Boosting Your Genealogy Research: How to Leverage the Google Translate Chrome Extension

Natalie Webb
Apr 4, 2025
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Content

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Welcome
2m 25s
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Introduction
1m 17s
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Installing Browser Extensions
2m 42s
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Google Translate
10m 29s
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Translating from an eBook
6m 06s
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AI and Image Translation
10m 34s
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Announcements / prize
1m 20s
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Questions / answers
13m 22s

About this webinar

Did you know that the Google Translate tool you rely on as a genealogist also comes in a convenient browser extension? With this extension, you can instantly translate text right on the page you’re viewing, without the hassle of switching tabs or opening a new window. It’s a seamless way to break down language barriers while staying focused on your research!

About the speaker

About the speaker

Natalie Webb isn’t your average genealogist. With a 25-year career as a project manager, technical trainer, and all-around computer wizard, she’s got the skills to tackle even the trickiest of technical problems. Plus, she’s a seasoned genea
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Key points and insights

In her innovative webinar, “Boosting Your Genealogy Research: How to Leverage the Google Translate Chrome Extension,” Natalie Webb delivered a practical masterclass on using browser-based tools to break through language barriers in family history research. As part of the 24-Hour Genealogy Marathon, Webb—creator of Family Tree Tech—shared how simple tech solutions, including browser extensions and AI image translators, can transform access to foreign-language records, manuscripts, and digital archives. Her session is a must-watch for anyone working with ancestral records in languages they don’t speak.

Key Takeaways:

  • Install and Use Google Translate in Your Browser: Webb guided viewers through installing the Google Translate extension on Chrome and demonstrated how to highlight, right-click, and translate directly within webpages—perfect for navigating FamilySearch, Ancestry, or international archives without toggling between tabs.
  • Translate More Than Just Web Text—Indexing, PDFs, and Books Too: She showed how to translate searchable text within digitized books, indexes, and even genealogy databases like the Internet Archive and Project Gutenberg. For text that can’t be highlighted (like images or scanned documents), she offered workarounds using AI.
  • Use AI Tools to Translate Images and Handwriting: Webb highlighted how tools like ChatGPT can transcribe and translate handwritten or printed text from images—including birth certificates, gravestones, and even statues—by simply uploading the image and requesting a translation. This opens the door to understanding records that were previously out of reach due to language or format.

Whether you’re working with Cyrillic church records, German passenger lists, or Latin parish books, this webinar will help you make sense of it all—without needing to become a linguist. Watch the full presentation now at FamilyTreeWebinars.com to see real-time demos and learn how to set up these tools on your own browser.

Be sure to check out the syllabus for more tech tips and resources. These tools can empower any genealogist to access and translate a wider world of records—one click and one ancestor at a time.

Comments (62)

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  1. TW
    Thomas Whiteman
    5 days ago

    Speaker very knowledgeable about her chosen topic. Very helpful presentation.

    Reply
  2. DM
    Dee Mathews
    5 days ago

    Loved Natalie’s webinar. Such a good teacher and her slides were so helpful.! This has been a fantastic 24-hour marathon. I couldn’t stay awake for all of them, but watched lots of them and will catch up with the others later.

    Reply
  3. CM
    Carol McCormick
    5 days ago

    Great webinar. So glad I can go back and watch again. So much to learn.

    Reply
  4. RT
    Risela Tyma
    5 days ago

    FANTASTIC! I learned so much in such a short amount of time! This will definitely help with those difficult documents from Mexico and Spain!!!

    Reply
  5. MH
    Melba Horton
    5 days ago

    I love finding new useful tips and tech! This has happened in multiple webinars this marathon. Well Done.

    Reply
  6. SS
    Steve Schell
    5 days ago

    Wow! Wow! Wow! I had no idea you could do some of these things. I have used Google Translate a lot but this goes way beyond. THANKS!!!

    Reply
  7. SJ
    Shirley Jensen
    5 days ago

    FABULOUS! Fast paced, but easy to understand and follow without a syllabus unlike the other AI webinars I watched. It was one subject and user friendly. I very much appreciate these webinars.

    Reply
  8. WJ
    Wendy Jenkins
    5 days ago

    Presenter gave many examples of how to use a Google translate extension to translate various text. This webinar was well worth it.

    Reply

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