How to Leave Ancestry Completely and Keep Your Tree and Records
Before you delete Ancestry, download the raw DNA .txt and a GEDCOM. Account deletion removes the tree and DNA results but not saved files or the physical saliva sample.
Before you delete an Ancestry account, download two things: the AncestryDNA raw data file (.txt, usually inside a .zip) and a GEDCOM export of each tree you own. Deleting the account removes the DNA results and the tree from Ancestry's servers. It does not remove files you already saved, and it does not automatically destroy the physical saliva sample.
The raw DNA file and the GEDCOM tree are the two things you must save first. Nothing on Ancestry's side comes back after deletion.
How can I leave Ancestry completely and keep my tree and records?
The sequence matters. Download first, then request deletion. Ancestry will not email you a copy afterward.
- 1.Cancel any membership separately. Account deletion does not always trigger an instant refund or cancel a renewal that already started.
- 2.Download the raw DNA file. Go to DNA > Your DNA Results Summary > Settings (gear) > Download raw DNA data. Enter your password. Ancestry emails a download link.
- 3.Export each tree. Open Trees > choose tree > View Tree Settings > Export tree. Save the .ged file.
- 4.Download any actual record images and photos. GEDCOM contains names, dates, relationships, notes and source citations. It does not contain census images, passenger lists or uploaded photos.
- 5.Copy any messages or match notes you want. Then delete the account in Account settings.
What the raw DNA download actually is
AncestryDNA tests a genotyping array, about 700,000 DNA positions, not a whole genome. The file is a tab-separated text file with columns: rsID, chromosome, position, allele 1, allele 2. It is small enough to email, often 5 to 10 MB compressed. Do not edit it before uploading it to another tool. Editing or re-saving in Excel can corrupt the column order.
A common mistake is assuming the raw file disappears when your account does. It does not. It remains on your computer, which means you can run it in free tools later. The converse matters too: if you delete without saving, that file is gone and cannot be regenerated from an ethnicity estimate.
What the GEDCOM export does and does not include
A GEDCOM file saves the skeleton of your tree. People, names, birth and death details, relationships, notes, source citations. It does not save the actual images of the records Ancestry hosts. If your tree says "1851 England Census" with a citation, that link disappears when the tree is deleted. The census image itself remains in Ancestry's database because Ancestry owns that scan, but it is no longer attached to your tree or your account.
If you want the source documents, open each record page and download the image, or use Ancestry's gallery download. For a large tree this can take an afternoon. The common mistake is exporting the GEDCOM, then realizing later that half of what you called "records" were saved citations, not files.
What deletion removes and what it leaves behind
Deleting an Ancestry account removes the digital data attached to your profile: DNA results, ethnicity estimate, DNA matches, traits, trees, messages, and shared links. It does not reach into your computer.
| Item | After account deletion | What still exists |
|---|---|---|
| Ethnicity estimate, DNA matches, traits | Removed | Only screenshots on other people's devices |
| Raw DNA file saved to your computer | Ancestry's copy removed | Your local .txt or .zip |
| GEDCOM tree saved to your computer | Ancestry's copy removed | Your local .ged file |
| Source record images on Ancestry | Your tree link removed | Ancestry's database still has the scan |
| Physical saliva sample | Not removed automatically | Lab storage until you request destruction |
Scroll the table sideways for the rest →
What you keep depends on what you saved before deleting.
The physical saliva sample is a separate thing. Deleting your account or DNA results does not automatically destroy the sample. You can request destruction through Ancestry support. If you gave research consent, withdrawing consent stops future use. Data already included in completed research cannot be removed from that analysis, because it was de-identified and aggregated.
One honest limit: deletion does not remove screenshots or downloads other people took. If a DNA match saved your shared centimorgan amount or a cousin copied your tree, that copy is outside your control.
Does deleting my account destroy my spit sample?
No. The digital data deletion and the physical sample are separate. Ancestry keeps the sample in storage unless you ask for destruction. If you want the sample gone, make that a separate request before or after account deletion. It does not happen automatically when you press delete.
Where the raw file still works after you leave
A raw AncestryDNA file remains useful after your account is gone. Free analysis tools can read the .txt or .zip directly and report traits, medication response variants, carrier-relevant findings and ancestry estimates. The file does not include health conclusions by itself. It is a list of genotype calls at positions that are relevant to ancestry and some health calculators.
Choosing a file. The report is read on your own device.
Ancestry across 15 regions and 157 reference populations.
Put the downloaded .txt file to work at HealthOS DNA. It reads an AncestryDNA raw file in the browser and shows trait, medication response and carrier-relevant findings, with an optional genetic ancestry breakdown, free. That file you saved before deletion is the only thing you need to keep learning from it.
New to raw DNA files? Start with the full guide: How to Download & Analyze Your 23andMe Raw Data Free
Written by
HealthOS Research