Addon:WebSearch
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The WebSearch Gramplet allows searching for information about people, places, and sources in popular genealogy databases. It automatically generates search links based on data from your genealogy records. The search parameters are filled in from the data objects in your Family Tree.
When you select a person or place in Gramps, WebSearch generates a list of links leading to relevant genealogy websites such as FamilySearch, MyHeritage, Ancestry, and more.
- The WebSearch Gramplet is an evolution of the Web Connect Pack addons which created a set of Context Menus for Persons. The original interface for searching web databases proved too fussy. And the backend was too limited and linkrot maintenance was too convoluted. It is hoped that the CSV files will be easier to maintain and expand.
Contents
Usage
After installing, then use the Add a gramplet menu to select the WebSearch entry in the sidebar as the gramplet's layout is oriented vertically with a list at the top and buttons at the bottom. So the sidebar container for Gramplets will be more effective than the bottombar.
The WebSearch Gramplet focuses on the active record in the People, Families, Places or Sources categories. It determines if that record contains the data needs to do various targeted searches. If so, the gramplet creates a query link to search that online database. It automatically offers a collated list of search links related to the selected object.
Select a different Person, Family, Place or Source and then in the WebSearch Gramplet double-click on the desired weblink, and that search will open in your browser with the results.
Select a different Person, Family, Place or Source and the list in the gramplet updates.
If performing searches on a series of objects, undock the Gramplet. This will ensure that the list of available searches will update and remain accessible as you navigate between view categories and navigate the active record focus.
The WebSearch Context menu options when selecting a link are:
- Add link to note : Person links only
- Add link to attribute :
- Show QR-code : Quickly open links on a mobile device via a camera application
- Copy link to clipboard
- Hide link for selected item
- Hide link for all items
WebSearch Configuration
Use the View -> Configure menu access the WebSearch tab where you can change the selected sets of searches that are to be considered.
You can limit to specific lists (saved in Comma Separated Value or CSV files) of databases for different locales and special interests. Some lists are for databases in specific locales (regions.countries) and others are for global databases.
What search parameters are available
WebSearch supports multiple navigation types with basic pre-defined parameters:
- Person: given name (with basic parsing into forename and middle names), surname, birth year, death year, birth place, et cetera
- Place: name, geographic coordinates (longitude and latitude), administrative place type
- Family: parent details, marriage place and year, divorce details
- Source: source title
Extensive parameters are also available for each type of record. The additional options are listed in the documentation for the WebSearch repository. But these basic parameters are the most common fields found in online genealogical search forms.
How to customize?
WebSearch works immediately after installation, but you can customize it:
Choose which websites to use for searches.
Modify the format of generated search URLs.
Use additional variables for search queries.
More detailed information about configuration can be found in the full README.
Additional Features
Custom links based on Attributes
Custom links based on Attributes : substitutes values from named unique identifiers into a URL)
- As an example, many genealogy application files export the FamilySearch profile IDs in a
_FSFTIDcustom GEDCOM tag. If WebSearch finds an Attribute named_FSFTIDand is configured to show the UID CSV records, it will offer a series of FamilySearch links to this Profile identifier: the person details, sources, pedigree charts. Users who are logged into the FamilySearch system can navigate to those pages with a simple double-click.
| Attribute name | Website | Description | Example value |
|---|---|---|---|
| _FSFTID | FamilySearch.org | person profile | KNDX-MKG
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| FacebookID | Facebook.com | account | groups/370692133138445
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| FindAGraveID | FindAGrave.com | memorial profile | 1075
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| GeneeeID | Geneee.org | (Geneweb) person profile | george/washington
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| GeniID | Geni.com | person profile | George-Washington-1st-President-of-the-United-States/6000000008211776777
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| GNDID | d-nb.info | Dun & Bradstreet business profile | 54-0564701 (Mount Vernon Ladies' Association of the Union) |
| InstagramID | Instagram.com | account | @mount_vernon |
| LinkedInID | LinkedIn.com | person professional profile | mountvernon |
| RogloID | Roglo.eu | (Rauglaudre collaborative GeneWeb database) person profile | 1825727 |
| VIAFID | viaf.org | (Virtual International Authority File) OCLC identifier | 31432428 |
| WeRelateID | WeRelate.org | person profile | George_Washington_(6)
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| WikidataID | Wikidata.org | knowledgebase article name | Q23
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| WikipediaID | wikipedia.org | knowledgebase article name | George_Washington
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| WikiTreeID | WikiTree.com | person profile | Washington-11
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| XINGID | XING.com | job listing |
Sorting and filtering – Easily find the necessary links.
Use OpenAI (optional) – Get additional search recommendations (may require an OpenAI API key).
Installation
Stable versions are published for installation from a personal curated addon collection via the Addon Manager. Experimental version are updated more frequently but require manual download and installation.
Addon Manager project settings
- Project name:
WebSearch (5.2)
- URL
- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/jurchello/WebSearch/dist/gramps52
- Project name:
WebSearch (6.0)
- URL
- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/jurchello/WebSearch/dist/gramps60
WebSearch installs as a standard Gramplet for Gramps via the Addon Manager. Experimental versions can be manually installed after downloading the compressed package from JUrchello's WebSearch development repository.
See also
Discourse community support forum
- A new WebSearch gramplet is ready Urchello 2025-03-10 - I would like to mention that this Gramplet is a full replacement for several existing regional Gramplets (available from the Web Connect Pack - Addon)
- New UA Web Connect Pack addon – How to integrate into Gramps?
GitHub
