FamilyTreeNow's opt-out is a two-form email-gated flow at familytreenow.com/optout: fill the initial Privacy Request with your name + email + hCaptcha, then click the verification link FamilyTreeNow emails you to return and finish the detailed form. The final confirmation page says removal completes in 3 days or less. About 5-10 minutes of active time. The confirmation page also shows a large green "Remove My Personal Data From 300+ Other Sites Now" button for a third-party removal service. It isn't part of this opt-out.
You can skip the green "Remove My Personal Data From 300+ Other Sites Now" button on the confirmation page. The confirmation page shows a button for a third-party removal service. It isn't part of this opt-out. Your FamilyTreeNow opt-out is already in queue by the time this page loads.
The email verification link expires in 24 hours. FamilyTreeNow's own "Important Notes" sidebar flags this on the initial form. If you don't click the link within a day, you'll have to restart from step 1 and resubmit the initial Privacy Request.
I'd use a forwarding / disposable email. The initial form needs a working email and FamilyTreeNow sends the verification link there. A masked address via Apple Hide My Email, Firefox Relay, or SimpleLogin limits how much new contact data the broker collects from you through the opt-out itself.
Prereqs
What you'll need before you start
2 things
A real email inbox you can check today. FamilyTreeNow sends the verification link to whatever address you submit on the initial form. The opt-out doesn't advance until you click it, and the link expires in 24 hours, so plan to do both steps in one sitting. We'd recommend a forwarding / disposable address rather than your primary inbox.
Your full name (first, middle, last) and whatever identifying details are likely to be on your FamilyTreeNow record. The second form (after you click the email link) collects additional verification info to match against the listing.
The 2 steps
Remove your listing
~5-10 minutes total
01
Go to familytreenow.com/optout, fill the Privacy Request form, click Begin Privacy Request
Open familytreenow.com/optout. The page is titled Privacy Request. Leave the "I am requesting as" dropdown set to The person whose information is being opted out, then fill the Subject Information section with your First Name, Middle Name (optional), Last Name, and Email. Tick the consent box ("I authorize you to send communications relating to my privacy request"), solve the hCaptcha, and click the green Begin Privacy Request button.
Name + email + consent + hCaptcha, then Begin Privacy Request.
02
Click the email link, finish the detailed form, see the Request Successfully Submitted page
Check your inbox for the verification email and click the link inside (it expires in 24 hours, and if you wait too long you'll have to restart). The link brings you back to FamilyTreeNow where you finish the detailed opt-out form with whatever additional verification info the second screen asks for, then submit. You'll land on an Opt-Out Request Confirmation page showing a green "Request Successfully Submitted - The following information was submitted to our system successfully. We will locate and remove your record based on the information you provided. Expect your information to be fully removed in 3 days or less." The page also includes a giant green "Remove My Personal Data From 300+ Other Sites Now" button for a third-party removal service. It isn't part of this opt-out; your FamilyTreeNow removal is already queued.
Confirmation. 3 days or less. The green button is a third-party offer.
Confirm it worked
Did it actually work?
3 days or less
Wait up to 3 days after submitting the detailed form. That's the timeline FamilyTreeNow states on the confirmation page.
Clear your browser cache (or open a private / incognito window) before re-checking. The confirmation page specifically warns that a stored copy of the site may make a removed record look like it's still live.
Go to familytreenow.com and run a fresh search by name + city/state + birth year. Don't click an old saved profile URL. Run it from the homepage search.
Your record should no longer appear in the results, or the old profile URL should return a not-found page.
Check for multiple records. If you've had multiple addresses, used nickname variants, or have a maiden/married name, each tends to produce a separate record. Run the full opt-out flow once per matching record. The per-record opt-out won't sweep them all.
If you opted out for the children's-name exposure, double-check that the kids no longer appear in your profile's Family Tree section. If they do, the children themselves may have their own profile that needs a separate opt-out (search by their name + city + birth year).
We recommend setting a 90-day reminder to re-check. FamilyTreeNow re-indexes public records continuously, so a new listing can appear weeks or months after a successful opt-out.
Troubleshooting
If it doesn't work
Common failures
The verification email never arrives. Check spam / promotions. The Important Notes sidebar on the form flags this as a common issue. If it's not there after 30 minutes, restart from step 1.
You waited and the 24-hour email link expired. The link is single-use and time-limited. Restart from step 1 to generate a new one.
You clicked the green removal-service button by accident. It opens a third-party offer. Close that tab. Your FamilyTreeNow opt-out is unaffected.
hCaptcha won't pass. Try a different browser, disable ad-blockers / privacy extensions for the session, and avoid VPN / Tor exit nodes. All three tend to bump hCaptcha into harder challenges.
Record still appears after 3 days. Clear cache first. The confirmation page specifically warns about stale cached copies. If it still appears after a fresh search, email support@familytreenow.com (the address shown on the confirmation page) with the name and email you submitted plus a screenshot of the confirmation page. The BBB-listed toll-free phone (877) 838-4889 reportedly doesn't route to a human, so email is the better channel.
Multiple records under your name. FamilyTreeNow opt-outs are per-record. Re-run the full two-step flow once per matching profile.
You realized you wanted children's profiles removed too. Each minor child may have their own profile (if data sources tied them to one). Search for them separately and run the opt-out per child profile. Removing the parent's profile doesn't automatically delete the child's.
Escalation paths if support email goes silent. California residents can file a complaint with the CPPA; anyone can report to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov or to their state AG. Its terms include an arbitration clause and class-action waiver (see the profile litigation section).
Stay off
Keep your record off the site
Re-listing is common
We recommend re-checking quarterly. FamilyTreeNow continuously re-indexes public records, so a new listing can appear within weeks or months of a successful opt-out as new property, voter, or directory data surfaces.
Watch for multiple profiles. Address changes and name variants (middle initial, nickname, maiden name) tend to produce separate FamilyTreeNow records. I'd re-check by all the variants you've used, not just your current legal name.
Don't forget the kids. If you're opting out for child-safety reasons, search for each minor child separately. Their profiles can persist even after a parent profile is removed.
Let Redact re-check it. Redact's paid plans re-scan this site about every 15 days while the Redact desktop app is running, and file the removal again if your listing comes back.
Suppress upstream sources where possible. Property and voter-registration records are the most common re-listing triggers we've seen; some states allow address confidentiality programs (often for victims of stalking or domestic violence) that suppress your record at the source.
I'd suggest a forwarding mailbox or PO Box for non-essential mail and a masked email forwarder for non-essential signups. New property records and new email-list signups are the biggest re-listing triggers across the people-search category.
Take yourself off data broker sites
Redact scans data broker sites from your device. The free scan shows which of your details are exposed but hides which broker lists you; Premium and Ultimate show where each listing is. They also submit the FamilyTreeNow removal for you, re-scan about every 15 days and file again if your listing comes back.
The page provides general information, not legal advice. Redact is not affiliated with or endorsed by FamilyTreeNow or any other company named here. Spotted an error, or represent this company? Email support@redact.dev.
