Contents
Cemeteries and other burial types
How do I add a cemetery not currently listed?
Cemetery information standards
Questions about Cemeteries
How do I update cemetery information?
How do I have duplicate cemeteries corrected?
Cultural Sensitivity

Cemeteries and other burial types

Most often a burial location is in a cemetery. If the cemetery is not found after a thorough search, add the cemetery to Find a Grave. Provide as much information about the cemetery as you can, including the location (city or town) and GPS coordinates. If you are at the cemetery be sure to take a picture of the entrance, sign, gate or overall view for the cemetery page. It is preferable that the main cemetery photo be in landscape orientation.

Memorial plaques, memorial bricks, roadside accident memorials, and state and local service monuments are not allowed. Learn more about cenotaphs and monuments.

If the burial is not located in a cemetery please choose from other burial types.

How do I add a cemetery not currently listed?

From the Cemeteries section, select ‘Add a Cemetery.' Add the cemetery name and location. Search for the cemetery to see if it has already been added. Check using other possible names and spellings. If the cemetery is not found, select 'Add Cemetery.' The information that you used to search (cemetery name and location) will autofill on the Add a New Cemetery form. Refine the autofilled fields if needed. Fill in the information known about the cemetery in the fields provided. Select Create Cemetery.

If the location for the cemetery isn't listed, you can learn how to add a location to the site here.

Find out more about Cemetery Photos.

Cemetery information standards

Language: When adding a new cemetery you can add a specific language to cemetery names, descriptions, or addresses. This allows another person to view the field in the language set on the site or for their browser. It is not required to add translations in multiple languages. When displaying a cemetery, the system will check to see if your set language matches a language on a field for that cemetery. If it matches, it will display in that language. If the language set for the field does not match, the field will display in the language it was added in.

Cemetery name: Enter the name the cemetery is currently known by.

Add alternate name or translation: Select 'Add alternate name or translation' if a cemetery was known by another name or has another name. Translations for the cemetery name are not required, but if the cemetery is commonly known by a name in a different language, you can add that name and indicate the language.

Location: The location of the cemetery. Once added, you can search for the cemetery by this location in Cemetery Search or browse to it.

Set GPS and Address Using Map: This button lets you place a pin on a map and get an address, or type an address to add GPS coordinates. If the cemetery spans more than one location, select 'Add More Location Details' and then 'Add expanded location.' With the additional location added the cemetery can be searched for in both cities or counties where it is located.

Description: Include descriptive information about the cemetery such as its history or condition here. You can add a hyperlink to another page within Find a Grave in the descriptive areas. For instance, this can be used to point out differences between cemeteries where there has been confusion between two that are similarly named and located.

Add More Details
Contact Info: Add known information to the specific fields (Email, phone, website for the cemetery, office address)

Cemetery Status: Select 'Private' if the cemetery is on private property and requires special permission to visit. Select 'No Longer Exists or has been removed' if the cemetery has been moved, whether or not it still contains interments.

Additional Information: Enter additional information about the cemetery such as directions or special instructions for grave photography.

Learn more about common questions for adding and editing cemeteries in Editing Cemeteries and Questions about Cemeteries.

How do I update cemetery information?

You can send a suggested edit from the cemetery page. Select 'Suggest Edits' from the specific cemetery page for which you have information. From the Cemetery suggest edits page edit the relevant fields. If more explanation is needed to process the suggested edit, add a note for our team to review. Scroll to the bottom and select Submit Edits.

Refer to Cemetery Information Standards for more information about the fields. Cemetery pages are managed by Find a Grave. The suggested edits will be processed as soon as possible (usually within a few days).

How do I have duplicate cemeteries corrected?

If you are sure that a cemetery is duplicated, select Suggest Edits from one of the cemetery pages. Then select the Report Duplicate button to report a duplicate cemetery. Add the other cemetery name or cemetery ID for the duplicate cemetery, confirm the cemeteries you are reporting and submit the report. We will review the report and you will receive email notification if it was approved or declined. If approved the cemetery records will be merged into one cemetery. Learn more at Reporting a Duplicate Cemetery.

What is a national monument?

A national monument is a cemetery type erected in honor of a group of people with something in common whose remains lie elsewhere. These structures are generally military related and often include thousands of names.

When adding a national monument, you would first add the national monument as a cemetery and then create a memorial in that "cemetery" for each person named on the monument and label those memorials as Monuments using the "Additional grave marker options" under Gravesite Details. If needed, you can contact support when adding a national monument and we can help mark each memorial as a Monument all at once. To keep duplication to a minimum, we allow national monuments but not state or local monuments to be added. Often the names listed on state and local monuments duplicate those named on national monuments.

Learn more about Monuments.

Cultural Sensitivity

Please be sensitive to the diverse cultural meanings of burial grounds, cemeteries, and the deceased. We acknowledge that some indigenous communities seek to honor and mark their graves, while others do not wish their graves to be found, photographed, or posted publicly. Read more in Community Guidelines.

Learn more at Creating Memorials, Non-Cemetery Burials, and Memorial Information.