Video tutorial · 2 min 36 sec
Genogram tutorial: build a family genogram in minutes
Quick answer
Watch the genogram tutorial
What you'll learn
- What a genogram is, and how it differs from a family tree
- How to start a blank genogram from the dashboard
- Building parents, siblings and grandparents with Quick Connect
- Adding a birth year and a medical condition
- Drawing emotional relationship lines, such as close and hostile
- Marking a death and a divorce, and reading the auto-generated key
- Describing the rest of the family to the AI assistant
- Exporting your genogram as PNG (free), or a high-res image or PDF on paid plans
Chapters, step by step
| Time | Chapter | What it shows |
|---|---|---|
| 0:00 | What is a genogram? | A short definition of a genogram and how it differs from a family tree: it adds relationships, health and patterns, not just names and dates. |
| 0:14 | Start a blank genogram | From the dashboard, choose Blank Genogram and name the index person, the client or person the genogram is centred on. |
| 0:28 | Quick Connect: parents, siblings, grandparents | Add parents, a sibling and grandparents around the index person with Quick Connect, so the family grows without manual placement. |
| 0:58 | Birth year and medical history | Click anyone to open their details: record a birth year and add a medical condition. |
| 1:10 | Emotional relationships | Draw emotional relationship lines between people, such as close and hostile, in standard notation. |
| 1:26 | Mark a death and a divorce | Mark a death from the status menu (the symbol gets an X) and record a divorce on the couple's line. |
| 1:35 | The genogram key | The key builds itself from the symbols and lines used, labels and counts them, and can be dragged anywhere. |
| 1:43 | Build with the AI assistant | Open Ask AI, describe the rest of the family in plain words, and the assistant adds them. |
| 2:17 | Export a PNG, high-res image or PDF | Export the finished genogram. PNG is free; high-resolution images and PDF are on paid plans. |
Video lessons
Getting started
The dashboard, adding family members with Quick Connect, dates, layout, and saving, sharing or importing a genogram.
GenogramAI Dashboard Tour: Start New, Search, Folders and More
1:08
A one-minute tour of the new GenogramAI dashboard: the sidebar and your library of genograms, eco-maps and freeform maps, the Who's in the family? box (Draw genogram and From a photo are paid features), the Start New tabs for Genogram, Ecomap and Freeform (beta), Recent files, search (Command K), folders and Move to folder, and the Community gallery and Tutorials.
How to Add Parents on a Genogram
0:20
Add parents in GenogramAI: select a person and click the orange button at the top of Quick Connect. A father and a mother are added above them, already married.
How to Add a Partner on a Genogram
0:22
Add a partner in GenogramAI: select a person and Quick Connect opens around them. The pink heart adds a partner, joined by a marriage line, with the name ready to type.
How to Add a Child on a Genogram
0:20
Add a child in GenogramAI: select one of the parents and click the blue button at the bottom of Quick Connect. The child is added under both parents, with the name ready to type.
How to Add a Brother or Sister on a Genogram
0:15
Add a sibling in GenogramAI: select a person and click the purple button in Quick Connect. The brother or sister gets the same parents, with the name ready to type.
How to Connect Two People on a Genogram (Draw Connection)
0:29
Connect two people who are already on the chart in GenogramAI: select one, click the blue link button in Quick Connect, then click the other person. GenogramAI works out the line from where they are: someone right above becomes a parent, and someone beside becomes a partner.
How to Rename a Person on a Genogram
0:23
Rename a person in GenogramAI: select them, click their name at the top of the Inspector, type the new name and press Enter. The chart updates right away.
How to Add Ages and Dates to a Genogram (Birth Year, Age, Birthday)
0:34
Add ages in GenogramAI: select a person and type their birth year at the top of the Inspector; the age appears inside the symbol. Only know their age? Type the age instead and the birth year is worked out. Exact birthdays go in the Vitals tab.
How to Move People and Auto-Arrange a Genogram
0:40
Rearrange a genogram in GenogramAI: drag a person and their lines follow; switch to Bulk Select, draw a box around a group and drag them together; or click Auto Arrange, choose a style (As is, Tidy or Compact) and apply it. Siblings go in birth order, oldest on the left.
