RootsPersona
Rootspersona creates pages of family history using data imported from a GEDCOM file (version 5.5).
Safe pick
Yes — RootsPersona is a safe, well-maintained plugin to use in 2026. It runs on 400+ sites, is rated 4.6/5 and was last updated 5 days ago, and scores 80/100 on our health check.
- Actively developed — last update 5 days ago
- Tested with the latest WordPress (7.1)
- Momentum — downloads up 295.1% vs the previous 30 days
- Small user base (400+ active installs)
How does it stack up?
Side-by-side on installs, updates, ratings & support
Daily downloads
Download spikes usually follow a new release — each site that auto-updates counts as a download.
Rankings
Where RootsPersona stands todayWordPress.org search rankings
Live position in the plugin search, top 100| Keyword | Position |
|---|---|
| ancestors | #7 |
| family | #17 |
| GEDCOM | #1 |
| genealogy | #3 |
| roots | #2 |
Version adoption
Share of active sites per release.
Rating breakdown
★★★★★★★★★★ 4.6 from 17 reviews
About RootsPersona
From the official readme · v4.2.1Description
- IMPORTANT Rootspersona requires PHP7.4 or above
Check out the Changelog for new release details!
Rootspersona creates pages of family history using data imported from one or more GEDCOM files.
It allows an administrator to create pages featuring people or evidence with a variety of panels that can
be mixed and matched for optimum customization.
New in 3.0!
- You can now identify Rootspersona as the System of Record, allowing you to edit your data online!
- Includes a Top Ten Surnames widget!
- Support for multi-site installs
Features
- Support for GEDCOM Version 5.5
- Support for HTML5 microdata from historical-data.org
- Ability to upload more than one GEDCOM file from the same source and link families together
- Ability to select which persons from the GEDCOM file to create pages for
- As updates are made, GEDCOM files can be reloaded and existing pages will be updated
- Each page includes links to children and spouses
- Each page displays a visual family tree that includes three generations
- Ability to link pictures uploaded to WordPress to each person (up to 7)
- Flexible privacy options, including Public, Member Only, and Private
- MANY customization options…
** New in 3.0! **
- if you define Rootspersona as the system of record, you can now edit your data online!
- enhanced installer now supports multi-site installation!
For detailed documentation, goto rootspersona.com
Upgrading from versions earlier than 2.4.0
- If you are still running a version earlier than 2.4.0, you must first upgrade to 2.4.0 before going any higher
Usage:
Detailed documentation will appear later because the old domain no longer exists.
To import your first GEDCOM and create your first page(s):
- Find the Upload GEDCOM File page link under Rootspersona Options.
- Browse for a GEDCOM file on your local PC and select ‘Upload’.
- Select one or more persons to create pages for and select ‘Submit’
Your WordPress site will now have one or more persona pages for the people you selected!
Note: importing GEDCOM files from different programs can have unexpected consequences.
Rootspersona uses the ids generated in the GEDCOM file, and different programs may assign the same ids to different people.
It is recommended to manage your data in a single program (the ‘system of record’),
and to use GEDCOM files generated by that program, only.
Installation
- Install the plugin from the WordPress plugin site, or using the ‘Add Plugin’ link
on the plugin page of your WordPress instance. - Activate the plugin through the ‘Plugins’ menu in WordPress
At this point the plugin is ready to use!
Frequently asked questions
What happened to the GEDCOM file I uploaded?
The GEDCOM file on your PC is untouched. The copy uploaded to WordPress is converted into a set of person and family files in XML format. After conversion, the GEDCOM file uploaded to WordPress is deleted.
I only want people who are logged in to see certain people on my site.
You can change the default privacy setting on the Options page, or override the setting on a page by page basis.
When I try to upload a file, the screen goes blank.
As of version 4.2, GEDCOM files are imported in small time-boxed steps with a progress bar, so this should no longer happen regardless of file size. On earlier versions this was usually a timeout issue on your site — see the explanation on the upload page, or upgrade to 4.2 or later.
A GEDCOM import fails or shows “Database update error”. What should I send to the developer?
Since version 4.2.1 RootsPersona keeps its own import log. Open Tools->RootsPersona->Upload GEDCOM File, scroll to the Import log box, press Download log and send the downloaded file to the plugin developer. The box also shows where the file is stored on your site (wp-content/uploads/rootspersona-logs/). The log lists every import step, the GEDCOM record that was being processed when the error happened and the exact database error. To get a clean log, press Clear log first and then repeat the import. The log may contain short fragments of your family data (names, notes), so send it only to…
Can a reload a GEDCOM?
