Genogram maker
Draw a family genogram in your browser. Nothing you type is sent to us or stored on a server.
Loading the genogram maker.
How to read a genogram
A genogram is a family tree that also shows how people in a family are connected. Each person is a symbol, and the lines between them show partners, separations, children and breaks in contact. Most genograms cover three generations, with the oldest at the top.
| Symbol | Drawn as | Means |
|---|---|---|
| Square | A male | |
| Circle | A female | |
| Diamond | Sex not known or not recorded | |
| Cross inside a symbol | The person has died | |
| Line joining two people from below | Married or living as partners | |
| One slash across that line | Separated | |
| Two slashes | Divorced | |
| Broken line with two bars | A cutoff: contact has stopped | |
| Line down to a child | Parent and child |
A number inside a symbol is the person's age, or their age when they died. The name sits underneath.
Read from the top down, one row at a time. Partners sit side by side on the same level, joined by the line beneath them. Their children hang from the middle of that line, usually with the oldest on the left, so brothers and sisters share a line above them. A child with one parent shown hangs from that parent alone.
Using this maker
Add each person with the symbol buttons, then give them a name and an age in the panel beside the drawing. Drag a symbol to move it, or select it and use the arrow keys. To link two people, press Add relationship and choose the type and the people. Undo steps back one change at a time.
When the drawing looks right, export it as a PNG picture or a PDF, or save a file you can open here again later. The genogram stays in this browser tab unless you turn on Keep this genogram on this device. On a computer other people use, leave it off and press Clear when you finish.
For clinicians: plain-English ADHD guides you can share with clients, at ADHD Provider Directory.