How to Delete a Person or a Line on a Genogram (and Undo It)
0:30
Delete in GenogramAI: select a person and press Delete or click the trash button in the Inspector; their lines go with them. Undo with the Undo arrow at the top or Ctrl/Cmd+Z; the arrow next to it lists earlier changes so you can go further back.
How to Add Text, a Title and Notes to a Genogram
0:39
Add text in GenogramAI: Add Text in the toolbar places a title you can double-click to edit, with a bar for font, size and color. Add Note places a sticky note you can write in and drag anywhere.
How to Change Colors, Text Size and Symbol Size on a Genogram
0:29
Style a genogram in GenogramAI: select a person, open Custom in the Inspector and pick a color; give the color a meaning (for example, High risk) and it is added to the key. The S, M and L buttons size their symbol.
How to Download, Export or Print a Genogram (PNG, PDF, SVG)
0:44
Save your genogram in GenogramAI: open the menu (top left), choose Export, then Image. Pick PNG or SVG and a resolution (High Res is best for printing), turn on Integrated key to put the key under the family, and click Export.
How to Share a Genogram with a Link (Publish and Embed)
0:37
Share your genogram in GenogramAI: click Share at the top, give it a title and choose who can find it: only people with the link, or the Community gallery. Published copies are not encrypted, so leave out private details or add a password (passwords, Block copying and Block PNG export are on paid plans).
How to Import a Genogram (GEDCOM, GenoPro, Gramps, CSV, Photo or Text)
0:46
Bring an existing family tree into GenogramAI from the dashboard: click Import. It reads GEDCOM files from Ancestry and other family-tree apps, plus GenoPro, Gramps, RootsMagic, GEDCOM X, Family.Show, CSV and Excel.
Symbols and common questions
How to show emotional relationships, divorce, death, illness, adoption, twins, pregnancy, households and more.
How to Show Emotional Relationships on a Genogram (Close, Distant, Hostile, Cutoff)
0:50
Draw emotional relationship lines in GenogramAI: select a person, then drag from the Emotional Line button to the other person. Every new line starts as Close, and the panel lists all 39 types, including distant, hostile, fused and cutoff.
How to Show Divorce, Separation and Other Relationships on a Genogram
0:42
Show a divorce in GenogramAI: click the line between the couple, and under Relationship history add an event, choose Divorced and type the year. The line gets two slashes and both dates show on it (for example m 94 · d 10).
How to Show a Death on a Genogram (Deceased Symbol, Death Year, Cause of Death)
0:34
Mark a death in GenogramAI: select the person, open the status menu and choose Deceased; the symbol gets an X. In the Vitals tab add the year of death (the number inside becomes their age at death) and a cause of death, which shows under their name.
How to Add Medical Conditions to a Genogram (Illness, Mental Health, Substance Use)
0:46
Add health information in GenogramAI: select a person, open Medical in the Inspector and pick a condition. By default GenogramAI uses classic shading: physical and mental illness fill the left half of the symbol, and alcohol or drug use fills the bottom half.
How to Show Adoption, Foster Children and Step-Parents on a Genogram
0:37
Show how a child joined the family in GenogramAI: click the line just above the child and pick a Child type. Adopted is a dashed line, and you can add the adoption year; Foster is dotted; Step is for a step-parent's child (Donor is also available).
How to Show Twins on a Genogram (Fraternal and Identical)
0:28
Add twins in GenogramAI: click the line just above a child and, under Add twin sibling, choose Fraternal. The twin appears beside them and their lines meet in a V; click the twin to name them.
How to Change Gender on a Genogram (Trans, Non-Binary, Same-Sex Couples)
0:33
Change a person's gender in GenogramAI: select them and click the symbol button at the top of the Inspector. Choose male, female, trans male, trans female, non-binary, intersex, unknown or other; each has its own symbol.
How to Show Pregnancy, Miscarriage, Abortion and Stillbirth on a Genogram
0:35
Show a pregnancy or a pregnancy loss in GenogramAI: select the mother and add a child with Quick Connect, then open the child's status and choose Pregnancy (a triangle), Miscarriage (a small filled circle), Abortion (a small X) or Stillbirth (a small symbol with an X through it). Each one is labeled in the key, and all four are also in the Add Person menu in the toolbar.
