belong the first time.

4

Research you intend to share

A whole database exports as a single file, Record Library and all, and it can be combined back into another database later. When you want to hand a cousin the branch the two of you share, a separate database lets you send that branch on its own rather than your entire life’s work. The combining side of this is its own topic, which I cover in Merge Database.

5

Keeping Evidentia responsive

Evidentia keeps your open database in memory so that evidence analysis stays immediate. Past a few thousand subjects, that responsiveness begins to slip. A focused database is simply quicker to work in, and that is the practical reason not to let one file grow without any limit.

How to create a new database

Working with multiple databases begins by creating one, and that takes about a minute, all in a single place.
Creating and switching databases
1. Open Options and find the Databases panel.
2. Click Create New Database.
3. Enter a Database Name. A short Description is optional.
4. Click Create. Evidentia backs up your current work, then opens the new database for you.
5. To move between databases later, select the one you want from the list in that same Databases panel.
Behind the scenes, your new database becomes its own file and gets its own Record Library folder. Nothing from your other databases comes along, which is the whole point.

Before you split

Split along real boundaries, not for tidiness

Multiple databases are a real advantage in the right situation. But because subjects cannot be linked across databases, and each database carries its own Record Library, a split you make for neatness alone can come back to bite you. A line you might one day connect to the rest of your tree is better left where it is. When a body of research genuinely stands on its own, give it a database. Otherwise, one file is the right home.

One database is the right home for most research. When a project stands on its own, a second database keeps both it and your main file in good shape. And when you are ready to bring two of them back together, that is exactly what Merge Database is for.

New to Evidentia, or thinking about how it could organize your research? Take a look at what Evidentia 3+ does.

Explore Evidentia 3+

— Ed Thompson, Evidentia Software
July 28, 2026

Work Faster with Keyboard Shortcuts

You’re three citations deep into a stubborn source, the wording is finally lining up in your head — and then you reach for the mouse. By the time you’ve clicked to the next screen and back, the sentence you’d composed is gone.

Cartoon bitmoji of a man frantically typing on a laptop with random letters flying off the screen

You know that small stall. The click is quick; recovering the sentence it knocked loose is not. Keyboard shortcuts keep your hands where your attention already is.

I don’t expect anyone to memorize forty shortcuts, and you don’t need to. A handful of the right ones, used until they’re second nature, is what changes how a research session feels.

Where the keyboard shortcuts live, and why you can trust the list

Open the Help menu and choose Keyboard Shortcuts (in the menu it reads HotKeys — same thing). A window opens with every shortcut Evidentia knows, in two columns: Mac on the left, Windows and Linux on the right, grouped by the part of your research you’re working in.

That reference is built into Evidentia itself and ships with every version. Because it travels with the app rather than living in a separate handout someone has to keep current, the shortcuts you see always match the version in front of you. When in doubt, check that window first.

One rule covers most of them

Where Windows and Linux use Ctrl, the Mac uses ⌘ (Command). Where they use Alt, the Mac uses ⌥ (Option). A few keep Ctrl on the Mac on purpose — moving between tabs, for instance, follows the same convention your web browser already uses. Once that pattern clicks, the tables below read themselves.

Move between screens without reaching for the mouse

Go to…	Mac	Windows / Linux
Identify a Source	⌥ I	Alt + I
Analyze Evidence	⌥ G	Alt + G
Record Library	⌥ B	Alt + B
Context help for the screen you’re on	F1	F1
The filter box of any list	⌘ L or /	Ctrl + L or /

That last row is the quiet workhorse. Drop into a long list of sources, press /, and start typing to filter — no hunting for the search box. And F1 opens help for exactly the screen you’re on, which I wrote about in Help When You Need It.

Stay in the flow while you work

The screens where you spend the most time have their own shortcuts, aimed at the actions you repeat dozens of times a session.

