Free genogram template

3 Generation Genogram Template (Free, Editable)

The standard genogram structure, explained generation by generation, with a filled example to copy.

Updated October 2026 · PDF, PowerPoint, PNG and SVG · no sign-up

Quick answer

A 3 generation genogram template lays out grandparents on the top row, parents and their siblings in the middle, and the index person with siblings at the bottom, using squares for males, circles for females and standard lines for marriages and children. It is the default structure for therapy, social work, nursing and student assignments. GenogramAI offers a free printable version and an editable example.

Open in GenogramAI (free) Download blank PDF

Download the 3 generation genogram template

Free files, no sign-up or email. Print the blank, edit the PowerPoint, or reuse the example image with a credit to genogramai.com.

When to use a 3 generation genogram template

Use this page when you need to understand or explain the standard three-generation structure: a first genogram assignment, training new staff, or checking that your own chart follows the usual conventions. Three generations is the minimum most courses and clinical protocols ask for, because patterns such as a parent repeating a grandparent's divorce only become visible across that span.

Each row has rules. Generation 1 puts paternal grandparents on the left and maternal grandparents on the right, husband left of wife. Generation 2 hangs each parent from their own parents' line with their siblings in birth order. Generation 3 is the index person and siblings, oldest on the left, with the index person drawn in a double outline.

If you only need an empty page to draw on, use the Blank Genogram Template. If the family has four living generations, or your assignment asks for the index person's children, use the 4 Generation Genogram Template.

The blank template and a filled-in example

Left: the blank printable. Right: the same template filled in for a fictional family in GenogramAI.

Blank 3 generation genogram template: Paternal and maternal grandparent couples on the top row, father and mother with dashed "add siblings" slots in the middle row, three children with the index person in a double outline on the bottom row, a symbol key (male, female, deceased, index person, marriage, cohabitation, separation, divorce) and lines for notes. — Blank: Paternal and maternal grandparent couples on the top row, father and mother with dashed "add siblings" slots in the middle row, three children with the index person in a double outline on the bottom row, a symbol key (male, female, deceased, index person, marriage, cohabitation, separation, divorce) and lines for notes.

3 Generation Genogram Template filled in: Family Genogram Example with Explanation drawn in GenogramAI with a genogram key — Filled in: The example is the fictional Martin and Rossi families, drawn by the index person Sophie Martin (24) for a family systems course, with every symbol explained: a grandfather who has died, a divorce and remarriage, an adopted son, a miscarriage, and one close and one conflicted relationship. Read the full example

Open this example in GenogramAI to start from the finished layout: it copies into your account (the Free plan holds 2 genograms) and every person, line and condition stays editable.

How to fill in a 3 generation genogram template

1
Start with the middle generation
Draw the parents (or presenting couple) in the centre of the page, husband on the left, and connect them with a partner line.
2
Add grandparents above
Place the father's parents upper left and the mother's parents upper right. Hang each parent, with their siblings in birth order, from their parents' line.
3
Add children below
Draw the children on a sibship line below the couple, oldest on the left, and give the index person a double outline.

Symbols this template uses

Drawn the way GenogramAI draws them. Every other symbol is in the genogram symbols guide and the genogram key.

Symbol	What it means
Square / circle	Male / female; husband on the left of each couple.
Double outline	The index person the genogram is drawn around.
Horizontal partner line	Joins a couple; solid = marriage, dashed = cohabitation.
One / two slashes on the partner line	Separation / divorce.
Sibship line	A horizontal line below the couple from which children hang, oldest on the left.
X through the symbol	Deceased, with age at death beside it.

Common mistakes to avoid

Putting the maternal grandparents on the left; by convention the father's side is on the left.
Ordering siblings by importance instead of birth order, oldest on the left.
Hanging a child from one parent's symbol instead of from the couple's line.
Forgetting to mark the index person, so readers do not know whose genogram it is.

Who uses this template?

Students, therapists, social workers, nurses, and anyone creating a genogram for the first time.

Common uses

Clinical intake assessment across mental health disciplines
Graduate genogram assignments (MSW, MFT, counseling, nursing)
Family medicine three-generation health history
Personal family history projects
Teaching and training demonstrations

What the template covers

Three-generation layout with correct spacing
Structural line guide: marriage, cohabitation, separation, divorce
Symbol key in standard genogram notation
Space for name and years under each person
Free printable PDF (US Letter) plus PowerPoint and SVG versions

What is free?

Free and paid, plainly

All five files on this page (blank PDF, PowerPoint, SVG, example PDF and PNG) are free to download and use, with no sign-up. In GenogramAI, the Free plan includes 2 genograms, 5 AI credits a month, all 64 relationship types, medical shading and PNG export, with no card. PDF, SVG and GEDCOM export, file import and photo import are on paid plans; Professional is $12/month.

Frequently asked questions

What is a 3 generation genogram?

A genogram covering the index person's generation, their parents' generation and their grandparents' generation. Three generations is the usual minimum for clinical and student genograms because many patterns, such as a divorce or an illness repeating, only show up across that span.

How do I draw a 3 generation genogram?

Draw the parents in the middle, add the father's parents upper left and the mother's parents upper right, and hang each parent and their siblings from their parents' line. Then hang the children from the parents' line, oldest on the left, and give the index person a double outline. Finish with line types (solid = married, dashed = cohabiting, two slashes = divorced) and a key.

How many people does a 3 generation genogram usually include?

Typically 10 to 20: four grandparents, the parents and their siblings, and the index person with siblings. Blended families, adoption and large sibling groups push the count higher.

Which side of the family goes on the left?

By convention the father's side is on the left and the mother's on the right, and within each couple the husband is on the left. Same-sex couples and other families are placed so that each person sits nearest their own family of origin.