How to Show a Household on a Genogram (Who Lives Together)
0:31
Show households in GenogramAI: open Views in the toolbar and turn on Households; GenogramAI suggests a household for each couple and their children. To draw your own, pick the Household lasso (L) in the toolbar and draw a loop around the people who live together.
How to Add a Pet to a Genogram
0:26
Add a pet in GenogramAI: click Add Person in the toolbar and choose Pet. Name it and pick the species, then click the orange link button beside the pet and click the owner.
Where Is the Genogram Key? How to Show, Hide and Move It
0:31
The genogram key lists every symbol and line in your genogram and counts them. If you don't see it, click the key button in the toolbar at the bottom.
Genogram Display Controls: Views, Labels and the Key
0:33
The toolbar controls what shows on your genogram. Views has nine layers you can tick on or off: cultural heritage, medical (classic shading or quadrants), social class, religion, education, location, custom, backgrounds and households.
How to Show Heritage and Culture on a Genogram
0:19
Add heritage in GenogramAI: select a person, open Heritage, pick one of nine patterns and name it (for example, Irish). The pattern fills the symbol, the name shows under it, and it is added to the key.
How to Show Religion on a Genogram
0:19
Add religion in GenogramAI: select a person, open Religion and choose one of 13 options; a badge appears on the symbol. Tick Non-practicing and the badge gets a dashed ring.
How to Show Social Class on a Genogram
0:20
Show socioeconomic status in GenogramAI: select a person, open Social and choose a level, from poverty to upper class. The dollar signs by the symbol show it, from one for poverty to five for upper class.
How to Show Education on a Genogram
0:17
Add education in GenogramAI: select a person, open Education and choose the highest level; a badge such as MA appears on the symbol. Add the school, and it shows under their name.
How to Show Location and Migration on a Genogram
0:21
Add a location in GenogramAI: select a person, open Location and search for a country; its flag appears on the symbol. Add a city and state if you like, and the place shows under their name.
How to Add Notes to a Person on a Genogram
0:16
Add notes about a person in GenogramAI: select them, open the Notes tab and type anything you want to remember. The notes show under their name on the canvas.
AI tools
Draw genogram, the AI Architect and photo import are on paid plans. Ask AI edits and eco-map AI work on the free plan with 5 AI credits a month.
Describe a Family, Get a Genogram: GenogramAI's AI Builder
1:05
Type a family the way you'd describe it out loud, click Draw genogram, and GenogramAI draws the whole genogram for you: people, ages, a marriage, twins, a death, health conditions with medical shading, and close and conflict lines, plus a key that explains every symbol.
Turn a Long Family History Into a Genogram with the AI Architect
1:22
Paste a long, multi-generation family description into GenogramAI's AI Architect and get the whole genogram in one go: three generations, a divorce and a remarriage, health conditions with medical shading, and close and conflict lines. Then fix anything by asking the AI.
Turn a Hand-Drawn Genogram Into an Editable Chart (AI Photo Import)
1:13
Upload a photo of a genogram drawn on paper and GenogramAI's AI Architect rebuilds it as a chart you can edit: the people, birth years, a death, marriages and a divorce. Then keep going with Ask AI.
How to Use the GenogramAI Assistant (Edit and Chat)
0:35
Open the AI assistant with Ask AI at the top. In Edit, describe changes in plain words and it makes them; every change can be undone.
Create an Eco-Map with AI: Describe a Client, Get an Ecomap
1:05
Describe a client's situation in your own words and GenogramAI builds the eco-map: every system, how strong or stressful each tie is, and which way support flows. Then refine it by asking the AI, for example to add a church as a strong support.
New features
Eco-maps, Freeform (beta, paid plans), views, time view, version history and folders. Clinical mode, Research view and the Mac desktop app are part of the Clinical plan.
How to Make an Eco-Map (Ecomap): Systems, Lines and Energy Flow
1:08
Make an eco-map step by step in GenogramAI: start a blank ecomap from the dashboard, put a person at the center, add systems like family, work and health, set each relationship (strong, stressful and more) and the energy flow (resources flowing in, energy flowing out), drag anything into place (even the person at the center), and read it all in the legend. Blank eco-maps are free on every plan.