Identify a Source

Do this	Mac	Windows / Linux
Start a new Source	⌘ ⇧ S	Ctrl + Shift + S
Start a new Citation	⌘ ⇧ C	Ctrl + Shift + C
Open the pop-out editor for a note field	⌘ E	Ctrl + E

Analyze Evidence

Do this	Mac	Windows / Linux
Open the Date Calculator	⌘ D	Ctrl + D
Generate a proof report	⌘ G	Ctrl + G

The Date Calculator (⌘D / Ctrl+D) is one you’d rarely stumble onto on your own. It opens in its own small window for working out an age or a date gap without leaving your analysis.

And generating a proof report (⌘G / Ctrl+G) gathers your analysis into a document built around the Genealogical Proof Standard — the methodology this whole workflow is designed to support.

Start with three, not thirty

You’ll get nothing from trying to absorb the whole list at once. Pick three that match what you do most (for many researchers that’s Alt+I to jump to Identify a Source, / to filter a list, and F1 for help) and use only those for a week. They’ll drop below conscious thought, and then you add three more. Do that for a few weeks and you’ll stop noticing the keyboard at all. It becomes part of how you work.

Cartoon bitmoji of a man straining to carry a tall heavy stack of colorful books

Keep the reference close

You don’t have to keep that window open. But the first few times you forget one, open Help → Keyboard Shortcuts, find it in the column for your platform, and use it once on the spot. That’s usually all it takes for it to stick.

New to Evidentia 3+? The interest form is the best place to follow along as this series continues.

— Ed Thompson, Evidentia Software

July 14, 2026

Finally: Evidentia Works with Dropbox, OneDrive, and Google Drive
For years, Evidentia cloud storage meant one thing: Dropbox. Just Dropbox. Dropbox and nothing else.

A number of you had thoughts about this.

I heard you. Trust me, I heard you. Evidentia 3+ now supports Dropbox, OneDrive, and Google Drive.

That means you can store your research database and all your attached files — scans, images, documents — in a cloud folder that stays in sync across every computer where you do your research. No more copying databases on a thumb drive. No more wondering which version you had open last week.

Evidentia Cloud Storage — Pick the Provider You’re Already Paying For

The honest answer to “which provider should I use?” is almost always: the one whose subscription you’re already paying for.

If you’re a Microsoft 365 subscriber, OneDrive is sitting on your computer right now, paid for, probably mostly empty. If Dropbox has been your file-sync home for years, stick with Dropbox — you already trust it and know where things live. If Google Workspace runs your life, Google Drive is right there.

The only cloud storage more annoying than the one you don’t like is a second monthly subscription for the one you switched to.

What It Looks Like in Your Research

Once you connect a provider, Evidentia stores your database and attached files in a folder you can see and manage yourself — no black box. Every computer where you install Evidentia and sign in with the same account stays in sync automatically.

The Record Library shows a small provider badge on each cloud-stored file so you always know at a glance where it lives. Everything else works the same way it always has. (If you’re new to the Record Library, this post walks through it in detail.)

One Thing Worth Knowing About Google Drive

All three Evidentia cloud storage options work well for everyday research. But there’s a meaningful difference for researchers who work in places where the internet is… optimistic about its own availability.

Offline access: Dropbox and OneDrive only

Dropbox and OneDrive both support Evidentia’s offline mode. Mark your research folder for offline availability in the provider’s app, and Evidentia can read and write your files even without a connection. When you’re back online, everything syncs up.

Google Drive works beautifully when you’re connected, but as of Evidentia 3.8.25, offline access isn’t available for Google Drive. If courthouse basements and rural archives are a regular part of your research life, Dropbox or OneDrive will serve you better.

How to Connect Your Provider
Connecting a cloud provider takes about 30 seconds.
Getting started takes about 30 seconds:

Open Settings → Storage

Choose your provider

Authenticate with your account

Select or confirm your research folder location

The next time you open a database, Evidentia begins syncing. That’s the whole setup.
You’re Not Stuck

Here’s the part I’m genuinely happy we built: if you connect Dropbox today and decide OneDrive makes more sense next year — or if your Google Workspace situation changes — there’s a guided migration tool. It moves your database, your attached files, your backups, and updates every file reference across all your databases so nothing goes missing in the process.

