v1.9.0 — Spatial Glass Edition

FamilyWall Documentation

FamilyWall is a platform for building, preserving, and sharing your family history. Create an interactive family tree, add generations of members, and share it at a custom web address — all without writing a single line of code.

Create Your Tree Read the Guide

Overview

Understand what FamilyWall is and what it is designed to do.

Application Status Operational
Email Verification Active
Public Tree Pages Indexed
Private Tree Mode Available
Password Reset Available

What is FamilyWall?

FamilyWall is a multi-tenant web application where each family gets their own subdomain — for example, sharma.familywall.in. The family admin manages the tree privately, while visitors can view the public tree without logging in.

Think of it as a permanent, shareable, and interactive record of your family's history — accessible from any device, at any time.

How It Works

The platform works on a simple model — one family, one subdomain, one admin.

One subdomain per family
When you register, you choose a family name. Your tree is hosted at yourfamily.familywall.in — no shared space with others.
One admin account
A single username and password controls the tree. The admin adds, edits, and removes members. Visitors view without logging in.
Live visual tree
The family tree is displayed as an interactive canvas — zoom in, pan around, and click any member to see their full profile.
Always accessible
Your tree is hosted on the web and accessible from any browser on any device, at any time, without installing anything.

Quick Start

Get your family tree online in under 5 minutes.

  1. Register your family
    Go to /register. Enter your family name, a username, and a password. This creates your private admin account and reserves your subdomain.
  2. Verify your email
    After registering, you will receive a verification email. Click the link inside to activate your account. Check your spam folder if it does not arrive within 2 minutes.
  3. Log in as admin
    Visit your family's URL — for example sharma.familywall.in. Click the login button in the top-right corner and enter your username and password.
  4. Add the first member
    Once logged in, click the round plus button on the right side of the screen. Fill in the member's name, date of birth, and other details. Click Save. The member appears on your tree canvas immediately.
  5. Build the tree
    Repeat step 4 for each family member. When adding a child, set their parent to link them to an existing member. The tree will draw the connection lines automatically.
  6. Share your tree
    Share your URL — yourfamily.familywall.in — with anyone. They can view the tree without logging in. No account required to view.

Identity & Status

Experience a more refined way to view life's timeline.

Integrated Life Status
We've moved the "Currently Living" and "Resting In Peace" indicators out of the avatar and directly into the text hierarchy. This keeps the profile clean while making the life status immediately readable alongside birth and death dates.
Lifespan Calculation
FamilyWall automatically calculates and displays the lifespan (e.g., "1920 - 2005 (85 yrs)") based on the dates provided. If a member is living, only the birth year is shown with a "Living" indicator.

Family Tree

How the interactive canvas works.

Zoom and Pan
Use the + and - buttons in the top-right corner to zoom in or out. Click and drag any empty area of the canvas to pan around the tree. On mobile, use pinch-to-zoom and swipe to navigate.
Click a Member Card
Clicking any member card opens their full profile — birth date, spouse(s), parents, and children. Admins will also see edit and delete options.
Themes
Admins can switch between 6 visual themes using the palette button in the header. Themes change the card colors, background gradient, and connection line color.

Adding & Editing Members

Build a rich profile for every ancestor.

Comprehensive Details
The member form now includes dedicated fields for:
  • Birth & Death Places: Document the geographical history.
  • Occupation: Record professional roles and achievements.
  • Biographical Narrative: A rich text area for life stories and memories.
Premium Form Experience
Our new "Profile Identity" section features floating labels that never overlap, ensuring a smooth typing experience even on mobile devices.
Field Required Notes
Full Name Required First and last name of the member
Gender Required Male or Female
Date of Birth Optional Used to calculate age and position in time
Birth Place Optional Geographical origin of the member
Death Place Optional Final resting place (if deceased)
Occupation Optional Professional roles and achievements
Biographical Narrative Optional Rich life stories and personal memories
Parent Optional Links this member below an existing member in the tree
Spouse / Marriage Optional Supports multiple marriages with dates and status
Photo Optional Upload and crop a profile photo for the member card
Nicknames Optional Shown below the main name on the card

Relationships

How parent-child links work in the tree.

