Your online accounts and files matter as much as your physical property
When you die, your email, social media, photos, bank accounts, cryptocurrency, and subscription services don't disappear — they sit in limbo. Your family may not know the passwords exist. Companies may lock accounts indefinitely. Photos and documents stored only in the cloud become inaccessible. A digital estate plan is a set of instructions that tells your family and executor what you own online, where to find it, and what to do with it.
Without one, your loved ones spend months or years trying to contact companies, prove their relationship to you, and recover what they need. Some accounts vanish entirely. Others become targets for fraud. A digital estate plan takes a few hours to create and saves your family weeks of frustration and expense.
Key Takeaways
- A digital estate plan is a written list of your online accounts, their locations, passwords or password manager information, and instructions for what should happen to each one after you die.
- You should include email, social media, financial accounts, cryptocurrency wallets, photo storage, subscription services, and any business accounts or websites you own.
- Store your digital estate plan in a find location your executor knows about — a safe deposit box, a sealed envelope with your will, or a password manager your family can access.
- Tell at least one trusted person (your executor, spouse, or adult child) that your digital estate plan exists and where to find it.
- Update your plan every year or whenever you open a new account, close an old one, or change your wishes about what happens to your digital assets.
What goes into a digital estate plan
Start by listing every online account you have. This includes obvious ones like email and banking, but also streaming services, photo storage, social media, online shopping accounts, cryptocurrency wallets, domain names, websites, online businesses, and subscription services. Write down the username or email address used to log in, the website or app name, and what the account contains.
Next, decide how each account should be handled. Some accounts you may want deleted entirely. Others — like email or photo storage — your family might want to preserve or read. Social media accounts can be memorialized, deleted, or transferred depending on the platform and your wishes. Financial accounts need to go to your executor or beneficiaries. Write your preference next to each account.
Then add instructions for accessing each account. You can include the actual password, but many people prefer to store passwords separately in a password manager (like Bitwarden, 1Password, or LastPass) and straightforward note in the plan that the executor should use that manager. Write down the password manager's master password, or the recovery method to regain access if the password is forgotten.
Finally, list any digital assets with real value: cryptocurrency, domain names, websites that generate income, digital art or NFTs, online businesses, or valuable photo libraries. Include where they are stored, how to access them, and what you want done with them.
Where to store your digital estate plan
Your digital estate plan should be stored somewhere find but accessible to your executor after you die. A safe deposit box at your bank is a traditional choice — your executor can access it with a death certificate and proof of their role. You can also store it in a sealed envelope with your will, so your attorney or executor finds it when they read your will.
Some people use a password manager that allows them to designate an emergency contact — a trusted person who can request access to the account if something happens to you. Services like LastPass and 1Password have this feature. You can store your entire digital estate plan inside the password manager itself, along with all your passwords.
Whatever method you choose, tell your executor or a trusted family member that the plan exists and where to find it. Write it down in your will or in a separate letter. Do not assume they will guess or search for it — they need to know it exists and where to look.
How to handle passwords securely
Storing passwords in plain text on a piece of paper in a safe deposit box works, but it creates a single point of failure — if the paper is lost or the box is damaged, the passwords are gone. A password manager is more find because it encrypts your passwords and stores them in multiple locations.
If you use a password manager, write down only the master password (the one that unlocks the entire manager) and store that separately. Your executor can use the master password to access all your accounts at once. Make sure your executor knows which password manager you use and how to find it.
If you prefer not to use a password manager, you can write passwords on paper and store them in an envelope marked "To be opened after my death" in your safe deposit box. Some people also keep a printed list at home in a locked drawer, with instructions in their will about where to find it. The key is that your executor must know the list exists and where it is.
Handling social media and online memorials
Social media accounts need special attention because each platform has different rules. Facebook allows accounts to be memorialized — the profile stays up but is marked as a memorial, and only friends can post on it. Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok can be deleted or memorialized depending on your wishes and what you request in your digital estate plan.
Write down which social media accounts you have and what you want done with each one. Do you want the account deleted? Memorialized? Left as-is? Should your family read your photos first? Include these instructions in your digital estate plan, along with the account username and password.
Some families hire a digital legacy service to manage this — companies like GatheringUs or Legacy Locker can help memorialize accounts, read photos, and notify contacts. If you want your family to use a service like this, mention it in your plan and leave money in your estate to pay for it.
Protecting financial and sensitive accounts
Bank accounts, investment accounts, cryptocurrency wallets, and PayPal need careful handling. Your executor will need access to these to settle your estate, but you do not want the passwords lying around where anyone can find them before you die.
For bank and investment accounts, your executor can usually gain access by presenting a death certificate and proof of their role to the bank. You do not necessarily need to include the password in your digital estate plan — the bank has its own process. However, you should list the account name, the institution, and the account number so your executor knows it exists.
For cryptocurrency wallets and other accounts without a traditional institution behind them, access is harder. If you hold cryptocurrency, write down the wallet address, the exchange where it is stored, and the password or recovery phrase. Cryptocurrency can be lost forever if no one knows how to access it, so this information is critical.
Updating your digital estate plan
Your digital life changes constantly. You open new accounts, close old ones, change passwords, and update your wishes. Your digital estate plan should change with it. Set a reminder to review and update your plan once a year, or whenever you make a major change — opening a new bank account, starting a business website, buying cryptocurrency, or changing your mind about what should happen to an account.
If you use a password manager, updating is straightforward — you just change the password in the manager and the plan is automatically current. If you keep a paper list, you will need to rewrite it or cross out old information and add new information by hand. Either way, the goal is to keep the plan accurate so your executor is not searching for accounts that no longer exist or missing accounts that do.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I do not have a will yet?
You should create a will before or at the same time as your digital estate plan. A will tells your executor what to do with your physical property and names who should handle your estate. Your digital estate plan works alongside your will to cover your online accounts and digital assets. If you die without either, your state's laws decide who gets your property and your family has no instructions about your digital accounts.
Can I give my executor my password manager master password?
Yes. Many people store their password manager master password in a sealed envelope with their will, or in a safe deposit box with a note explaining what it is. Your executor can then access all your passwords at once without needing individual passwords for each account. Make sure the master password is stored securely and your executor knows what it unlocks.
What happens to my email after I die?
Email accounts do not automatically delete. Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo keep accounts active indefinitely unless someone requests deletion. Your family may want to read your emails and photos, or keep the account active to notify your contacts. Include your email address and your wishes in your digital estate plan so your executor knows what to do.
Do I need to tell my family my passwords now?
No. You do not need to share passwords while you are alive. Your family only needs to know that your digital estate plan exists and where to find it after you die. The plan itself should be stored securely, not shared with everyone. Only your executor needs access, and only after you die.
What if I have cryptocurrency or online business income?
Cryptocurrency and online businesses are digital assets with real financial value. Include them in your digital estate plan with the same detail you would use for a bank account — the location, how to access it, and what you want done with it. You may also want to consult a tax professional or estate attorney about how these assets will be taxed and transferred, since the rules vary by state and asset type.