You don’t have to commit. Start with whatever makes sense today. If you change your mind next year, the migration tool handles the move — files, database, backups, all of it. I’ll walk through that process in detail in an upcoming post.

Ready to try Evidentia 3+?

Download it below, or sign up for the interest list and I’ll let you know when the next license cohort opens.

Download Evidentia 3+

— Ed Thompson / Evidentia Software
June 30, 2026
One Database, Two Computers — How Evidentia Decides Which One Is Right
You’ve got Evidentia set up on your desktop at home. You also take your laptop to the archive on Tuesdays. Both machines connect to the same cloud storage. And somewhere in the back of your mind is a question you haven’t wanted to ask out loud:

If I work on my database on both computers, which version wins?

That’s a fair question, and you deserve a straight answer. Here’s exactly how Evidentia handles it.

The Evidentia Cloud Sync Rule

Every time you open a database, Evidentia does one thing before loading your research: it compares two timestamps.
- The modification time of the database file on your local disk
- The modification time of the same file in the cloud
Whichever one is newer tells Evidentia what to do next:
What Evidentia Does at Startup
- Local is newer → uploads your local database to the cloud automatically. No prompt, no confirmation dialog.
- Cloud is newer → syncs the cloud version to your local disk automatically. No prompt, no confirmation — same as the upload direction.
- They match → opens your database and gets out of the way.
What Happens When You Go Offline

This is where it gets interesting for anyone who’s ever worked in a place where the archive WiFi requires a form, a prayer, or a password that expired three months ago.

When Evidentia opens a database without an internet connection, it skips the cloud check entirely and opens your local copy. No error. No “you must be connected to continue.” You just work.

Click to enlarge ↗

When you reconnect — whether that’s ten minutes later when you find the library’s guest network, or when you get home that evening — Evidentia checks the timestamps again. Your local copy is newer (you’ve been working on it all day). So it uploads automatically. The cloud catches up, and your other computer gets the updated version the next time you open the database there.

Watch out for stale copies

If PC A has done work since your last sync on PC B, opening PC B offline is risky. PC B works from an old version all day. When it reconnects, Evidentia detects the conflict and asks which version to keep — but either way, one session’s work is gone.

The fix is simple: always open Evidentia while connected before you start work. If the cloud is newer, you’ll see a notification to download first. Going to the archive? Sync at home before you leave.

Click to enlarge ↗

A Small Detail That Saves a Lot of Trouble

Here’s something you’d probably never think to worry about: what if the clocks on your two computers disagree by a few seconds?

System clocks drift. It’s completely normal. If your desktop is two seconds ahead of your laptop, and both databases have similar modification times, Evidentia shouldn’t declare one “winner” based on a meaningless two-second difference. So it doesn’t. Evidentia treats timestamps within 5 seconds of each other as equal — no upload, no notification. Just open and go.

What Sync Doesn’t Do

Evidentia’s sync is built for one researcher working across multiple machines — not for two people editing the same database at the same time. If two computers open the same database simultaneously, each makes changes, and both try to save — you’ll be asked which version to keep. Either way, one session’s work is gone.

Click to enlarge ↗

For most Evidentia users, this is never a concern. But if you’re collaborating closely with a family member, take turns — or use separate databases and cross-reference them.

The Safety Net: Offline Reconciliation

When you reconnect after working offline, Evidentia cloud sync doesn’t just check the database you happen to have open. It quietly checks every database in your cloud storage folder and makes sure the cloud copies are current. If you worked offline across several databases over a few days, they all catch up when you reconnect — not just the one that happened to be open at the time. It runs in the background. You won’t notice it, which is exactly the goal.

