How to export a GEDCOM file from Gramps

2 min readUpdated 19 October 2026

Short answerIn Gramps, open your family tree and choose Family Trees, then Export. The Export Assistant asks for a format: pick GEDCOM. Next it offers filters and privacy options, such as leaving out private records and limiting what is shown for living people. Choose a file name ending in .ged and finish the assistant to write the file.

  1. Open your tree

    Start Gramps and load the family tree you want to export.

  2. Start the Export Assistant

    From the Family Trees menu choose Export. The Export Assistant opens.

  3. Choose GEDCOM

    Select GEDCOM as the output format and continue.

  4. Set filters and privacy

    Choose who to include with a person filter, and decide whether to leave out private records and how to handle living people.

  5. Save the file

    Pick a folder and a name ending in .ged, then apply to write the file.

Privacy options, used with care

Gramps can exclude or restrict living people in an export, and it decides who is living by a years-since-birth rule in its preferences. If you are exporting to move your whole tree to another program, include everyone with full data; the restricted options are meant for sharing with other people. Family Trees itself uses a similar rule on import: anyone without a death, burial, cremation or probate record and born less than 110 years ago is marked as living.

What to expect in Family Trees

Gramps writes standard GEDCOM, so names, events, places, notes and parent links all come across. Sources, citations, repositories and media references are not imported by Family Trees. See the tag-by-tag reference for exactly what is read.

Questions

Which format should I choose in Gramps to move to another app?

GEDCOM. The Gramps XML format keeps more detail, but only Gramps reads it. GEDCOM is the format other genealogy programs, including Family Trees, can import.

Do my Gramps media files go with the GEDCOM?

No. The GEDCOM can reference media paths, but the files stay on your computer. Add the photos you want in Family Trees after importing.

Can I export only one branch from Gramps?

Yes. Use a person filter in the Export Assistant, for example the ancestors or descendants of one person, to export only that part of the tree.

Sources

Links go to other sites. Checked 19 October 2026.

Questions? Email support@familytreesapp.com and a person will reply.