This is a tool designed to be a visual aid only. It does not automatically build your family tree or provide definitive proof of any relationship. Instead, it displays a grid of suggested positions for your DNA matches relative to you (“SELF”) based on the cM values of the matches from your DNA test.
Use the DNAmatch grid as one extra tool among many available when exploring your DNA matches and the suggested family connections.
None of the content you paste into this website is stored on our servers. All data is processed locally and only held temporarily. Any results you copy or transfer to your PC or other pages remain solely on your end and are not saved by DNAmatch, other than the initial page load data, such as the grid shape, colours and relationship position titles, the grid page is not connected to, or saving any of your added content into a database, you and only you, will see the results its displays, to help you save this, there is an option at the bottom right of the grid cells to “Print to PDF” which will push your findings into an A3 sized PDF for you to download and read as you need
What Is DNAmatch Grid?
The DNAmatch Grid is a relationship chart presented in a checkerboard style. The chart places “you” the person who took the DNA test (shown as SELF) in a white center cell. Around this center are cells which represent the closest relatives (such as parents, siblings, and children) and further from the centre, it shows cell positions for extended family members (including aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces/nephews, and more distant relations).
Each grid cell is labeled with an expected cM value for that relationship along with an allowed range. For example, a cell might show:
1754 cM
(1053 – 2631)
This tells you that if a DNA match falls within this cell, the relationship is predicted to have an average of 1754 cM with an acceptable variation from 1053 to 2631 cM.
The expected 1234 cM details and the range which is used are based upon the published data from the “Shared cM Project”
How It Works
1. The Grid Structure
- Checkerboard Layout: The grid is designed so that the closer relatives (e.g., parents, siblings, and children) are adjacent to SELF. As you move outward, the expected cM value decreases. For example, first cousins typically share more cM than fourth cousins.
- Merged Cells & Colours: The grid uses a variety of cell colours (such as light grey, light orange, corn, linen, etc.) to indicate different parts of the family. These colours serve as a visual aid—much like the contrasting squares on a chessboard—to help you quickly identify relationship types, and so the relationship to you as ‘SELF’
2. Data Input & Processing
- Importing DNA Match Data: You can paste your DNA match results into a text box in a tab- or comma-separated format (for example, “John Smirk [tab] 1690 cM” or “John Smirk,1690 cM”). The plugin processes these values and determines which grid cells the match might belong to.
- cM Variation: Each grid cell shows an expected cM value along with a range (e.g., “1754 cM (1053 – 2631)”). The plugin uses this range along with a user-selectable percentage variation (adjustable via the form options) to place a match in one or more cells. This means a match might appear in several cells if its cM value falls within multiple allowable ranges.
3. Fine-Tuning Your Grid
- Adjustable Parameters:
- Closest Age of SELF: Select the age closest to you (the person who took the DNA test). This helps adjust which rows (representing different generations) are displayed.
- Years Between Generations: Set the generational gap (for example, 20 years) to hide cells that would represent impossible relationships (e.g., if you are 60 years old, it would be unlikely for a grandparent to have taken a DNA test if they were older than 111 years).
- % of cM Variation: Choose how much variation to allow when matching a submitted cM value with a grid cell. A higher percentage will place a match into a wider range of cells, showing multiple possible relationships.
- Lock the Position: When you check the “Lock into place” option, the match is fixed in that grid cell and all duplicate instances of the match in other cells are removed.
- Add an Age: You can assign an age to the match. If an age is provided, the grid compares it with the age of SELF and removes any relationship positions that would be implausible based on the age difference. For example, if SELF is 60 and the match is 30, then the match will not appear in positions such as Great Grandparent.
- Highlight: You can choose a highlight colour for the match from a dropdown list of predefined colour pairs (background and font colour). If a colour is chosen and the popup is closed (without locking), then all duplicate instances of that match in the grid will update to show the selected background and font colours.
4. Interactive Popup Features
The popup that appears when you click a match includes several interactive features:
Practical Use
The grid is not intended to be a perfect solution—it’s a visual suggestion tool. Many DNA matches can fit into overlapping relationship ranges. For example, a 1690 cM match might be consistent with being a grandparent, an aunt/uncle, a half sibling, or even a niece/nephew. By adjusting the percentage variation, you can see which cells the match may fall into. Then, by toggling cell clear controls, you can narrow down the most likely relationships.
In my personal use, this grid has been invaluable for identifying clusters of surnames and narrowing down the search for unknown relatives. I encourage you to experiment with different settings and use the grid as one resource among many in your DNA match investigations.
Final Thoughts
Remember, the DNAmatch Grid is meant to be a starting point—a tool to help you visualize and consider possible relationships based on shared DNA. It does not replace in-depth genealogical research or professional advice, but it may help guide you as you explore your family history.
I am sure that someone will notice that from “Half 2 Cousin” through to “8th Cousin” I have deducted (added) a small % onto the V4.0 Minimum expected cM range, this is because those positions were noted on the Min amount all as ‘0’ (zero) and making the grid dynamic it wouldn’t be so easy if a whole load of the results allowed a ‘0’ Minimum figure.
By altering the allowed range in this way, it makes the range smaller, so its a tighter match range, this will probably be adjusted later to better reflect the exact Shared cM Project data, or as the project data is updated.
Happy digging and matching!