Seeing It in Settings

If you want to verify how your cloud sync is configured — or just confirm it’s actually connected — Settings → Storage shows your current provider, connection status, and the path where your databases live.

Your cloud provider, connection status, and database storage path are all visible here. If the sync isn’t behaving as expected, this is the first place to look.

For your cloud provider’s own sync troubleshooting, the official Dropbox sync documentation, OneDrive sync guide, and Google Drive offline access help each have detailed walkthroughs.

Evidentia 3+ is available now. If you haven’t upgraded yet, the store has all the details — including what’s new since Evidentia 3.

Visit the Store →

— Ed Thompson / Evidentia Software
June 23, 2026
Audit Your Attachments Before They Go Missing
Imagine this: you’re writing up your proof argument. You need to double-check something on a census scan you attached three years ago. You click the thumbnail in the file detail dialog — and nothing opens.

Not an error. Not a crash. Just silence, because Evidentia dutifully stored the path to that file, and the file is no longer there.

(If this has happened to you, you are not alone. If it hasn’t, keep reading — you’ll want to get ahead of it.)

How Files Go Missing (Without Anyone Making a Mistake)

Files drift from their database references in ways that feel perfectly innocent at the time:
- You reorganized your research folder to tidy things up
- You got a new computer — you copied your database over, but the Records folder ended up in a slightly different location, and now every path Evidentia memorized points somewhere that no longer exists
- You migrated from one database to another — you may have moved some records manually, leaving the attachments behind in the original database’s folder
- Your sync client had a bad day and dropped something
- You deleted a file from disk, not realizing Evidentia still pointed to it
From Evidentia’s perspective, the source record is still there, the attachment reference is still there — but the file it describes is not. Your database and your disk have quietly disagreed with each other, possibly for months.

The reverse problem also exists: orphaned files. These are files sitting in your Evidentia Records folder that no source or citation claims. Maybe they belonged to a record you later deleted. Maybe they were imported but never fully linked. They aren’t broken exactly — they just aren’t connected to anything.

The Attachment Audit Tool

Evidentia 3+ includes a built-in attachment audit that surfaces both kinds of drift at once. You’ll find it in the Record Library, in the toolbar: look for the Validate Attachments button.

When you open it, Evidentia runs two scans simultaneously — one checking every attachment reference in your database against the disk, and another walking your Records folder for files no record claims. Both scans run concurrently, so the wait is no longer than the slower of the two.

The Missing Tab: What to Do When a File Is Gone

If any missing files are found, the Missing tab opens by default. Each row shows you which source or citation owned the attachment, the filename Evidentia expected, and the path where it looked.

For each missing item, you have two options — covered below.

Browse or Remove — Which to Choose

Browse — Opens a file picker so you can locate the file wherever it ended up. When you find it, Evidentia re-attaches it to the original record and updates the path. The old dangling reference is cleared automatically.

Remove — Strips the reference from the record entirely. Use this when the file is genuinely gone and you’d rather have a clean record than a ghost pointer.

After either action, Evidentia re-scans automatically — the list stays current as you work through it.

The Orphans Tab: Files on Disk That No Record Claims

The second half of the attachment audit — the Orphans tab — lists files in your Records folder that aren’t referenced by any source or citation: filename, relative path, and file size.

Orphaned files won’t cause errors, but they do take up space, and they’re a sign that at some point a record was deleted without its attached files following along. What you do with them is your call: if you recognize a file, you may be able to re-attach it manually. If you don’t, it’s probably safe to remove it from disk yourself — the audit tool surfaces the list, but doesn’t delete anything for you.

One useful detail: if the Missing scan comes back clean but orphaned files exist, Evidentia automatically switches to the Orphans tab — so you see the most actionable information first.

How Often Should You Run It?

Think of it the way you think about backing up your database: not something you do after disaster strikes, but something you do regularly so you’re not headed toward disaster.

A few good triggers:
- After reorganizing your research folder structure
- After migrating to a new computer or switching cloud providers
- After migrating records from one database to another
- A few times a year as a routine check
An attachment audit with no findings takes about fifteen seconds. The peace of mind is free.

