How to Create a Digital Estate Plan

Make a plan for your online accounts, passwords, and digital files so your loved ones can manage or close them when the time comes.

In this guide (5 steps):

1.List all your online accounts
2.Note the email and username for each account
3.State your wishes for each account
4.Store the document safely
5.Name a digital executor

List all your online accounts

~15s

Write down every online account you use: email, banking, social media (Facebook, Instagram), shopping (Amazon), streaming services (Netflix, Hulu), photo storage, and any others. Check your email inbox for subscription confirmation emails to help jog your memory.

Note the email and username for each account

~15s

For each account, write down the email address used to sign in and the username if different. You do not need to write down passwords in this document — storing a separate, secure password record is covered in a different guide.

State your wishes for each account

~15s

Decide what should happen to each account: delete it, memorialize it (keep it as a tribute), or transfer it to a family member. Write this next to each account name.

Store the document safely

~15s

Keep a printed copy of this plan in a secure location that a trusted person knows about — such as a fireproof box, a safe, or with your will documents. You can also give a copy to your attorney or executor.

Name a digital executor

~16s

Tell a trusted family member or friend that they are responsible for carrying out your digital wishes, and tell them where to find your plan. Some states allow you to formally name a digital executor in your will — ask an attorney if this matters to you.

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A digital estate plan is a document or record that lists all your online accounts — email, social media, banking, shopping, subscriptions — along with instructions for what should happen to them when you pass away or become unable to manage them yourself. Without this plan, your loved ones may spend months trying to figure out what accounts exist, how to access them, and what you would have wanted done with them.

Creating a digital estate plan does not require a lawyer or any special software. You can start with a simple spreadsheet or even a piece of paper stored securely at home. The most important information to record is: what accounts you have, what email address is linked to each, and what your wishes are for each account.

A digital estate plan pairs well with a traditional will. Some people include their digital instructions as an addendum to their will. The key step is telling a trusted person — a family member or attorney — where to find this document.

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