local-mcp-server-ancestry by ctrimm - MCP Server

Ancestry.com MCP Server

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for exploring genealogy data on Ancestry.com. This server provides tools to search for people, extract family tree information, and generate historical narratives.

Features

Authentication: Login to Ancestry.com using credentials
Person Search: Search for individuals by name, dates, and location
Profile Details: Extract detailed information from person profiles
Family Tree Navigation: Explore family relationships across generations
Historical Records: Access attached records and documents
Timeline Extraction: Get chronological life events
Narrative Generation: Create historical narratives with contextual information

Installation

npm install

Configuration

For Claude Desktop

Add this to your Claude Desktop config file:

macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ancestry": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/path/to/ancestry-mcp-server/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "ANCESTRY_USERNAME": "your-username@email.com",
        "ANCESTRY_PASSWORD": "your-password"
      }
    }
  }
}

For Other MCP Clients

Set environment variables:

export ANCESTRY_USERNAME="your-username@email.com"
export ANCESTRY_PASSWORD="your-password"

Available Tools

`ancestry_login`

{}

`ancestry_search_person`

Search for a person by name and optional criteria.

{
  "firstName": "John",
  "lastName": "Smith",
  "birthYear": "1850",
  "deathYear": "1920",
  "location": "New York"
}

`ancestry_get_person_details`

Get detailed information about a person from their profile.

{
  "profileUrl": "https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/..."
}

`ancestry_get_tree_view`

Explore family tree relationships.

{
  "treeUrl": "https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/tree/...",
  "generations": 3
}

`ancestry_get_records`

Get historical records attached to a person.

{
  "profileUrl": "https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/..."
}

`ancestry_get_timeline`

Extract timeline of life events.

{
  "profileUrl": "https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/..."
}

`generate_historical_narrative`

Generate a narrative story about a person's life with historical context.

{
  "personData": {
    "name": "John Smith",
    "birthDate": "1850-03-15",
    "birthPlace": "New York, NY",
    "deathDate": "1920-12-01",
    "deathPlace": "Boston, MA",
    "events": [
      {
        "type": "Marriage",
        "date": "1875-06-20",
        "location": "New York, NY"
      },
      {
        "type": "Immigration",
        "date": "1848-01-10",
        "location": "Ellis Island, NY"
      }
    ]
  },
  "includeWorldEvents": true,
  "includeRegionalHistory": true
}

Usage Examples

With Claude Desktop

Once configured, you can use natural language:

"Search for John Smith born around 1850 in New York"
"Get the family tree for this person"
"Create a narrative about their life with historical context"

Programmatic Usage

// The MCP server runs as a subprocess
// Tools are called via the MCP protocol

Architecture

Playwright: Headless browser automation for Ancestry.com navigation
MCP SDK: Standard protocol for tool communication
Node.js: Runtime environment

Security Notes

Credentials are stored in your local MCP config file
The server runs locally on your machine
Browser automation is performed in headless mode
No data is sent to external services (except Ancestry.com)

Limitations

Requires active Ancestry.com subscription
Web scraping may be affected by site updates
Rate limiting may apply
Some features require specific subscription tiers

Development

The server uses Playwright selectors that may need updating if Ancestry.com changes their HTML structure. Check index.js for selector definitions.

Troubleshooting

Login fails: Verify credentials in config file Selectors not working: Ancestry.com may have changed their HTML structure Browser crashes: Check Playwright installation: npx playwright install chromium

License

MIT

Contributing

This is a personal project. Feel free to fork and customize for your needs.