Good research practice means maintaining your evidence as carefully as you gather it — a commitment reflected in the Genealogical Proof Standard. Regular file audits are part of that same discipline.

Ready to try it? The Attachment Audit Tool is available in Evidentia 3+.

Download Evidentia 3+

— Ed Thompson / Evidentia Software
June 16, 2026
The Record Library: A Card Catalog for Your Research Files
If you’ve been doing this long enough, you know the feeling. You have the image of that 1880 census page. You scanned it yourself. It’s attached to your database somewhere. It’s just… not immediately obvious where.

The Record Library in Evidentia 3+ is built for exactly that moment. Think of it as the card catalog for your research files — every image, PDF, audio file, and document, all in one browsable, searchable, filterable view.

What You’re Looking At

When you open the Record Library, you see every attachment in your database laid out in front of you. Each file shows its thumbnail (or a file-type icon for non-image formats), its name, its category, and which source or citation it belongs to.

You can switch between grid view — the default, visual layout — and tree view, which organizes your files the same way your categories are organized: broad on the left, specific on the right. If you’ve spent time building a category structure like census.us.1880 or vital.birth.ma, the tree view makes it feel like a proper filing cabinet rather than a pile of thumbnails.

Five Filters, Working Together

Above the file grid, five independent filters let you narrow things down. You can use any combination:
- Search by name or parent — type any part of a filename, or the name of the source or citation it’s attached to
- Category — narrow down to a specific category or subtree
- File type — images, PDFs, audio, video, or other
- Attachment type — source attachment, citation attachment, or both
- Cloud provider — if you’re using cloud storage, filter by which provider the file lives on
Each filter takes effect immediately. The results update as you type.

What’s Inside a File
Double-click any file in the grid to open the File Detail dialog. This is where the Record Library goes from a browser to a genuinely useful research tool.

A full-size preview (or a download link for formats that don’t preview)
The file’s category
Its caption — which you can add or edit right here
The source or citation it’s attached to, with a link to open it directly
The cloud provider badge, if applicable
An Open in system app button

That last item matters more than it sounds. If you’re working with a multi-page PDF and want to actually read it, or an audio recording from a family interview, one click opens it in the right app without any hunting through your file system.
If You’re Coming from Evidentia 3

In Evidentia 3, the closest equivalent was the Document File Manager tab — the DFM. It showed you a list of file paths. You could confirm a file was attached and see where it lived on disk, but there was no browsing, no thumbnails, no filtering by anything.

The Record Library is a different tool entirely. Where the DFM gave you a location list, the Record Library gives you an interface for actually working with your files.

Getting the Most Out of the Record Librar

The Record Library gets more useful the more consistently you work. A few habits that pay off:
- Write captions when you attach a file. The caption shows in the detail dialog and helps you distinguish between twenty scans that are all named census-1880.jpg.
- Use descriptive category names. The tree view and category filter work best when your taxonomy is specific — census.us.1880 is far more useful than documents.
- Use “Open in system app” freely. There’s no need to hunt through your folders — let the Record Library hand the file to the right app.
New to Evidentia 3+?

Start with the step-by-step tutorial series before diving into the Record Library — it covers attaching files and setting up categories from scratch.

Ready to try Evidentia 3+?

Evidentia 3+ is available now in the store. If you’re not sure yet, the interest form is a good place to start — I use it to answer questions and send updates before you buy.

Download Free Trial

— Ed Thompson / Evidentia Software
June 9, 2026

Three Ways to Attach a File in Evidentia — and When to Use Each

One of the most common questions I get from new users is some version of: “I attached a file — but where did it actually go?” Nine times out of ten, the answer traces back to a choice made at the moment of attachment without much thought.

There are three ways to attach a file in Evidentia. Each one is right for a different situation, and knowing the difference before you have hundreds of attachments in your database will save you real time later.

