How To Get The Best Results From Ask Grandma Kylie

Ask Grandma Kylie is a chatbot designed to help with family history questions—especially those connected to South Australia. If you’re new to chatbots, here are a few easy tips to help you get great answers:

🗣️ Talk to it like a person
You don’t need to use keywords or search terms. Just ask questions in full sentences—like “Where can I find early South Australian marriage records?” instead of “marriage records SA”.

❌ No need for quotation marks
Unlike search engines, Ask Grandma Kylie doesn’t work better with quotes around names or phrases. It understands natural language better when you just type normally.

📜 Be specific if you can
If you’re looking for a person, include full names, approximate dates, and locations. For example:
“Do you have any information about William Coles who died in Echunga in the 1840s?”

🔍 Try different angles
If you don’t get the answer you hoped for, try rewording the question or asking about something related. You can also ask follow-up questions straight away.

💬 Use full sentences
Short search terms can confuse the chatbot. Instead of typing “Quinn 1841 census”, try “Can you tell me if the surname Quinn appears in the 1841 South Australian census?”

🧵 It remembers the conversation (a little)
While it doesn’t save your personal data, it can keep track of the conversation flow while you’re chatting. So feel free to build on your last question.

⚠️ Always double-check your sources
Please use the information you gather from Ask Grandma Kylie as a guide to further research paths. Always verify your information through more than one source.