Discover what photos, documents, audio recordings, and video you can have digitized, transferred, or enhanced with AncestryPreserve, how many you can include, and how to pack them for safe delivery.

Collecting items for AncestryPreserve

What can I send?

We accept photos, documents, and audio recordings that follow our Digitization Policy and Community Guidelines, are in a supported format, and fit inside the kit box (18" x 12" x 6").

Supported media types, sizes, and formats

• Photos
  • Prints (up to 12" × 17", including scrapbooks)
  • Negatives (35mm, 110, 126, APS, medium format, large format, disc)
    • Medium format: 2.25″ × 2.25″ up to 2.25″ × 3.75″
    • Large format: Larger than 2.25″ × 3.75″
  • Slides (35mm, 110, 126, 127, medium format, half frame, stereo)
    • 35mm and 127 include Super formats
    • Medium format: 2.25″ × 2.25″ up to 2.25″ × 3.75″
    • Half frame: 2″ × 2″
    • Stereo slides
      
      
• Documents
  Most paper-based materials (up to 12" × 17"), such as: 

• • Marriage certificates
  • Newspaper clippings
  • Letters
  • Recipes
    
    
• Audio recordings
  • Cassette tapes (standard, mini, micro)
  • Reel-to-reel audio tapes
     
• Video
  • Videotapes (VHS, VHS-C, 8mm, Hi8, Video8, Digital8, MiniDV, S-VHS, S-VHS-C, Betamax, MicroMini)
  • Movie films (8mm, Super 8mm, Single 8, 16mm, Super 16mm)
    
    
• Digital media
  • Digital video (DVD, MiniDVD, HDD camcorders)
  • Digital photos (SD card, microSD card)

If a digital item, like an SD card or HDD camcorder, has both photo and video files, each file will be processed based on its type.

What shouldn't I send?

Items at risk of loss or damage or that could damage other contents:

• Items that are too large to fit in the kit box (18" x 12" x 6")
• Items with mold, heavy damage, or strong odors
• Materials that are wet, sticky, or contain food residue
  
  

Unsupported media and materials:

• Professional formats (like Betacam or U-matic)
• Undeveloped photo or movie film
• Music albums and vinyl records
• USB drives, flash drives, floppy disks, and Zip drives
• Copyrighted content you don’t own or have permission to share
• Media that violates our Community Guidelines or Digitization Policy
• Valuable or sentimental items not intended for digitization (like jewelry and heirlooms)
  
  

How much can I send?

You can send as many items as you can safely pack and fit in your kit. The total number of items that fit will vary based on the size and type of the items you choose to include. Any mix and amount of supported media is welcome.

How items are counted

We count items based on how they're digitized. Here’s how different types of items are counted:

• Photos
  • Prints: Each photo = 1 item 
    Only the fronts are digitized.
  • Negatives: Each frame = 1 item
  • Slides: Each slide = 1 item
    
    
• Documents
  • Each page or side with content = 1 item
    A double-sided document counts as 2 items.
    
    
• Audio and video recordings
  • Each physical item (such as a tape, record, or reel)  = 1 item
    Both sides are counted together as 1 item.
    
    
• Grouped items (like photos in a bag)
  • Grouped items are counted individually by media type based on the rules for that type.
  • Grouping doesn’t change the total number of items. 
    
    
• Non-digitizable items
  • These are items that can't be digitized because of their size, format, or condition.
  • We count them so you know we received them, but they won’t be digitized, and you won’t be charged for them.
    
    

After we receive your kit, we’ll send you an itemized quote so you can confirm what we received before choosing what to digitize.

Preparing and packing your items

Preparing your items for digitization

To help ensure smooth and timely digitization, please prepare your items carefully using the guidance below.

1. Remove photos and documents from any picture frames 
   Items in other packaging (like albums, sleeves, scrapbooks, or carousels) can stay as-is.
   
   
2. Clean and inspect items 
   Make sure everything is clean, dry, and free of mold or odors.
   
   
3. Group related items together
   Lightly organize your items into groups that make sense to you, such as by person, family, year, or event.
   
   
4. Protect fragile materials 
   If needed, consider separating delicate items with white tissue paper or stiff cardboard for extra protection. 
   
   

Packing your items for shipment

You can fill your kit however you’d like. Items can stay in their original cases, carousels, sleeves, and scrapbooks, or you can remove them and place them in bags. 

If you’d like a suggested packing process, use the steps below: 

1. Place your items into the bags included in your kit.
   If you grouped related items earlier, keep them together as you pack.
   • Items bagged together will share the same group name on Ancestry.  
   • If you need more bags, you can use your own zip-top bags or envelopes.
   • Bagging items together doesn’t change how they’re counted.
     
     
2. (Optional) Label each bag.
   The label you write on a bag becomes the album name we use for those items (for example, a bag labeled “Wedding photos” becomes an album titled “Wedding photos.”) If a bag isn’t labeled, we’ll name the album for you. You can rename albums at any time.
    
3. Place the filled bags into the box.
   
   
4. (Optional) Add a personal tracking device. 
   You can include your own device (like an Apple AirTag™) for real-time tracking. We’ll return it with your items. Ancestry does not provide or sell tracking devices.
   
   
5. Add the included cushions to pad your items and prevent shifting.
   
   
6. Seal your kit. 
   
   

Ready to send?

Once your kit is safely packed and sealed, it’s ready to ship. The prepaid return shipping label is already attached to the box. Simply take your kit to any UPS store or UPS drop-off location for delivery to Ancestry. 

For more shipping and tracking information, read Shipping and Tracking for AncestryPreserve.

Frequently asked questions

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