How to Use the “Find Source” Feature in Digitalarkivet
For anyone doing Norwegian genealogy, one of the most important steps is understanding which sources actually exist for the area and period you’re researching.
This guide walks you through the Find Source feature in Digitalarkivet to help you navigate these resources effectively.
Digitalarkivet is full of treasures, but it can be hard to know where to begin if you don’t know whether a parish register, census, or probate record has been digitized.
This guide walks you through the Find Source feature in Digitalarkivet—the tool that lets you locate digitized archive material before you start any name-based search.
What is “Find Source”?
“Find Source” (Finn kilde in Norwegian) is Digitalarkivet’s search tool for locating sources, not individuals. Instead of looking up people, you search the metadata behind each digitized archive item: parish registers, censuses, probate protocols, land records, and more.
This is essential because not all material is indexed by name. Some sources are scanned images only, and therefore won’t show up when we use the person search. “Find Source” helps us see what actually exists and what years each book covers.
When to Use Find Source
Use the Find Source tool when you want to:
Check whether a parish register exists for a certain time period
See which types of documents are digitized for a specific municipality
Determine whether a source is scanned, indexed, or both
Find the correct book before beginning a name search
Identify gaps or missing years in the digitized material
Step-by-Step Guide
1. Open the Find Source Page
Go to Digitalarkivet (digitalarkivet.no) and choose Find Source from the top menu.
Alternatively, use the English version:
Search → Sources.
2. Choose Your Search Criteria
You do not need to fill out everything—a single field is usually enough. The main options include:
• Free-text search
Enter words like parish register, church book, probate, census 1910, or a place name.
• Time period
Set a From-year and/or To-year to narrow down to sources that cover a specific span.
• Format
Choose between:
Scanned (images only)
Indexed (searchable records)
Transcribed
Audio / Video (rare, but included)
For genealogists, selecting scanned or indexed is usually most relevant.
• Geography
Select county, municipality, or parish.
Digitalarkivet uses the post-1947 administrative divisions.
• Archive institution
Useful only if we already know which regional archive holds the original material.
3. Click “Search”
After choosing your filters, click Search.
If we update our criteria, click again to refresh the results.
4. Read and Interpret the Results
The search results list each available source. For every item, we’ll see:
Source type (e.g., parish register, census, probate protocol)
Coverage years
Format (scanned, indexed, or both)
Link to the digital version
Notes or metadata describing the content
This helps you determine:
Whether the book covers the years we need
Whether we can search for names or must browse page by page
Whether multiple volumes exist for the same parish
Whether there are gaps in the record series
5. Open the Source
Click the source title to open its information page. We’ll typically see:
A short description
Buttons such as Browse scans or Search or Explore
Volume list (for multi-volume books)
Direct links to the digital viewer
Browse scans = the book is scanned and we must turn pages manually.
Search = the source has been indexed and we can search for names or events.
Explore = starts with the first digitized record and lets us scroll forward.
Practical Tips for Genealogists
• Always check Find Source before searching for people
If the material hasn’t been digitized or indexed, a person search will give zero results regardless.
• Pay close attention to coverage years
A parish register covering 1846–1877 won’t help us find someone baptized in 1839—but another volume may exist.
• Don’t rely too heavily on modern place names
Municipal boundaries have changed. A farm may belong to different parishes or municipalities at different times.
• Use free-text search creatively
Try variations like:
“kirkebok” / “church book”
“folketelling” / “census”
“Loppa”, “Løten”, “Haugesund”
“skifte”, “probate”, “sjømannsrulle”
• Combine Find Source with the person search
Once we identify the correct book, we can search for names—if the book is indexed—or browse manually if it isn’t.
• Remember that new material is added regularly
If something is missing now, check again in a few months.
Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Mistake 1: Searching for people in the Find Source tool
Find Source is not a name search. It searches source metadata only.
Mistake 2: Assuming everything is indexed
Many church books are scanned only. Name searches won’t find individuals in them.
Mistake 3: Over-filtering by geography
If you choose the wrong municipality or parish due to historic changes, the result may appear empty.
Mistake 4: Ignoring the “Format” filter
If you want a searchable index, specify Indexed.
If you want images to browse, choose Scanned.
Conclusion
The Find Source feature in Digitalarkivet is one of the most powerful tools available to us genealogists working with Norwegian records. By using it as our first stop, we quickly learn which materials exist, how complete they are, and whether they’re searchable or only browsable.
It saves time, avoids frustration, and gives us a clear foundation before we dive into the names and stories of our ancestors.
If you have comments or questions, comment below or send me a word through the contact page.