Each member can have one parent. When you set a parent, the tree automatically draws a connection line between the parent card and the child card.

The tree positions members by generation — root members (no parent set) appear at the top, and each generation of children appears in a row below their parents.

Changing a Parent

To change a member's parent, click their card, click Edit, and update the Parent field. The connection lines will update immediately after saving.

Root Members

The oldest generation in your tree — typically grandparents or great-grandparents — should have no parent set. They appear at the top row of the canvas.

Privacy

Control who can see your family tree.

Mode Who Can View
Public Default Anyone with the URL can view the tree without logging in
Private Only the admin can view the tree — visitors see a "private" message
Invite Only Visitors need a tree password to enter — admin shares the password separately

Change the privacy setting from the admin panel (the lock button in the header when logged in as admin).

Sharing

How to share your tree with family members.

Your tree lives at a permanent address:

Your tree URL https://yourfamily.familywall.in

Share this URL directly — via WhatsApp, email, or any messaging app. Family members can view the tree on any device without creating an account.

The URL never changes — it is tied to the family name you chose at registration. You can share it once, and it will always work.

Registration

Creating your family tree account.

  1. Go to the registration page
    /register
  2. Enter your family name
    This becomes your subdomain. "Sharma" becomes sharma.familywall.in. Only letters and numbers are allowed. The name cannot be changed after registration.
  3. Choose a username and password
    The username is used to log in as admin. The password must be at least 8 characters. Store these securely — there is no account recovery except via the password reset email flow.
  4. Verify your email
    A verification email will be sent to the address you provided. You must click the link in the email before you can log in.

Logging In

How to access admin mode on your family tree.

Navigate to your family's URL — for example sharma.familywall.in. Click the Admin Login button in the top-right corner. Enter your username and password. You will be logged in as admin for this session.

The admin session lasts until you log out or close the browser. To log out, click the logout button in the header.

Incorrect Credentials

After 5 failed login attempts within 15 minutes, the account is temporarily locked for 30 minutes as a security measure.

Password Reset

How to regain access if you forget your password.

  1. Go to Forgot Password
    Click Forgot password? on the admin login form, or go to familywall.in/forgot-password directly.
  2. Enter your email address
    Use the email address you registered with. A reset link will be sent within 1 minute. Check your spam folder if it does not arrive.
  3. Click the link in the email
    The link redirects you to a page where you can enter a new password. The link expires in 1 hour.
  4. Set a new password
    After saving your new password, you will be redirected to your family tree and logged in automatically.

Email Verification

Why your email needs to be verified, and what to do if you did not receive the email.

Email verification is required to activate your admin account and prevent unauthorized tree creation. After registering, check your inbox for an email from FamilyWall and click the Verify My Email button.

If the email did not arrive, check your spam folder first. If it is not there, go to familywall.in/verify-email and use the Resend button to request another email.

FAQ

Common questions about FamilyWall.

Can I have more than one family tree?
Each email address can register one family tree. If you need a second tree, register with a different email address.
Can family members edit the tree?
No. Only the admin (the person who registered) can add, edit, or delete members. Visitors and family members can view the tree but cannot make changes.
What happens if I add a member in the wrong place?
You can edit any member at any time. Click the member card, click Edit (visible when logged in as admin), and change the Parent field to move them to the correct position in the tree.
Is my family data secure?
All data is stored in a Supabase Postgres database with Row-Level Security policies. Admin passwords are hashed using bcrypt. The application enforces rate limiting on login attempts to prevent brute-force attacks.
Can I change my family name or subdomain?
The subdomain is set at registration and cannot be changed. If you need a different subdomain, you would need to register a new family tree.
Is there a mobile app?
FamilyWall is a web application that works on all modern browsers including mobile browsers. There is no separate iOS or Android app — the website is fully responsive and works on phones and tablets.

Support

How to get help with FamilyWall.

Contact
For help, feedback, or to report a bug, contact the team at onemark.co.in.
Developer
FamilyWall is developed and maintained by OneMark.