Bitmoji with a confused expression and question mark

3 Ways to Attach a File in Evidentia at a Glance

Mode	Who manages the file	Where it lives	Best for
Managed Copy — Local	Evidentia	Your computer	Single-machine researchers
Managed Copy — Cloud	Evidentia	Dropbox, OneDrive, or Google Drive	Researchers working across two computers
Link Only	You	Wherever you put it	Researchers who run their own file library

Option 1: Managed Copy — Local Storage

This is the most common choice, and for most researchers working on a single computer, it’s the right one.

When you attach a file in Evidentia using Managed Copy with local storage, Evidentia makes a copy and places it in the Records folder inside your database directory. From that point on, Evidentia knows exactly where the file is. It appears in the Record Library, you can open it with a double-click, and you can safely delete or move the original — Evidentia has its own copy.

There’s a longer-term benefit here too: because Evidentia manages these files, it can move them for you later. If you decide to switch to a custom storage location or add cloud storage down the road, Evidentia handles the migration — copying files to the new location and resyncing the database so every attachment reference stays intact. You don’t have to touch the files manually.

The Attach File dialog in Evidentia showing Managed Copy selected with local storage

When to use it:

You work on one computer
The file is a typical research document — a census scan, a birth certificate image, a photograph
You want Evidentia to handle the organization so you don’t have to think about it

Option 2: Managed Copy — Cloud Storage

Same idea as Option 1 — but the Records folder lives in the cloud instead of just on your local machine. That means your source files sync between computers automatically, right alongside your database.

To use this, you first need to have a cloud provider configured in Evidentia (File → Settings → Storage). Once you’re there, look for the Sync Media checkbox on the cloud provider configuration screen. This is the setting that tells Evidentia to include your Records folder in the sync. Without it checked, your database syncs but your attachments stay local.

And if you ever want to switch providers later — say from Dropbox to OneDrive — Evidentia’s provider switch tool handles the move for you, copying your database, records, and backups to the new location and resyncing all attachment paths across all your databases.

The cloud provider configuration screen in Evidentia with the Sync Media checkbox highlighted

When to use it:

You work across more than one computer — desktop at home, laptop at the archives
You want your source files and your database to stay in sync automatically
You already have Dropbox, OneDrive, or Google Drive set up in Evidentia

Evidentia supports three cloud providers: Dropbox, OneDrive, and Google Drive. All three integrate directly with Evidentia’s storage settings.

A note on Google Drive

Google Drive is a supported cloud provider in Evidentia, but it does not support offline bypass mode. If you do research in places without reliable internet — archives, rural courthouses, planes — Dropbox or OneDrive will serve you better. Google Drive works fine if you’re always connected.

Option 3: Link Only

This one is for researchers who want to run their own file library outside of Evidentia — their own folder structure, their own naming conventions, their own system. Link Only respects that.

Instead of copying the file, Evidentia stores a reference to wherever the file lives on your machine. The file stays exactly where it is. Evidentia just remembers the path.

Two tradeoffs to know about. First, if you ever move, rename, or delete the original file, the reference in Evidentia breaks. A future post in this series covers the Attachment Audit Tool, which helps you find and repair those broken links — but it’s maintenance that Managed Copy avoids entirely.

Second, because Evidentia doesn’t own linked files, it can’t move them for you. If you later change your storage location or switch cloud providers, linked files stay where they are. You’ll need to move them yourself and re-establish the links.

When to use it:

You have an existing file organization system you want to keep
The file is very large and you don’t want to duplicate it (a long video, a multi-hundred-page PDF)
You’re comfortable maintaining the connection between file and reference yourself

How to Choose

Bitmoji with a confident expression — problem solved

Start here:

Working on one computer? → Managed Copy, local storage. Done.
Working across two computers? → Managed Copy, cloud storage. Check the Sync Media box in your cloud settings.
Already have your own file library and want to keep it? → Link Only. Just know that file moves and storage migrations are on you.
Not sure yet? → Start with Managed Copy local. You can switch to cloud later and Evidentia will move everything for you.

