Digitalarkivet Search Guide: Which Search Should You Use?
Digitalarkivet is wonderful… but also capable of making a sensible person stare at the screen as if it personally offended them.And yes — I’m including myself here. I’ve done the classic move of starting by looking for a baptism, clicking three “helpful” links, and somehow ending up deep in Property, wondering how my life got here.
The trick is simple: Digitalarkivet is not one search. It’s several tools, each meant for a different job. On the English front page you’ll see the main “doors” clearly: Search for individuals, Scanned material (Search for digitised archives), Find source, Property, Censuses, Parish registry, Law and justice, plus Search help and More searches.
Here’s how to pick the right one without losing an afternoon.
The quick map: pick the right “door”
I have a name and want fast leads → Search for individuals
I’m not even sure what records exist → Find source
I need to read the original page images → Scanned material (Search for digitised archives)
I’m working specifically with a census → Censuses
I’m working specifically with church books → Parish registry
I’m tracing farms, deeds, mortgages → Property
I’m dealing with courts and probate → Law and justice
The 4 questions that save your sanity
1) Am I starting with a person?
Start with Search for individuals.
This is your “lead generator” across searchable/indexed material. It’s great for quickly finding possible matches. Just remember the old-fashioned rule: a search result is a clue, not proof. When there’s a “See scanned version” option, that’s usually where you want to end up.
(And if your ancestor is named Ole Olsen, you have my sympathy. You’re going to get… a few hits.)
2) Do I not know which record exists (or where it lives)?
Go to Find source.
Think of it as the modern archive desk: “Show me what exists for this place and period.” The Find source page lets you filter by Period and by Form (for example: Scanned, Searchable, Full text), which is incredibly useful when you’re trying to avoid guessing.
3) Do I need to read the original pages?
Use Scanned material (Search for digitised archives).
This is where you browse the actual scanned records—volume to page images—just like you would at the archive reading room, only without the bus ride and the closing time.
It is a good habit to always take a look at the scanned records, as there may be error in the transcription. See my article A word of warning.
Many of the results you find in Search for individuals contains a link named See scanned version. This is normally found in the upper left corner of the page you are in. This link will take you to the actual scanned image.
4) Is this a specialised job?
If you already know the record type, go straight to the purpose-built section:
Censuses for census searching/browsing (and quick jumps to specific census years).
Parish registry when you’re doing church-book events like Born and baptised, Confirmation, Married and engaged, Deceased and buried, etc.
Property for land and registration tools (deeds/mortgages/pledges paths).
Law and justice for court and probate pathways.
Three real-life examples
Example A: “I need Ole Olsen’s baptism around 1840”
Start with Search for individuals (fast leads).
If results are messy, switch to Parish registry and search the right event type.
Then confirm in Scanned material (because the page image is what you cite).
Example B: “I know there’s a probate, but I can’t find it”
Use Find source to locate the correct series for place + period.
Open it in Scanned material and browse the protocol properly.
Example C: “I want to trace a farm through deeds/mortgages”
Go straight to Property. It’s built for that job, and it’ll save you from drowning in unrelated person hits.
The traditional workflow that never goes out of style
When Digitalarkivet changes design again (because of course it will), this still works:
Find source (confirm what exists)
Scanned material (read the original)
Extract details exactly as written
Cite the source (volume + page/image)
Use Search for individuals as a shortcut for leads—not the final proof
FAQ
Why can’t I find my ancestor in “Search for individuals”?
Because not everything is searchable/indexed. Some material is only available as scanned images—so switch to Find source and Scanned material.
What does “Form” mean in Find source?
It’s a practical filter for what kind of material you’re dealing with (for example Scanned, Searchable, Full text).
If Digitalarkivet still feels a little overwhelming after this, don’t worry — that’s normal. The site is a whole toolbox, and this post was meant to be the “map on the wall,” not the full instruction manual for every drawer and compartment.
Next, I’ll be back with a short series of articles that go deeper into each part of Digitalarkivet — Search for individuals, Find source, Scanned material, Parish registry, Censuses, Property, and Law and justice — with simple, step-by-step examples you can follow as you research your own family.
If you have questions or views on this, comment below or send me a word through the contact page.
