How to Start a Private Family Archive (In a Weekend)

You don’t need a museum to preserve a legacy — just a calm plan, the right labels, and a private hub your family actually uses.

Step 1 — Gather the starter set

• Pick 30–50 meaningful photos across years (not everything)
• Add 1–3 voice notes — a welcome message, a favorite story, a recipe
• Collect dates and names for each item where possible

Step 2 — Create a private home

• Tree first: Add yourself, parents, and grandparents for orientation
• Circles: Create groups (Grandparents, Cousins, Immediate)
• Permissions: Keep posts private by default; share to circles as needed

Step 3 — Upload with structure

• Add people, place, and date
• Link the item to relatives in the Family Tree
• Use Memory Lane for a chronological view

Step 4 — Add context with short posts

Use Family Announcements for milestones. Write 3–5 lines explaining the moment, add location, then attach media.

Step 5 — Use AI for light assistance

• Summaries: Let Guru create 1–2 sentence recaps
• Transcripts/Captions: Improve accessibility and searchability
• Reminders: Nudge contributors after uploads

Bonus — Bring genealogy data

Already researching on MyHeritage, Ancestry, or FamilySearch? Import key lines with GEDCOM Import and attach living stories privately in Kunbaa.

Weekly habit to keep it alive

• 10 minutes every Sunday: 3 photos + 1 caption
• One new voice note per month from an elder or teen
• Quarterly: curate highlights into a shared recap