Gemini and Claude: Quick Start for Genealogists
A practical handout covering privacy setup, genealogist persona configuration, five ready-to-use prompts, and GPS-aligned best practices for using Gemini and Claude in genealogical research.
BeginnerA practical handout from Teaching Genealogists AI covering privacy setup, genealogist persona configuration, five ready-to-use prompts, and GPS-aligned best practices.
1. Get Started and Protect Your Privacy
Gemini: Go to gemini.google.com. Sign in with your Google account. To protect your data, go to Gemini Apps Activity in your Google account settings and toggle activity OFF.
Claude: Go to claude.ai. Create a free account. Review Settings > Privacy to manage how your data is used. Claude does not use free-tier conversations to train its model by default.
The Golden Rule: Always treat AI output as a draft. It is never evidence. Verify every fact against original sources.
2. Set Up Your Genealogist Persona
Both tools work better when you tell them who you are. Paste this at the start of any new conversation, or save it in Custom Instructions (Claude) or Gems (Gemini Advanced).
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| About you | “I am a genealogist researching families in [your region] from [time period] to present. I follow the Genealogical Proof Standard.” |
| How to respond | “Be precise. Identify names, dates, places, and relationships. Format citations in Evidence Explained style. Flag uncertain readings. Do not invent information.” |
3. Five Ready-to-Use Prompts
Copy these directly into Gemini or Claude. Replace bracketed text with your details.
Summarize a record
Summarize this [census/vital/church] record in a narrative paragraph. Identify each person, their age, relationship, occupation, and birthplace. [Paste record]
Draft a biography
Act as a professional genealogist. Using only these facts, write a 3-paragraph biography for a family history book. Do not add facts I have not provided. [Paste your notes]
Translate a record
Translate this [Spanish/German/Latin] church record into English. Identify names, dates, places, and relationships. Flag uncertain words. [Paste record]
Create a research plan
Act as a professional genealogist. Create a research plan to locate [record type] for [name] in [location], approximately [dates]. Include repositories and likely challenges.
Format a citation
Format this as an Evidence Explained citation by Elizabeth Shown Mills. Include all required elements. [Paste record details]
4. Privacy: Four Things to Never Do
- Never upload documents containing Social Security Numbers, full addresses, or medical records
- Never share information about living people without their explicit consent
- Never paste raw DNA data or match lists into any AI tool
- Never trust AI output without independent verification against original sources
5. The Golden Rules
- AI assists; you decide. AI is a research assistant, not a replacement for your judgment.
- Verify everything. Always check AI output against original sources.
- Be specific. Better prompts produce better results.
- Protect privacy. Do not upload documents with living persons’ information.
- Cite real sources. Your conclusions must trace back to original records, not AI output.
6. GPS Reminder
AI cannot complete Genealogical Proof Standard elements for you. Use AI to assist with:
- Organizing and summarizing information
- Suggesting research avenues and record types
- Drafting narrative text
- Formatting citations
You must still:
- Evaluate source quality (Original, Derivative, or Authored)
- Assess informant reliability (Primary, Secondary, or Indeterminate)
- Weigh conflicting evidence
- Reach reasoned, documented conclusions
This handout is part of the Teaching Genealogists AI curriculum by Sylvia Vargas. For the full course on AI tools for genealogy, contact Sylvia Vargas.
© 2026 Sylvia Vargas. Teaching Genealogists AI™. All rights reserved.
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