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GEDCOM ( JED-kom), complete name FamilySearch GEDCOM, is a de facto open file format specification to store genealogical data, and import or export it between compatible genealogy software. GEDCOM is an acronym standing for Genealogical Data Communication. GEDCOM was developed by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) as an aid to genealogical research. Most genealogy software supports importing from and exporting to GEDCOM format.
As of version 7.0, a GEDCOM file is defined as UTF-8 encoded plain text. This file contains genealogical information about individuals such as names, events, and relationships; metadata links these records together. GEDCOM 7.0 is the first version to use semantic versioning, and is the most recent minor version of the specification.
The predecessor to 7.0, GEDCOM 5.5.1, was released as a draft in 1999. It has received only minor updates in the subsequent 20 years. The lack of updates to the standard and deficiencies in its capabilities began to see some genealogy programs add proprietary extensions to the format, which are not always recognized by other genealogy programs, such as the GEDCOM 5.5 EL (Extended Locations) specification. Other standards, such as GEDCOM X, have been suggested as complete replacements for GEDCOM.
GEDCOM 5.5.1 final, released in 2019, remains the industry's format standard for the exchange of genealogical data. With the release of GEDCOM 7.0 in 2021, however, a push is underway to see 7.0 adopted. FamilySearch intends to be GEDCOM 7.0 compatible in Quarter 3 of 2022, and Ancestry.com has 7.0 compatibility on its roadmap but has not yet specified an implementation date. FamilySearch GEDCOM has a GitHub repository