FamilySearch’s Limited-Access Toggle: A New Research Tool

Include limited access content in your full-text search

I have been excited about FamilySearch Full-text Search since day one, but recently I found something new to get excited about: the “Include limited access content” toggle.

This is a big deal.

For years, I have known that some FamilySearch records are not viewable from home. I have taught others to use the FamilySearch Catalog to find land, probate, court, church, and other records that may be available only at a FamilySearch Center or FamilySearch Affiliate Library. That method still matters. The Catalog is still important. But it takes organization, patience, and a good research plan.

The new toggle does something different. It does not make restricted images viewable from home, but it can show that a name appears in limited-access material when searching Full-text. That means I may now be able to more easily identify and organize the records I need to review later at a FamilySearch Center or FamilySearch Affiliate Library.

The chart above shows my comparisons of different Full-text searches with and without using the toggle. For Luther Read/Reed and Nancy Read/Reed in Windham County, Vermont, the number of results remained unchanged. Each search produced the same number of results with the toggle turned on or off.

For John Reed/Read in Jefferson County, New York, the search changed from 545 results without the toggle to 558 results with the toggle turned on. Those thirteen additional records included military, church, and court records. The church records are now at the top of my list to check. I will be at my local FamilySearch Affiliate Library tomorrow!

For Reddick Bryan, who lived in NC, GA, and LA, the situation is different. I already knew that many of his Bienville Parish, Louisiana, land records were limited in access, and I had copies of many from earlier searches. However, this new Full-Text Search option gives me a better way to search, compare, and organize what still needs to be examined.

The toggle does not replace the Catalog, but it gives me a better way to build a research list.

FamilySearch, if you are listening, my next wish is a “limited access only” filter.

If you would like to learn more about the families I research, follow my Facebook page, where I share each post and other genealogical finds.

Diana

© 2026

FamilySearch, “Unlock New Discoveries with Full-Text Search,” FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/en/search/full-text/ : accessed 23 June 2026), landing page for FamilySearch Full-Text Search; page includes the “Include limited access content” option.

UPDATE! Court Records Found using Full-Text Search!

Search terms are highlighted in these hard-to-read documents.

Last week, I spent several hours at the DAR Library in Washington, D.C., sifting through transcribed but unindexed court records with little success. Then, yesterday, I discovered those same records on FamilySearch using their Full-Text Search. Not only were these the original documents, but I also didn’t have to go through them page by page. I simply searched "Peter Reed," and records appeared!

Earlier this year, FamilySearch introduced Full-Text Search, and I spent days diving into land records, uncovering details I never would have found otherwise. I had hoped that court records would be added, and for many areas of the United States, that wish has come true. My to-do list has been completely ignored for the past two days—this discovery has been too exciting to put down. Here are some of the items I found:

• In Erath County, Texas, I encountered a lawsuit involving my great-grandfather that explained a few newspaper clippings in the family Bible.

• In a Wayne County, North Carolina, equity case, I found my third great-grandfather, Mitchel Giddens (spelled with one “l”), named as a witness. His signature appeared several times. Once, he was referred to as "Mitch" and described as a poor man planning to leave the area—new clues for me!

• I uncovered many Giddens court records in Duplin and Sampson counties, which will keep me busy all winter.

• I have always known my ancestor, Reddick Bryan, was civic-minded. Houston County, Georgia's court records prove just how active he was in local affairs.

• Finally, in Hinds County, Mississippi, probate estate files, I found my 2nd great-grandfather, John L. Hairston. I wasn’t surprised that he appeared to owe money to almost everyone!

For those of you not familiar with FamilySearch - all of this is FREE! Note that all records are NOT available from home. Tomorrow, I plan to visit my local library, a FamilySearch affiliate, as some records can only be viewed at a FamilySearch library or affiliate. 

Full-Text Search

To learn more about Full-text search at FamilySearch, check out these links for demonstrations and tips. 

Full-Text Search is found at this link. Make sure you watch the video to improve your search. If you don't have an account at FamilySearch, create your free account at familysearch.org 

Testing the Full Text Search in FamilySearch Labs - An Immediate Success!! From Randy Seaver (read his lessons learned and advice) 

FamilySearch Full-Text Search Is a Genealogy Goldmine - Randy Seaver's most recent post.

12 Strategies for Using FamilySearch Full-Text Search From Kimberly Powell

I have written two posts about Full-Text-search: 

• Last Week, Everything Changed . . . Finding Reddick Bryan Using FamilySearch's Full-Text Search 

• Navigating the History of Erath's Old Poor Farm with New Technologies.

If you want to know more about the families I research, click here to like my Facebook page, where you will see each post and other genealogical finds. 

