You can learn more about uploading your own headstone photos for transcription at Transcribe Basics and Transcribe Details.

Tips and Best Practices for Transcribe

Thank you for being willing to help other members transcribe photos. Your work here will create memorials that include these headstone photos or add headstone photos to memorials that have already been created. We appreciate your hard work!

Any member can Transcribe headstone photos when they are in the community Transcribe queue. If it is empty it is because they have all been transcribed. Check back as more headstone photos are added daily. 

Here are some tips and best practices for Transcribe.

How do I transcribe a headstone?

Open the Transcribe queue by selecting the Transcribe Photos button in the upper right of the browser window. You’ll see the headstone photo and others to transcribe at the bottom. It’s a good idea to have a look and see if any are photos of the same stone as they can be linked together. You can rotate the photo and zoom in or out by clicking on the plus/minus or rotate buttons. Transcribe the information from the headstone into the fields provided.

The system checks for duplicates starting with the surname, so it’s best to fill in that field first.

What information should I transcribe from the headstone?

Transcribe the information from the headstone into the fields provided, adding as much detail as possible. Be sure to open “More Options” to view all the fields. Once the form is complete and you have double checked your work, select “Add Transcription.” Learn more at Memorial Information.

What information do I include in the inscription field?

The inscription field should only include information that is on the grave marker, but you can add any information from the headstone to the inscription field. Inscription is most often used for things like a quote, poem, marriage information or other details on the stone. Typically the other information such as name, birth and death dates are added into the fields on the memorial. But, there are also times when adding the full inscription, including names and dates that have already been added to those fields will help add clarity to the inscription field or capture an error on the stone that has been corrected in one of the fields. Learn more at Naming Memorials and Creating Memorials.

How do I include information about symbols or emblems on the headstone?

A symbol or emblem is part of the inscription as it is located on the headstone. Describe or specify any symbols or emblems in the inscription field. The significance or meaning of a symbol or emblem can be included in the gravesite details or the biography.

There are multiple names on the headstone but only one photo, how do I add additional people so that separate memorials are created with the same photo? 

As you are filling out the name fields for the first person, you’ll see the button “add additional person” appear at the bottom. After filling out the information for the first person, select “add additional person” and fill in the fields for the next name on the stone.

How can I rotate or zoom in on the headstone photo?

You can rotate the photo and zoom in or out by clicking on the plus/minus or rotate buttons. 

What should I do if I can’t read the stone?

If you have zoomed in and still can’t read the stone, select the Flag and choose Unreadable.

When would I Report or flag a headstone?

Select  when a headstone photo is Unreadable, Not a Headstone, a Duplicate, or there might be another reason that you wouldn’t be able to Transcribe the headstone. If you are not familiar with the language it might be difficult to Transcribe. In that instance, you can choose Not My Language from the dropdown under the Report Flag button. There is also an option to , which returns the image to the community queue.

How can I link two or more photos together for one transcription?

The photos shown at the bottom are those uploaded in sequence. It’s possible there will be multiple photos of one stone, so be sure to have a look at these photos before beginning to fill out the fields. Multiple photos can easily be added to the same memorial through Transcribe.

Click “Select Multiple” and then select the photos that need to be attached to the same transcription. Then transcribe the headstone by filling in the fields from the information on the headstone and select “Add Transcription.” The headstone photos that you selected will attach to the memorial(s).

What should I do when a spouse is listed on the headstone without a death date, but according to their birth year they might still be alive?

If you think the spouse listed on the stone could reasonably be alive, it’s best not to “add an additional person.” 

What should I do when the system brings up a matching duplicate memorial?

When transcribing, type in the surname first as that enables the system to start the duplicate check earlier in the process. As you fill in the other name fields, our system will automatically see if there is a duplicate memorial that matches. If a match is brought up, verify that by looking at the memorial. Once verified you can attach the photo to the memorial that already exists or create a new memorial with the headstone photo if it wasn’t a match to that memorial. 

What should I do when the memorial already includes a headstone photo?

It is possible that the additional headstone photo includes more information, such as GPS. Even if there is an existing headstone photo, please add the photo to the memorial.

As a transcriber of another member’s photo, do I manage the memorial that is created?

No, the manager of the memorial is the member who uploaded the photo originally. You receive credit for the transcription.

Where can I find the number of photos I’ve transcribed?

The number of photos you have transcribed displays on your Profile.

Can Transcribe be used for community service hours?

Yes, we give one community service hour for every 30 photos transcribed. We will sign for approval of your community service provided on Find a Grave, but you should consider asking an official about qualifications for your specific program. When you’ve completed your transcriptions, please contact us and our team will assist you further if needed (e.g. signing off on your project).

How many photos are checked out for transcription at a time?

The maximum is seven photos at a time. Once those seven are transcribed, another seven photos are checked out. 

What happens when I am finished transcribing?

Thanks for your help transcribing headstone photos! Any photos you have checked out to you for transcription will remain in your queue for 60 minutes. If you have not transcribed them in that timeframe, they will be assigned back to the community queue. You’ll see the number of headstones you transcribed on your Profile.

You can learn more about uploading your own headstone photos for transcription at Transcribe Basics and Transcribe Details.