Genetics has provided key insights for improving ecological restoration outcomes over several decades. It is now well established that low genetic diversity and high inbreeding can impact seed set and seedling vigour for many plant species limiting seed and species availability for restoration activities. This can also explain poor restoration outcomes if seedlings fail to thrive or if an inbreeding population is established. The world of genetics has changed rapidly in the last 10 years, with new technologies now producing orders of magnitude more data than anything that has been generated previously. In addition, computational advances are allowing us to stitch together disparate datasets such as those collected from soils, climate, and genomics to better understand the observed outcomes for species and ecosystems. This bodes well for the future of restoration, as it will allow us to develop more accurate and sensitive predictive models regarding species choice, restoration location, and the ability of species to cope with change over time. It is also important to recognise that it is now possible to screen the genomes of hundreds of plants and species rapidly and cost-effectively. If this was routinely undertaken, it could significantly improve restoration success as well as create a long-term legacy for future generations who will be charged with managing the ecosystems of our planet.