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Genogram Key

The key, or legend, is the box that tells a reader what every shape and line on a genogram means. Print the full key, copy the essentials into an assignment, or let the editor draw one beside your genogram.

Last updated September 2026. Notation follows McGoldrick et al., Genograms: Assessment and Treatment (4th ed., 2020)

Download key PDFDownload key PNG

Printable genogram key

Every symbol on one sheet: people, life status, couple lines, emotional bonds and condition fills. Print it for a classroom or pin it above a desk.

Genogram key on one sheet: person symbols (square male, circle female, diamond unknown, X for deceased, pregnancy, miscarriage, twins), couple lines (marriage, separation, divorce, cohabitation, engagement), emotional bond lines (close, fused, distant, cutoff, hostile, abuse) and medical condition fill patterns.
Every symbol the editor draws, on one A4 sheet. Download the PDF to print or the PNG to paste next to a genogram.

The essentials legend

Most assignments and intake genograms need only these. This is the same notation the editor draws, so a key built from it matches the diagram exactly.

People

  • Male
  • Female
  • Unknown or non-binary
  • Deceased

Couples

  • Marriage
  • Separation
  • Divorce
  • Cohabitation
  • Engagement
  • Widowed

Parent and child

  • Biological child
  • Adopted child
  • Foster child

Emotional bonds

  • Close
  • Fused
  • Distant
  • Cutoff
  • Conflict
  • Hostile
  • Fused and hostile
  • Abuse

Genogram legend table

The same essentials as text, for pasting into a report. The complete genogram symbols guide explains all 25 couple lines, 4 parent-child lines and 37 emotional bonds.

SymbolMeaning
SquareA male
CircleA female
DiamondUnknown or non-binary gender (also used for pets)
X through the shapeA deceased person
Highlighted / double-lined shapeThe index person, the focus of the genogram
TriangleA pregnancy
Solid horizontal lineMarriage
Horizontal line with two slashesDivorce
Horizontal line with one slashSeparation
Dashed horizontal lineCohabitation or unmarried partnership
Solid vertical lineA biological child
Dashed vertical lineAn adopted child
Two children on a shared peakTwins
Green lineA close or positive relationship
Red lineConflict or hostility
Three parallel linesA fused or enmeshed relationship
Broken line with two barsEmotional cutoff or estrangement

A key on a real genogram

The 3 generation genogram example shows the key in use. It lists only the symbols in that family, counts them, and highlights everyone who shares a condition when you click a row. Every page in the genogram examples collection carries the same key.

Add a key to your own genogram

You do not have to draw the key by hand. The editor keeps a legend that updates as you add couples, bonds and conditions, and the exported PNG or PDF places it beside the diagram. Start from a blank genogram template or a blank canvas.

Build a genogram with an automatic key

Open the free editor, add your family, and export a PNG or PDF with the key already drawn.

free genogram maker

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a genogram key?
A genogram key, also called a genogram legend, is the box that explains what each shape, line and color on the diagram means: squares are males, circles are females, a horizontal line joins a couple, slashes mark separation or divorce, vertical lines connect parents to children, and colored or patterned lines show emotional bonds and medical conditions. A genogram shared with anyone else should carry a key so the reader does not have to guess.
Is a genogram key the same as a genogram legend?
Yes. Key and legend name the same element. McGoldrick, Gerson and Petry use both. Social work agencies tend to say key, therapy training programs tend to say legend.
What should a genogram key include?
Only what appears on that genogram: the person shapes you used, the couple lines, the parent-child lines, and any emotional bond or medical condition markers. The essentials legend on this page covers what most assignments need. The full sheet covers every symbol.
Where do I put the key on a genogram?
In a corner that does not overlap the family, usually bottom right or top right, on the same page as the diagram. When a genogram is exported from Genogram Pro the key is drawn beside the diagram automatically and lists only the symbols that appear.
Is there a printable genogram key PDF?
Yes. The full key on this page downloads as a printable PDF and a high resolution PNG, free to print and hand out in class or in a clinical team.

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