A name search returns nothing, but you know a town, county or parish where your ancestor lived.
Put the protocol to work.
Put the place before the person.
Write down the smallest known locality and the county, state or country it belonged to at the time. Check whether boundaries or place names changed.
Search the catalog by place.
Open the FamilySearch Catalog and enter that locality. Explore a broader jurisdiction as well; county or regional offices may have created the records you need.
Read the collection description.
Look under subjects such as church records, land, probate or vital records. Compare the coverage dates and locality with your question before opening a film or digital group.
Check access, then browse deliberately.
Read the access information for each item. Some images require sign-in or viewing at an authorized location. If available, find an internal index and follow its page references rather than assuming the collection is name-searchable.
Save the record and its context.
Record the collection title, volume, page or image number and catalog link. Save the full image when permitted. Note which years and sections you searched, including negative results.
Don’t mistake a clue for a conclusion.
A catalog describes collections; it does not promise that every person in them has been indexed. A missing name in search results is not proof that the record does not exist.
Your research checklist
Check items during this visit, or print a copy for your research file. Checks reset when you reload.