Diana

© 2024 

Last Week, Everything Changed . . . Finding Reddick Bryan Using FamilySearch's Full-Text Search

Two weeks ago, I started on a much-procrastinated project - my brick wall, Reddick Bryan. He lived in Martin County, North Carolina, moved to Georgia and later to Bienville Parish, Louisiana. I am hoping to find more information that points to his parents. There are many public trees giving him a variety of parents, but none show adequate documentation. 

Exhaustive searches in Martin County, North Carolina records and Bienville Parish records were completed years ago, but I had never spent enough time looking at deeds and other records in the surrounding counties or in Pulaski, Houston, and Twiggs Counties in Georgia, where Reddick was said to have lived. 

In addition, Reddick was closely connected to a Miles Bryan in both Georgia and Louisiana. I don't know the family connection, but YDNA says it's close. 

I began by reading unindexed succession records in Bienville Parish, looking for any pages or clues I may have previously missed. I spent much time in the library reviewing Bienville Parish deeds on Family Search and much more time at home looking at Bryan family deeds in Houston County also on FamilySearch. I even wrote a blog post about searching the Bienville succession records on Ancestry.com - Look Beyond the Indexed Records When Searching Louisiana Wills and Probate Records at Ancestry.com 

Last Week, Everything Changed . . .   

Then, last week, at RootsTech, it was announced that FamilySearch Labs released Full-Text Search, allowing us to search scanned images of records not previously indexed. According to the website, there are currently only two collections available to search: the United States Land and Probate Records dating from 1630-1975, and the Mexico Notary Records collection, with most records created before the 1900s. However, new collections will be added regularly. 

This means that all of those wonderful land records that were digitized from microfilm will be searchable by name, place, or whatever phrase I use. Not only are they searchable, but when you locate a record, a transcription can be seen along with the record. 

This record of Reddick Bryan was found when I entered the search terms "Bryan" and "Twiggs." These terms are highlighted in the document. The transcription of the two pages was below the record, which was saved as a PDF. I clipped the bottom portion of the transcription to give you an idea of what you will see. 

In only a few days, I completed county searches in North Carolina and Georgia that would have taken me years to complete prior to Full-Text Search. I found records I did not find in previous searches. I was able to search by decade, state, and county. I searched for Bryan using a variety of spellings and full names in quotation marks, such as "Reddick Bryan," as well as only surnames or less common first names. 

A search for "Twiggs" in the 1810s and 1820s showed numerous deeds in other Georgia counties and states naming those who lived in Twiggs County, Georgia, during the time Reddick Bryan was living there. This is especially valuable as Twiggs County's early records were burned in a fire in 1901.

In less than a week, I accomplished the following:

• Complete searches of deed records at FamilySearch for Bryans in Houston, Twiggs, Pulaski, AND all surrounding counties in Georgia. Began searches for Bryans in counties surrounding Martin County, North Carolina. 

• Determined that Reddick Bryan probably never lived in Pulaski County, as seen in many family trees. There will be more on this in a later post. 

• Determined that Reddick probably left Martin County in North Carolina to settle in Twiggs County, Georgia, where he lived before moving to Houston County, Georgia. Again, more about this will be in a later post. 

• Found new clusters of friends, associates, and neighbors of both Reddick and Miles Bryan that need to be investigated.

With AI, I was hoping for good transcriptions of handwritten records, but I never expected to get something this good in my lifetime! Now waiting for court records, Freedmen's Bureau records, and Irish birth records. Thank you, FamilySearch!

For Descendants of Reddick Bryan and Miles Bryan 

As many of you reading this post will be descendants of Reddick Bryan, I want to offer my help and ask for yours. I have been researching Reddick and his family since the late 1990s. I have collected much information and am willing to share what I have. 

I would also like your input. If you have family documents, a Bible, or family photos, please share. You never know what kind of clue will be in the documents, on the back of a photo, or in a family Bible. Click below to send me an email. 

Click to send 

More About Full-Text Search

Learn how others are using this fabulous tool at the links below. 

Testing the Full Text Search in FamilySearch Labs - An Immediate Success!! from Randy Sever (read his lessons learned and advice) 

12 Strategies for Using FamilySearch Full-Text Search from Kimberly Powell

Try It! FamilySearch's New Full-Text Search from Marian B. Wood

Full-Text and AI comes to FamilySearch from James Tanner

John Coor of Copiah County Made an Agreement with Joel Hoggatt from Lisa S. Gorrell

Exploring FamilySearch’s New Full-Text Search Tool & AI Transcription Comparison from Dana Leeds

If you want to know more about the families I research, click here to like my Facebook page, where you will see each post and other genealogical finds. 

Diana

© 2024