Your raw DNA file and genealogy

If you research your family history you probably already have a DNA test lying around — and the raw file is more flexible than the service you bought it in. Here is what it can do, what it cannot, and where DNAHelper fits.

The raw file is marker data — not a family tree

The file contains ~600,000–700,000 SNP positions with your genotypes (what a SNP is). It is a measurement dataset — it contains no names, no ancestors, no tree. All the kinship and ethnicity estimates services show are computed from these markers against reference databases. The file is the raw material; the tree is built by you or by matching services.

Relative matching requires a database

Finding DNA relatives requires comparing your profile against other people's — that happens in the provider's own matching database or third-party databases like GEDmatch. The raw file itself finds no relatives, but it is the key: the same file can be uploaded to several matching services to reach different user bases. Every such upload is a privacy choice — read the service's terms first.

What DNAHelper adds locally

DNAHelper is not a matching service — it analyzes the raw file locally in the browser with no upload. For the family researcher that means: you can explore genotype data, look up specific markers you have encountered in research literature, and get a structured overview without your file leaving the device. The exception is the optional DNA Chat feature, where you — after consent — choose to share selected variants with the AI provider. Exactly what happens to the file.

A practical workflow

  1. Download the raw file from your provider — typical wait times
  2. Store it safely: it is yours, sensitive and reusable
  3. Upload to matching services you choose for kinship
  4. Explore markers and trait reports in DNAHelper — locally, with no additional exposure

Older exports work too

Tested years ago? Older raw files (e.g. Build 37) work — see Build 37 vs 38 and file formats by provider. Some markers may be missing in newer research — why a SNP can be missing.

Explore my file locally

Also: What is a raw DNA file? · Local vs cloud analysis · Provider guides · English overview