Using MyHeritage\u2019s Database<\/h2>
You can test direct at MyHeritage, but if you\u2019ve tested with another company you can do a free transfer to add your results to its database. There are instructions on downloading your raw data from AncestryDNA at support.ancestry.com\/s\/article\/Downloading-DNA-Data<\/a>.<\/p>
The matches are free at MyHeritage, but to access all of the DNA features there is a modest unlock fee of $29 which will allow you to see the trees of your matches and to access all of the additional DNA features such as Shared DNA Matches.<\/p>
You can upload a GEDCOM<\/a> file of your family tree to your MyHeritage account or you can build a tree on the website. With a free account you are limited to a tree containing no more than 250 people. A Premium<\/a> subscription (\u00a359 for your first year, then \u00a389) will allow you to upload a tree with up to 2,500 people. Choosing PremiumPlus<\/a> (\u00a3109 for your first year, then \u00a3169) gives you unlimited numbers. If you have a paid subscription you will not need to pay an unlock fee for any of the DNA kits you manage.<\/p>
MyHeritage\u2019s Ethnicity Estimate gives you ethnicity<\/a> percentages based on how much DNA you share with the site\u2019s reference populations. You can currently be matched with 42 populations from around the world, but an update is anticipated in 2022.<\/p>
MyHeritage also has more than 2,000 genetic groups that provide a more granular indication of the regions within each country where your ancestors might have lived in the past few hundred years. The genetic groups are particularly informative for people who have ancestry from Continental Europe because of the website\u2019s large European user base.<\/p>

How to use MyHeritage DNA tools<\/h2>
MyHeritage provides lots of tools for working with your matches. Various filters enable you to sort your matches in different ways such as by location, shared surnames<\/a> or shared places. Coloured labels can be assigned to matches to sort them into clusters based on shared matches. Clustering is the key to success with autosomal DNA<\/a> testing, and once you have assigned matches to clusters you can build out the family trees to identify the common ancestors. The AutoClusters feature automates the process of sorting the matches into clusters, but the groups will need some manual curating and you will still need to add the coloured labels manually.<\/p>
MyHeritage reports all matches down to 8 cM, but it is best to focus on the top matches sharing about 30 cM or more. The lower matches are labelled as low- or medium-confidence matches, and with good reason because many of them are likely to be false or very distant matches. If you\u2019ve tested your parents then you can see the problem of false matching at first hand, because many of the small matches won\u2019t match either your father or your mother.<\/p>
Finally MyHeritage has a feature known as the Theory of Family Relativity that is very similar to Ancestry\u2019s ThruLines. It uses an internal \u2018Big Tree\u2019 based on millions of family trees and genealogical records to automate the process of identifying common ancestors between matches. The full pathway to your match is shown along with the trees and the records used to make the connection. You are more likely to benefit from this feature if you have a detailed family tree.<\/p>