Making sense of your DNA matches: The new AncestryDNA clustering tool
In July 2025, AncestryDNA introduced a powerful new feature - Matches by Cluster - that helps us visualise how DNA matches relate both to the tester and to each other. Released as part of the Pro Tools suite and currently in Beta, this is an important step forward for family historians looking to organise and interpret their genetic matches. Clustering itself isn’t new in genetic genealogy. MyHeritage has offered AutoClusters since 2019. Third-party tools such as GeneticAffairs AutoClusters, DNA Painter’s Cluster Auto Painter (CAP), and GEDmatch Tier 1 Clustering have been available for years. The key difference is that clustering is now built directly into AncestryDNA, giving users of the world’s largest consumer DNA database the convenience of analysis without exporting data elsewhere. Understanding clustering and its benefits A cluster displays matches who share DNA with both the tester and each other - often pointing to a shared ancestral line. Instead of analysing matches one by o...