After Receiving Your Results Checklist

Phase 1 — First Look: Orient Yourself, Don't Conclude Anything Yet

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  Read your ethnicity estimate for what it is, not more

  A statistical estimate that will shift as the company's reference data improves — expect it to change over the coming years, sometimes significantly.

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  Locate your match list and sort it by shared cM, descending

  On Ancestry: "DNA Matches"; MyHeritage: "DNA Matches"; FTDNA: "Matches"; 23andMe: "DNA Relatives".

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  Identify your single closest match

  Note their name, relationship estimate, and shared cM.

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  Resist making any big conclusions in your first sitting

  Spend this first session only orienting yourself — decisions and messages can wait until Phase 3.

Phase 2 — Set Up Your Tools

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  Download your raw DNA data file

  Usually found in Account Settings under "DNA Data", "Download Raw Data", or similar — save it somewhere safe outside the testing company's platform.

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  Upload your raw data (free) to GEDmatch, MyHeritage, and FamilyTreeDNA if you tested elsewhere

  This widens your match pool at no extra cost — 23andMe is the one major exception that doesn't accept uploads.

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  Create a DNA Painter profile for your future chromosome map

  Free at dnapainter.com — see the Chromosome Mapping Checklist for the full process.

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  Set up your master match spreadsheet

  See the DNA Match Research Checklist for the exact columns to use.

Phase 3 — Work Through Your Closest Matches First

Quick reference — shared cM to likely relationship

Ranges overlap significantly between relationship types — always cross-check with shared matches, ages, and tree research rather than the cM figure alone.

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  Apply the chart above to your top 10–20 matches

  Use it for a first-pass relationship estimate on each.

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  Run the full DNA Match Research Checklist on any match closer than 2nd cousin

  Roughly 200+ cM — these are the matches most likely to meaningfully advance your research.

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  Message your closest 2–3 unexplained matches early

  The people you most need to hear from may not check their account often, so an early message gives the longest possible runway for a reply.

Phase 4 — Handle Anything Unexpected Calmly

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  If a match's relationship estimate contradicts what you expected, don't panic or conclude immediately

  E.g. an unexpected "half-sibling" result.

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  Follow the NPE Research Checklist step by step if a genuine surprise appears

  It's built specifically for this situation.

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  Give yourself time before reacting to any single data point

  One surprising match is a clue, not proof — see Step 1 of the NPE checklist for how to confirm a finding properly.

Phase 5 — Build Your Foundation for Ongoing Research

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  Compare your ethnicity estimate against your documented tree

  Note anywhere they don't align as a flag for further research, not as a definitive answer on its own.

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  Begin the Leeds Method or run an AutoCluster tool

  Once you have 20–30 matches in the 40–400 cM range — see the Leeds Method Checklist for the full process.

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  Set a recurring reminder (weekly or bi-weekly) to check for new matches

  Your match list will keep growing for years as more people test.

Phase 6 — Longer-Term Habits

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  Back up your match spreadsheet and raw data file somewhere outside the testing company's platform

  A local folder or cloud drive you control, not just the company's website.

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  Revisit your DNA Painter chromosome map periodically

  As more segments get triangulated.

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  Consider testing additional close relatives if your budget allows

  Each parent, sibling, or aunt/uncle who tests meaningfully expands what your existing matches can tell you, and helps sort matches to the correct side of your tree.