DNA Match Log

Who this is for

Your DNA matches written down in one place, whatever site they came from. Each row records the match name, the amount shared and the relationship exactly as the testing site reports them, whether a tree is available, whether you have written and whether they wrote back, and the common ancestor once one is found.

Anyone who has tested with one or more companies and wants a record of the matches worth pursuing that does not depend on any single site's list, message system or labels.

What this helps you track

• Each match by name or username, and which site or test it is on
• The shared amount and predicted relationship, copied from the site
• Whether the match has a tree you can see
• Who you have contacted, who has replied, and who is still waiting
• The common ancestor or couple, once worked out

How to use it

1. Write your name, the test or kit the sheet is for and the date started at the top.
2. Add a row for each match you want to follow up: their name or username as the site shows it, and the site or test.
3. Copy the shared amount in the site's own units and the relationship the site predicts, word for word. The sheet interprets neither.
4. Tick tree if the match has a tree you can view, contacted when you send a message, and replied when one comes back.
5. Write the common ancestor once you have established one, and use the notes for the line of descent or the working theory.
6. The summary counts the matches, the messages sent, the replies and those still waiting; the browser version and the workbook keep it up to date.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser
• Excel / Google Sheets workbook

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The workbook uses plain formulas only — SUM, IF, COUNTIF and the like — so it opens in Excel, LibreOffice and Google Sheets without anything breaking, and every calculated cell is grey so you can see which figures it worked out.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

Does the sheet say what a shared amount means?

No. The number is whatever your testing site reports, in its units, and the predicted relationship is the site's own label. What a given amount implies is for the site's guidance and your own reading, not for a log sheet.

Can I mix matches from different sites?

Yes — that is the point of the site column. Units and labels differ between companies, so copy each row from its own site and do not compare across rows without checking the units.

What goes in the awaiting reply column?

It shows 1 where you have ticked contacted but not replied, and the summary adds it up, so the list of people to nudge or give up on is visible.

Should I log every match?

Only the ones you intend to follow up. Sites list thousands; the log is for the handful you are actually working on, so that the messages and the theories are not lost in a site's inbox.