The Record Library Confirms Your Choice

The Record Library in Evidentia showing files with Dropbox and OneDrive provider badges

Once files are attached, the Record Library (File → Record Library) shows you how each one is stored. Files managed through a cloud provider display a small provider badge — Dropbox, OneDrive, or Google Drive — so you can tell at a glance where each file lives. Linked files show their original path. It’s a useful reference when you want to audit what’s in your database.

If you have questions about how to attach a file in Evidentia, I’d love to hear from you on the contact page.

June 2, 2026

Your Filing Cabinet, Redesigned: How Categories Work in Evidentia 3+

Evidentia categories are how Evidentia 3+ keeps your research files organized — in the app, on disk, and across cloud storage — all from a single field.

One of the first things I notice when genealogists share their research databases is the file pile. Hundreds of scans, photographs, and downloads — often named whatever the camera or FamilySearch decided to call them. IMG_4821.jpg. Record-download-1.pdf. scan001.png. Finding the right file later becomes a test of memory, not research skill.

Here’s how it works — and how to build a category tree that works for years to come.

What’s Changed (for Evidentia 3 Users)

If you’re migrating from Evidentia 3, you’ll notice that Source Type and Photo Class are gone. They’ve been replaced by a single Category field where you type your own label. Instead of choosing from a fixed list, you define the categories yourself.

And here’s something that makes the transition easier than you might expect: Evidentia 3+ handles the conversion for you.

Importing an older backup?

When you restore a backup from Evidentia 3, Evidentia 3+ automatically converts your existing file paths into categories — so your files land in the right place in the Record Library tree and on disk. No manual sorting required.

For brand-new users, none of that applies. There’s no old system to unlearn.

How to Build a Category

A category is made up of words separated by dots — and the key idea is that you start with the broad record type, then add more specific detail as you go.

Category input field in Evidentia 3 Plus showing a record category being entered in dot-notation format

Take a photograph from the 1880 US census. You could categorize it simply as census. That works. But if your collection grows to include census records from multiple countries and multiple decades, census alone won’t help you find anything quickly. Add .us and now you have census.us. Add .1880 and now you have census.us.1880 — every image from that year in one place.

The dots are just separators. Each word you add narrows the category one level further. Here are some examples:

Category	Reading it out loud
`census.us.1880`	Census records → us → 1880
`vital.birth.ma`	Vital records → births → Massachusetts
`military.wwii`	Military records → World War II
`land.deed.nh`	Land records → deeds → New Hampshire
`photo.family`	Photos → family

You decide how many levels to use. Two or three is typical. There’s no required depth.

How Evidentia Categories Work: Two Jobs, One Field

Here’s what makes Evidentia categories worth thinking through carefully: each one does two things at once.

Job 1: It Shapes the Record Library Tree

The Record Library is Evidentia 3+’s dedicated space for browsing all your attached files. Switch to Tree view and your categories become the branches. A database with files categorized census.us.1880, census.us.1900, and vital.birth.ma produces a tree like this:

Census
  us
    1880  (3 files)
    1900  (7 files)
Vital
  Birth
    Ma  (2 files)

Record Library tree view in Evidentia 3 Plus showing attached files organized into category branches with file counts

Click any node to see only those files. File counts include everything beneath — so “Census → us” shows all 10 census files at once.

Job 2: It Organizes Your Files on Disk

When Evidentia manages a copy of your file (the default), the category determines the folder it lands in on disk: EvidentiaSoftware/Records/{database}/{category-path}/. A file categorized census.us.1880 ends up at EvidentiaSoftware/Records/thompson/census/us/1880/.

macOS Finder window showing the EvidentiaSoftware Records folder organized into category subfolders matching the dot-notation categories

Open that folder in Finder or File Explorer, and it reads like a research library. Which, technically, it is.