Yes. As long as the INDI ids are the same, existing records will be updated, not duplicated. HOWEVER if your program assigns new ids to the same people, your data may become corrupt, so make sure you check. You may also delete pages and data using the Tools->Rootspersona->Delete Pages and reload the GEDCOM. Currently you will lose any links to pictures if you do that.
Changelog
4.2.1
- Fix: reloading a GEDCOM that was already imported (same Batch Id) no longer stops with “Database update error” part-way through. Existing families, notes and sources are now updated in place, the same way individuals already were, instead of being treated as a fatal duplicate.
- New: the plugin now keeps its own import log (wp-content/uploads/rootspersona-logs/). It records every import step, the GEDCOM record being processed when something fails, and the real database error. On the Upload GEDCOM File page you can see the file location and use “Download log” / “Clear log” to send it to the developer.
- Fix: a PHP fatal error or exception during an import step (for example a time or memory limit) is now reported on the upload page and written to the log instead of leaving the progress bar stuck.
4.2
- Ed Thompson transferred ownership and maintenance of RootsPersona to Yuriy Fisenko on January 27, 2026.
- New: GEDCOM uploads are now imported in small, time-boxed steps via AJAX with a progress bar, instead of parsing the whole file in a single request. Large trees (and full reloads) that used to fail with a PHP execution-time timeout should now complete regardless of the file size.
- Fix: removed leftover debug output that could leak into the GEDCOM import response, occasionally showing a duplicated or garbled error message on the upload page.
- Dev: when a GEDCOM import fails with “Database update error”, the real underlying database error is now written to the server’s PHP error log to make the cause easier to diagnose.
- Fix: the photo lightbox now sizes the image to fill the available height instead of a flat ratio that left it looking small on tall screens, and no longer occasionally shows the caption before the image has finished loading.
- Fix: the persona edit form’s “Cancel”/”New” button now correctly shows “View” when a page already exists for the persona being edited, and only offers “New” when RootsPersona is set as the System of Record.
- Dev: the chunked GEDCOM upload now moves the uploaded file via the WP_Filesystem API instead of calling move_uploaded_file() directly.
- Dev: the ANSEL-to-Unicode character mapping used for older GEDCOM files is now parsed in memory instead of writing a temporary file into the plugin’s own folder.
- Updated “Tested up to” to 7.1.
4.1
- Security: removed the custom CSS (custom_style) and custom shortcode/page (custom_page) options that allowed arbitrary code insertion; page styling now uses dedicated, validated fields only.
- Security: settings are saved with proper sanitizers — colours via sanitize_hex_color(), image URLs via esc_url_raw().
- Security: added nonce verification to the persona edit action and signed every edit/add link with wp_nonce_url().
- Security: added missing sanitize_text_field() validation to legacy input fields found during a repository-wide security audit.
- Fix: resolved multiple PHP Deprecated notices on modern PHP versions (PHP 8.2+ / 8.4) by explicitly declaring properties in the individual record class.
4.0
- Security bug fixes
- Numerous bug fixes; compatibility with current WordPress and PHP.
- Fixed a bug: when editing on the site, a person could be added back to the page addition list after re-uploading the gedcom file, resulting in duplicate pages.
- Added Lightbox functionality for photos;
- Added text fields for photo titles and captions.
3.7.6 Forked
- Security issues fixed by Yury Fisenko
3.7.4
- incorporated name formatting fixes by Tony Smith
For developers
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Best RootsPersona alternatives
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RootsPersona: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Oct 11, 2026
Is RootsPersona free?
Yes. RootsPersona is free to download and use from the official WordPress.org plugin directory.
Is RootsPersona safe to use in 2026?
Yes — RootsPersona is a safe, well-maintained plugin to use in 2026. It runs on 400+ sites, is rated 4.6/5 and was last updated 5 days ago, and scores 80/100 on our health check.
How many websites use RootsPersona?
RootsPersona is active on 400+ WordPress websites and has been downloaded 35,301 times since it launched in January 2011. It was downloaded 881 times in the last 30 days.
Does RootsPersona work with WordPress 7.1?
Yes. The developer has tested RootsPersona up to WordPress 7.1.3, the latest release. It requires WordPress 6.0 or newer.
What PHP version does RootsPersona need?
RootsPersona requires PHP 7.4 or higher. Most hosts run PHP 8.x today, so it works on any modern WordPress hosting.
When was RootsPersona last updated?
The latest version, 4.2.1, was released on October 6, 2026 (5 days ago).
Who makes RootsPersona?
RootsPersona is developed and maintained by urryes.
What are the best alternatives to RootsPersona?
The most popular alternatives to RootsPersona are GedShow (200+ installs), AP Family Trees (20+ installs) and CSS Page Ancestors (<10 installs).
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