Genogram Maker
Map how your family actually relates
Go beyond the family tree. Chart three generations of structure — and the closeness, distance, and conflict between them — in a free browser editor. Export as PNG for assignments, case notes, or your own understanding.
Stored locally in your browser — family data is never uploaded
Genogram vs. family tree — what's the difference?
A family tree answers one question: who is related to whom. Parents, children, marriages, arranged neatly by generation.
A genogram answers the harder question: how do they actually relate? Alongside the structure, a genogram records the quality of relationships — close, distant, conflicted, estranged — and the patterns that repeat across generations. It was developed in family therapy (Monica McGoldrick's work made it standard) and is now taught in social work, nursing, psychology, and counseling programs worldwide.
This tool handles both. Use the three-generation family template with parent/child/spouse labels for a classic tree, then add relationship-quality labels — very close, conflict, cut off, caretaker — to turn it into a working genogram.
Who makes genograms here?
🎓 Social work & nursing students
Build the classic three-generation assignment genogram and export a clean PNG for submission.
🧑⚕️ Practitioners
Sketch a client's family system during intake. Local-only storage means sensitive family data stays on your machine.
🪞 Personal insight
Map your own family's patterns — closeness, distance, repeated dynamics — to understand where you fit in the system.
👨👩👧 Blended families
Divorces, remarriages, step- and half-siblings: free-form labels handle real family shapes without fighting rigid software.
📚 Genealogy notes
A lightweight place to lay out relatives and generations before committing to heavyweight genealogy software.
✍️ Writers
Design multi-generation family sagas where the grudges matter as much as the bloodline.
Build a genogram in 4 steps
Add family members
Start from the three-generation family template or a blank canvas. Add names and pick colors per family branch.
Connect the structure
Link parents, children, and spouses with labels: married, divorced, remarried, adopted, step-parent.
Layer in relationship quality
Add lines describing how people relate: very close, distant, conflict, cut off. This layer is what makes it a genogram.
Export privately
Save as PNG for your assignment, case file, or personal notes. Nothing is ever uploaded to a server.
Why this genogram tool?
- Private by design. Family information is about as sensitive as data gets. Everything lives in your browser's local storage — no account, no cloud, no server.
- Real families fit. Free-form labels mean divorces, remarriages, estrangements, chosen family, and every other real shape can be represented without workarounds.
- Faster than clinical software. Dedicated genogram programs are powerful but heavy. For assignments, intake sketches, and personal maps, a 10-minute browser chart wins.
- Free HD export. PNG export is free. Premium ($19.99 lifetime) adds larger families (9+ people), watermark-free export, and PDF output for formal submissions.
- Honest limitation. This tool uses free-form labels, not strict clinical genogram symbols (double lines, zigzags). For coursework with strict notation requirements, check your instructor's rubric first.
FAQ
What is a genogram?
A family map that goes beyond a family tree: alongside who is related to whom, it records relationship quality — close, distant, conflicted, cut off — and patterns across generations. Standard in social work, family therapy, nursing, and counseling coursework.
Genogram vs. family tree?
A family tree shows structure only. A genogram adds relationship quality and emotional patterns. If a family tree answers "who is related to whom", a genogram answers "how do they actually relate".
Is it free?
Yes. The core editor is free with no sign-up. Premium adds 9+ people per chart, watermark-free export, and PDF export for assignments and case files.
Is my family data private?
Yes. Everything is stored locally in your browser and never uploaded. It leaves your device only if you deliberately export and share the image.
Can I use this for a social work or nursing assignment?
Yes — build the three-generation genogram, label relationship quality, export the PNG. Note the tool uses free-form labels rather than strict clinical notation, so check your instructor's formatting requirements.
Can I include step-families and remarriages?
Yes. Labels are free-form: divorced, remarried, step-parent, half-sibling, adopted — whatever your family's real structure needs.
Understand the family system, not just the family tree
Free, private, and ready in your browser. The three-generation template gives you a head start.
Open the genogram editor