A Few Practical Tips

Use the same spelling every time. Evidentia treats census and Census and census-records as different categories — each will create its own separate branch in the tree and its own folder on disk. Pick a spelling for each word and keep it consistent. All lowercase is a sensible default.

You can change a category later without losing the file. If a category isn’t quite right, update it. Evidentia automatically moves the physical file to the new matching folder. You don’t have to hunt it down manually.

Don’t try to plan every category before you start. Begin with a handful for the records you actually have right now. Add more as your collection grows. The Record Library’s category filter searches by partial match — typing census will find census, census.us, and census.us.1880 alike — so even a broad category will help you find things.

A Starting Point for Most Researchers

If you want a ready-made framework, this covers the majority of records most genealogists work with:

census.{country}.{year} — e.g., census.us.1880, census.uk.1871
vital.{event}.{place} — e.g., vital.birth.ma, vital.death.ohio
military.{era} — e.g., military.wwii, military.civil-war
land.{type} — e.g., land.deed, land.probate, land.will
church.{type} — e.g., church.baptism, church.marriage
photo.{subject} — e.g., photo.family, photo.headstone

Treat it as a starting point, not a prescription. Evidentia categories are a tool for your research — build them around the records you actually have.

As always, if you have questions about how you’ve organized your own categories, I’d love to hear from you.

Get the Latest Version →

Cursive signature reading Ed in blue ink on white background

May 26, 2026

Category: Tips and Tricks

Open the merge view

Load your two duplicate subjects, and mind the direction

Move the proofs and evidence

Three ways to transfer

Confirm the merge

Duplicate sources merge the same way

Read the confirmation before you commit

Merge adds. Restore replaces.

How to use Merge Database

Merging step by step

The one choice that can overwrite your data

What to expect afterward

Back up first, and merge with a clear head

What one database actually holds

Five reasons to keep multiple databases

Separate family lines that will never connect

A focused proof project

Client work and focused studies

Research you intend to share

Keeping Evidentia responsive

How to create a new database

Creating and switching databases

Before you split

Split along real boundaries, not for tidiness

Where the keyboard shortcuts live, and why you can trust the list

One rule covers most of them

Move between screens without reaching for the mouse

Stay in the flow while you work

Identify a Source

Analyze Evidence

Start with three, not thirty

Keep the reference close

Evidentia Cloud Storage — Pick the Provider You’re Already Paying For

What It Looks Like in Your Research

One Thing Worth Knowing About Google Drive

Offline access: Dropbox and OneDrive only

How to Connect Your Provider

You’re Not Stuck

Ready to try Evidentia 3+?

The Evidentia Cloud Sync Rule

What Evidentia Does at Startup

What Happens When You Go Offline

Watch out for stale copies

A Small Detail That Saves a Lot of Trouble

What Sync Doesn’t Do

The Safety Net: Offline Reconciliation

Seeing It in Settings

How Files Go Missing (Without Anyone Making a Mistake)

The Attachment Audit Tool

The Missing Tab: What to Do When a File Is Gone

Browse or Remove — Which to Choose

The Orphans Tab: Files on Disk That No Record Claims

How Often Should You Run It?

What You’re Looking At

Five Filters, Working Together

What’s Inside a File

If You’re Coming from Evidentia 3

Getting the Most Out of the Record Librar

New to Evidentia 3+?

Ready to try Evidentia 3+?

3 Ways to Attach a File in Evidentia at a Glance

Option 1: Managed Copy — Local Storage

When to use it:

Option 2: Managed Copy — Cloud Storage

When to use it:

A note on Google Drive

Option 3: Link Only

When to use it:

How to Choose

Start here:

The Record Library Confirms Your Choice

What’s Changed (for Evidentia 3 Users)

How to Build a Category

How Evidentia Categories Work: Two Jobs, One Field

Job 1: It Shapes the Record Library Tree

Job 2: It Organizes Your Files on Disk

A Few Practical Tips

A Starting Point for Most Researchers