Freeform Genograms in Your Own Notation (Beta)
1:03
Freeform (beta) is a genogram canvas where you choose the notation. Describe the family and your rules in plain words, such as green circles for women, blue squares for men and a purple dashed line for estranged, and the AI draws it that way with a legend.
Clinical Mode: Keep Client Genograms on Your Device
1:12
Clinical mode, on the GenogramAI Clinical plan, keeps client genograms in your browser, encrypted with AES-256, instead of in the cloud. See how to turn it on in Settings, how the editor confirms data is stored locally only, how names and personal details are removed before the AI sees them, the backup reminder when you leave, and the On this device list with backup and restore.
Research View: Sources for Every Fact on a Genogram
1:04
Research view (Clinical plan) lets you attach sources to every date, place and relationship on a genogram and see what's proven. Turn it on in Settings > Research (Show Research view in the toolbar), switch it on for a genogram, follow Still to prove and Next unproven, and add a source with its type and confidence level.
Genogram Views: Show Heritage, Medical Shading, Religion, Education and Households
0:49
Views control which layers appear on your genogram. Click the Views button in the toolbar to turn on any of nine layers: Cultural (heritage patterns), Medical (health conditions in classic or quadrant shading), Social (social class), Religion, Education, Location, Custom (your own color labels), Backgrounds (shaded regions) and Households (who lives together).
Genogram Time View: See a Family in Any Year, Then Present It Step by Step
0:49
The time view shows a family as it was in any year. Click the clock button in the toolbar and drag the year slider: ages update to that year and anyone born later fades out.
How to Restore an Earlier Version of a Genogram (Version History)
0:41
GenogramAI keeps snapshots of your cloud saves. On the dashboard, open the menu on a file's card and choose Version history to see each snapshot with its date and time.
How to Organize Genograms in Folders and Restore Them From the Trash
0:41
Keep your genograms organized with folders. In the sidebar, click New folder, type a name and press Enter.
Genogram Templates: Ready-Made Families and the Community Gallery
0:52
Start a genogram from a template instead of a blank page. In the editor, open Ask AI and look under Templates for ready-made families (an immigrant family, a family with loss, a multicultural family and more).
How to Show Birth Parents and Institutions on a Genogram (Adoption, Nursing Home, Rehab)
1:01
Two newer symbols in GenogramAI help with real family histories. For an adopted or fostered child, select the child and click Add next to Birth parents in the Inspector.
GenogramAI Desktop App for Mac: Offline Genograms in Your Documents Folder
0:43
GenogramAI has a native desktop app for Mac, included with the Clinical plan. Click Desktop app at the bottom of the sidebar to open the download page (Apple Silicon and Intel, macOS 12 or later).
Who is this genogram tutorial for?
The walkthrough is aimed at anyone who needs a genogram to be clinically legible rather than merely decorative: therapists mapping family systems, social work students preparing an assessment, nurses and genetic counselors tracking hereditary health patterns, and people simply exploring their own family history.
Everything drawn in the video follows standard genogram notation, the conventions clinicians are trained on, so a genogram built this way can be read by a supervisor or a colleague. If you would rather read than watch, the same ground is covered in how to make a genogram, and the symbols themselves are catalogued in the genogram symbols guide.
Genogram tutorial: questions
How long does the genogram tutorial take to watch?
The full video runs 2 minutes and 36 seconds. It is chaptered, so you can jump straight to the part you need: Quick Connect, medical history, emotional relationships, the AI assistant or exporting. Shorter lessons on single tasks are further down this page.
Do I need to install anything to follow along?
No. GenogramAI runs in the browser, so you can follow the tutorial in a second tab without installing software. It is free to start.
Does the tutorial use standard clinical genogram symbols?
Yes. The genogram in the video follows standard genogram notation, the conventions clinicians are trained on, including close and hostile relationship lines and an auto-generated key that labels every symbol used.
Can I build a genogram by describing the family instead of drawing it?
Yes, and the tutorial covers it at the 1:43 mark. Open Ask AI, describe who to add in plain words, and the assistant adds them; you can then adjust by hand. The free plan includes 5 AI credits a month.
What formats can I export a genogram to?
PNG on every plan, including the free plan; high-resolution images, PDF and SVG on the paid plans. The export step is covered from 2:17 in the video.