An investigative genetic genealogy tool

Link Family Trees Together to Solve Kinship Mysteries

CanopyLink is a purpose-built web-based tool for investigative genetic genealogists working unknown parentage cases, cold cases, and complex family research.

Free plan with no card needed. Built with working IGG professionals.

518 researchers with an account
1,267 family trees built and linked
68,420 people documented
CanopyLink Case Details view: case number, DNA kits, Y-DNA and mtDNA haplogroups, NamUs record and pinned resources
Case Details

Keep the whole case file in one place

Every project is a case. Case Details gives it a structured home for the facts that matter: case and kit numbers, the testing lab and NamUs record, the unknown candidate's profile, Y-DNA and mtDNA haplogroups, admixture, and a Resource Center of pinned links.

  • Identifiers in one view: case number, GEDmatch and FTDNA kits, testing lab and NamUs record
  • Candidate and DNA profile: biological sex, age range, Y-DNA and mtDNA haplogroups, admixture
  • A Resource Center for pinned links, with every field encrypted at rest
  1. 1 Open Report
  2. 2 Pick people
  3. 3 Get your PDF
Tree Reports

Turn any people on your tree into a shareable PDF

Switch on Report mode, click the people you want, and press Done. CanopyLink lays out a PDF with a tree diagram of just those individuals, keeping the layout you see on screen, followed by their birth, death and relationship details. Ready to hand to a client or drop into a case file.

  • Pick exactly who appears: one branch, one couple, or the whole line
  • Vector PDF that stays sharp at any zoom or print size
  • Estimated and approximate dates carry their qualifiers through

What is CanopyLink?

Two DNA matches' trees, joined where they share an ancestor.

A secure, web-based platform developed with investigative genetic genealogists. Build, link and analyse family trees to solve unknown parentage cases, support law enforcement investigations and connect DNA relatives, all from your browser.

  • Unknown parentage

    Build and link the trees of DNA matches to identify biological parents and extended family.

  • Cold case genealogy

    Support law enforcement with secure, well-documented research to help identify persons of interest.

  • Family research

    Explore connections between DNA relatives and document each ancestor's life story.

From DNA matches to an answer, in four steps

The same route every case takes, with the tedious parts handled for you.

  1. 1

    Create a project

    Start a case from scratch, or import a GEDCOM from another platform.

  2. 2

    Build the trees

    Add people, relationships, sources and notes. Each DNA match gets its own anchor.

  3. 3

    Link and analyse

    Connect trees where they share an ancestor. Surface duplicates, map places, colour what matters.

  4. 4

    Report and share

    Export a PDF of the people who matter, invite your team, or download a GEDCOM.

Made for the way IGG work actually happens

Many trees per case, the same person turning up twice, and a colour scheme only you understand. CanopyLink expects all of it.

A CanopyLink project with four anchors in the sidebar and the Harrison family pedigree on the canvas

The whole case on one canvas

Every anchor in the project sits in the sidebar. Open any tree, search every person, and switch between them without losing your place.

Match analysis panels listing shared last names, duplicate names and shared locations across trees

Common ancestors, surfaced for you

Shared surnames, shared places and likely same-person matches are found across your trees automatically.

A tree with people colour-coded by research status

Colour what matters

Mark the people, lines and patterns that drive the investigation so they read at a glance.

Merge preview comparing two records field by field before combining them

Merge duplicates with a preview

The same person in two branches? Compare them side by side and combine relationships and details into one clean record.

Plus GEDCOM import and export, a locations map, DNA inheritance paths, a shared cM calculator, team sharing with a change log, and more. See every feature

“Taking old school techniques like tether trees and way posting and converting them to software features makes CanopyLink exciting for this old timer. I am so grateful to have access to it for our team at FHD Forensics.”
Allison Peacock President, FHD Forensics

Start building your trees today

Create a free account and link your first trees in minutes. No card needed.

Encrypted in transit and at rest, private by default, and yours to export. Read the security details