To make a genogram, add each family member as a square (male) or circle (female) with the oldest generation at the top, connect partners and their children with relationship lines, then layer in standard symbols for emotional bonds, health, and life events. You can draw one by hand, build it in a tool, or describe your family and let AI create the first draft.
Free to start · No signup · Export to PDF, PNG & Word
Four steps take you from a blank page to a finished, readable genogram.
A square for each male, a circle for each female, oldest generation at the top.
Link partners with a relationship line and drop their children below.
Mark emotional bonds, health notes, and who has died with standard symbols.
Tidy the layout, then export to PDF, PNG, or Word, or share a link.
Build it in this order and the diagram stays readable as it grows.
Start with the oldest generation at the top of the page so there is room for children and grandchildren below. Draw a square for each male and a circle for each female. If a person's gender is unknown, use a triangle; for non-binary, use a diamond. Add a name and birth year under each shape.
Tip: keep everyone in the same generation on one horizontal line.
Join partners with a horizontal relationship line. Drop a vertical line from the couple down to a sibling bar, and connect each child to it. Place children left to right in birth order. This is the skeleton every genogram is built on.
Tip: a solid line is marriage; a dashed line is cohabitation or engagement.
Now layer in the parts a family tree leaves out. Put an X through the shape of anyone who has died, and add slashes on a marriage line for separation (one) or divorce (two). Draw emotional bond lines between people for close, distant, conflicted, or estranged relationships, and shade a shape to flag a medical or behavioral marker.
Not sure which symbol to use? The full symbols key has every one.
Step back and tidy the layout so lines do not cross and generations stay aligned. When it reads clearly, export it: PDF or PNG to hand in or file, Word if you need to keep editing the document, or a private link to share with a colleague, instructor, or client.
Tip: export at the largest size your assignment allows so symbols stay crisp.
You can build one in Microsoft Word with shapes and lines. Here is the honest version of how it goes.
Word has no genogram symbols built in, so every divorce line, twin, and bond is manual, and one moved person can break the whole layout. A purpose-built maker places the correct standard symbols for you and keeps generations aligned automatically, then still exports to Word when you need a document.
Build it in the tool insteadSkip the lines entirely. Describe your family in plain English, upload a document, or record a voice note, and Genogenie reads the names, dates, and relationships to build a genogram with the correct symbols. Then you just refine it.
Try the AI genogram makerStart from a blank canvas or let AI draft it for you. Either way, the symbols are correct and the export is ready.
Open the Genogram MakerFree to start · No signup · Export to PDF, PNG & Word
Quick answers to the questions people ask most when building their first genogram.
Start with the oldest generation at the top, then add each family member as a square (male) or circle (female). Connect partners with a relationship line, drop their children below, and layer in emotional bonds and any medical notes. With Genogenie you can also describe your family in plain English and let AI build the first draft, then refine it.
Sketch the oldest generation first, leaving room below for children and grandchildren. Draw a square for each male and a circle for each female, link couples with a horizontal line, and drop vertical lines to their children. Add the standard symbols last: an X for someone who has died, slashes for separation or divorce, and bond lines for close, distant, or conflicted relationships.
Insert shapes from the Shapes menu (rectangles for males, ovals for females), then use the line tool to connect couples and children. It works, but Word has no genogram symbols built in, so divorce slashes, emotional bonds, and twins all have to be drawn and aligned manually. A purpose-built maker places the correct symbols for you and keeps everything aligned automatically.
By hand or in Word, a three-generation genogram usually takes 30 to 60 minutes to draw and tidy up. With Genogenie, describing your family and letting AI build the first draft takes a couple of minutes, and most of your time goes into small refinements rather than drawing lines.
Yes. Type or paste a description of your family, upload a document, or record a voice note, and Genogenie reads the names, dates, and relationships to build a first draft with the correct symbols. You stay in control: edit anyone, redraw a relationship, or add markers before exporting.
Export to PDF or PNG to hand in an assignment or drop it into a case file, or export to Word if you need to keep editing the document. You can also share a private link so a colleague, instructor, or client can view it.
Why the tool is faster