Getting Started for Kindexers
Getting Started for Kindexers
A free Kindexer account is required for anyone to access and index archives on Kindex Cloud (public) or Closet (private) archives. Kindexers can work in other archives both as Guests (public archives only) or as Collaborators (public and private archives). To access Closet (private) archives, you must be invited as a Collaborator. See below for an overview of which roles can do what.
CLOUD ARCHIVE | CLOSET ARCHIVE | |
Privacy | Public | Private |
Searchable and accessible via search engines | Yes | No |
Archive search | Anyone | Owners & Collaborators |
Indexing | Owners, Collaborators, and Guests (Guests: Kindexer/Cloud/Closet account) |
Owners & Collaborators |
Adding records | Owners & Collaborators | Owners & Collaborators |
Deleting records | Owners | Owners |
Single record downloads | Owners, Collaborators, and Guests | Owners & Collaborators |
Public archive links to single records | Yes | Yes |
Access Archives as a Collaborator
- If you know the Archive Owner, you may request an invite. If you don’t know the archive owner, you may go to the archive’s home page and click Request Access.
- When your email arrives, it will look something like this:
- If you don’t know the archive owner, you may access the archive through our Featured Archives directory and request access. Select an archive, click the Request Access button, and fill out the contact form. The archive owner will receive an email notifying them of the request. If they choose, they will add your email to the list of Collaborators and send you an invite.
- To access the archive, click the “Accept Invitation” link in the email invite. If you haven’t yet created a Kindexer account, you will do this now. If you already have a Kindex account, log in.
- If you have a Kindexer account, you will go directly to the archive you were invited to after you log in.
If you are an Archive Owner, you will see the archive in your “Archives” list.
Collaborators may:
- View, search, and read records
- Add information to records, such as a description, transcription, or comments
- Add records to the archive
Collaborators may not:
- Delete records
- Move, edit, or delete Collections
- Change Record Info (metadata initially added to records)
Access Archives as a Guest
- To access and index a public Kindex archive as a guest Guest, sign up as a Kindexer, and go to Featured Archives. Choose a public archive to browse and index.
- Note: Guest Kindexers may only index. To add records to an archive, you must request to become a Collaborator (see below).
Add Records
Add records from your computer
Click the Add Records button located above your records.
Choose “Upload from my computer”
Select your records. If you don’t know how to select multiple files at once from your computer, hover atop the link “How to Batch Upload”.
Note: Only records 15MB or less are accepted.
- Assign your records to a Collection, or add a new collection for them to be placed, and review your upload progress. At this point, you may opt to add Record Info (metadata) as a batch now, or individually later.
Add Record Info to your records (optional but recommended) and click “Update Records”
Add Collections
Add Collections
To add Collections (folders):
- Click the Add Collection button on lower left of your screen.
- Name your Collection and choose where to put it. For Collections at the top level, leave it at “– None –”.
- To make your Collection a Sub-Collection choose a Collection to put this Collection in:
- To rename a collection, hover on the number to the right of the Collection and click on the purple pencil image.
- To move a record from one Collection to another, select the record in thumbnail view and click Record Info. You may also access Record Info from the Indexing window.
- Choose the Collection you want to move the Record in and click Update Record
Read and Share Indexed Records
Read and Share Indexed Records
To read, print, and share records:
- Go to the Indexed Screen
- Click a record thumbnail to read the transcription
Note the tools on the left. When you open an indexed record, you can:
- Read and review the transcription
- Edit the transcription or tags if necessary
- “Copy Link” to share the record on a publicly viewable page. This is ideal for sharing the link as a source or on social media.
- View and download the original record
- Print the record to a QR-coded PDF
- See who contributed and indexed the record
Search Records
Search Records
To search your archive:
- Type a word or phrase in the search area and click on the magnifying glass. You may filter your search by selecting Collections on the left.
Note: Kindex does not yet search partial words
- Word matches in search results are displayed in purple. Select the “glasses” icon to view your record.
Add Memories
Add FamilySearch Memories
- Click the Add Records button located above your records.
- Choose “Share Memories from FamilySearch”
- Add a FamilySearch ID and click Search
- You may need to log in to FamilySearch using the link
- When the Memories are found, click “Add Memories to Kindex”
- Your Memories are added to a “FamilySearch Memories” Collection. This Collection may be renamed, or you may move the records from this Collection to another.
View and Index Records
View and Index Records
To view any records, click on a record thumbnail.
It will open your record in the Index screen. When you view a record, you will have the opportunity to add data to that record that will help make it searchable. Adding data, while encouraged, is completely optional.
- Click the < button to view the previous record in the Collection
- Click the > button to view the next record in the Collection
- Click “Indexed” to read transcriptions only
- Click “All Records” to return to the main archive page
For indexing instructions, see How to Index.