Waiting for your AncestryDNA^® results to arrive can be exciting, as you imagine all of the new things you might learn about your past and your extended family. If you’re not sure what to expect, here is a quick run-down on several of the features you can look forward to.

Your DNA Ethnicity Estimates

Ancestry scientists search your DNA for clues to discover where your ancestors came from centuries ago. The AncestryDNA team has also spent years assembling and analyzing a huge database of DNA samples from around the world to build a reference panel of profiles based on those DNA patterns.

When Ancestry scientists analyze your DNA sample in our lab, we look at hundreds of thousands of DNA positions, or markers in your sample and compare them to similar patterns in our reference panel. Based on which patterns we find, we can tell you approximately how much of your DNA comes from those different groups around the world. Are you Irish? Scandinavian? West African? Chances are, your DNA can tell you. It’s an interesting way of looking at your family’s origins.

Migration Paths of Your Ancestors

Once Ancestry scientists have also identified populations that your family belonged to, we might also be able to tell you how they moved from one place to another over the centuries. Perhaps they sailed across the Atlantic as an immigrant in search of new opportunities in North America or Australia. Or maybe they moved to different regions within the U.S., South America, or Europe, settling in new locations as history unfolded around them.

By combining the AncestryDNA patented science with deep historical knowledge, an AncestryDNA^® test delivers a unique and compelling way to visualize your family’s past, with interactive maps and historical context to help tell the story. It may support the narrative you think you know or provide you with new directions to take your research.

New Cousins through DNA Matches*

With more members than any other DNA test—over 25 million and counting—chances are good that you’re not the only one in your extended family using AncestryDNA^®. Our advanced science, which uses our proprietary technology, SideView^™, allows us to compare your DNA to other AncestryDNA^® members to find family connections, from immediate relatives to distant cousins.

Better yet, if you and your match have connected your test results to your family trees on Ancestry^®, we might be able to tell you exactly how you’re related by tracking down your shared ancestors. You can even reach out and connect with your DNA matches, whether it’s to collaborate on research or invite them to your next family reunion.

Your Genetic Traits**

It’s no secret that your DNA helps to determine what you look like, from the color of your eyes to the shape of your earlobes. But there are other personal traits hidden in your genes that may surprise you. Are you genetically predisposed to be a risk taker? Do your eyes dazzle with especially intricate irises? Have your ancestors bequeathed you an unshakeable aversion to cilantro?

Our DNA traits experience goes beyond your ethnicity to show you what traits run in your family and how it affects you, inside and out.** Surveys, interactive content, and scientific insights give you a unique look at how your DNA helps to shape who you are.

Learn More about You

Whether AncestryDNA^® is your first step exploring your past or a new, exciting addition to your existing research, it always reveals something compelling. AncestryDNA testing can help you learn where your distant ancestors were from as well as who your family is today. And no matter where it leads, it’s a story you’ve always carried with you.

*Some DNA features may require an Ancestry subscription.
**Access to Traits may require an additional purchase.