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
Learn more about how to access and navigate archives by choosing a section below.
Access Archives as a Collaborator
To access and index in a private Closet archive, you must first receive an invitation to collaborate by the archive owner.

  1. 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.
  2. When your email arrives, it will look something like this:
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.

  1. 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):

  1. Click the Add Collection button on lower left of your screen.
  2. Name your Collection and choose where to put it. For Collections at the top level, leave it at “– None –”.
  3. To make your Collection a Sub-Collection choose a Collection to put this Collection in:
  4. To rename a collection, hover on the number to the right of the Collection and click on the purple pencil image.
  5. 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.
  6. 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:

  1. Go to the Indexed Screen
  2. Click a record thumbnail to read the transcription

Note the tools on the left. When you open an indexed record, you can:

  1. Read and review the transcription
  2. Edit the transcription or tags if necessary
  3. “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.
  4. View and download the original record
  5. Print the record to a QR-coded PDF
  6. See who contributed and indexed the record
Search Records

Search Records

To search your archive:

  1. 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

  1. Click the Add Records button located above your records.
  2. Choose “Share Memories from FamilySearch”
  3. Add a FamilySearch ID and click Search
  4. You may need to log in to FamilySearch using the link
  5. When the Memories are found, click “Add Memories to Kindex”
  6. 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.