Digital Estate Planning Checklist: 25 Things to Prepare Before It's Too Late

The average person under 70 has over 160 online accounts. When you die, every single one becomes a problem for your family.

This checklist covers the 25 most critical things to document for your digital estate. You don't need to complete everything in one sitting—but you do need to start.

Print this out. Work through it section by section. When you're done, your family will have what they need.

Section 1: Master Access (Items 1-5)

These are the keys to everything else. Without them, the rest of your digital estate is inaccessible.

1. Password Manager Access

Password manager name (1Password, Bitwarden, LastPass, etc.)
Master password
Emergency kit or recovery codes
Location of any backup files

Why it matters: If your family can access your password manager, they can access almost everything else. This is the single most important item on the list.

2. Primary Email Account

Email provider and address
Password (if not in password manager)
Recovery email address
Recovery phone number
Any backup codes

Why it matters: Email is the master key. Password resets for almost every service go through email. Without email access, your family can't recover anything else.

3. Phone Passcode and Backup

Phone unlock code (PIN, pattern, password)
Location of phone backup (iCloud, Google, computer)
Backup encryption password (if applicable)

Why it matters: Your phone contains authenticator apps, receives SMS verification codes, and holds years of photos and messages.

4. Computer Access

Computer login password(s)
Encryption password (FileVault, BitLocker)
Location of important local files

Why it matters: Many people store documents, photos, and credentials locally. Without computer access, these are lost.

5. Two-Factor Authentication Backup

List of accounts with 2FA enabled
Backup codes for each (usually provided during 2FA setup)
Recovery methods for authenticator apps

Why it matters: 2FA protects your accounts—but it also locks out your family. Backup codes are the only way around this.

Section 2: Financial Accounts (Items 6-10)

Your family needs to access these quickly. Delayed access means bills don't get paid and assets sit frozen.

6. Bank Accounts

List all banks and account types (checking, savings, etc.)
Online banking username and password for each
Location of paper statements (if any)
Safe deposit box location and key/access information

7. Investment Accounts

Brokerage accounts (Fidelity, Schwab, Vanguard, etc.)
Retirement accounts (401k, IRA)
Login credentials for each
Named beneficiaries (confirm these are current)

8. Cryptocurrency

List of holdings by currency and approximate value
Wallet type (hardware, software, exchange)
Seed phrases / recovery phrases (24 words)
PINs for hardware wallets
Exchange account credentials
Step-by-step recovery instructions

Why it matters: Crypto is the most commonly lost digital asset. There's no customer service. No recovery process. Your seed phrase is everything.

9. Credit Cards and Loans

List of credit cards (issuer, last 4 digits)
Login credentials for each account
Any loans or lines of credit
Auto-pay information

10. Insurance Policies

Life insurance (company, policy number, beneficiaries)
Health insurance details
Home/auto insurance information
Location of policy documents

Section 3: Important Documents (Items 11-15)

These documents either need to be accessible or your family needs to know where they are.

11. Legal Documents

Will (location of original)
Trust documents (if applicable)
Power of attorney documents
Healthcare directive / living will
Name and contact for estate attorney

12. Identity Documents

Location of passport
Social Security card location
Birth certificate location
Marriage certificate (if applicable)

13. Property Documents

Property deeds and titles
Mortgage information
Vehicle titles
Storage unit information and access

14. Tax Records

Location of tax returns (digital and/or physical)
Accountant name and contact
Any tax-related login credentials

15. Employment Records

Current employer HR contact
Pension or retirement benefits information
Stock options or equity grants
Any pending payments or reimbursements

Section 4: Digital Accounts (Items 16-20)

These are the accounts that don't fit neatly into other categories but still matter.

16. Email Accounts (All)

List all email addresses you use
Login credentials for each
Which ones are connected to important accounts

17. Social Media

List of accounts (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, etc.)
Login credentials
Preferences: delete, memorialize, or leave active?
Legacy contacts already designated (if applicable)

18. Cloud Storage

Google Drive, iCloud, Dropbox, OneDrive accounts
Login credentials
What's stored in each
Any shared folders or collaborators who need notification

19. Subscriptions

Streaming services (Netflix, Spotify, etc.)
Software subscriptions (Adobe, Microsoft, etc.)
Any other recurring charges
Login credentials (or note if in password manager)

Why it matters: These continue charging after death. Your family needs to cancel them.

20. Domain Names and Websites

Domain registrar (GoDaddy, Cloudflare, Namecheap, etc.)
Login credentials
List of domains you own
What should happen to each (keep, transfer, let expire)

Section 5: Instructions and Contacts (Items 21-25)

The "what to do" section. Raw credentials aren't enough—your family needs guidance.

21. Key Contacts List

Create a list of people who should be notified or consulted:

Attorney
Accountant/CPA
Financial advisor
Business partners
Close friends who should be notified
Any professionals who regularly work with you

22. Digital Executor Designation

Name of person responsible for managing your digital estate
Confirmation they've agreed to this role
Documentation in your legal estate plan

23. Account-Specific Instructions

For any accounts requiring special handling:

What to do with your email archive
What to do with photos (download, share with family, delete?)
What to do with social media (memorialize, delete, other?)
Any accounts that should be kept running (domains, businesses)

24. Business Information (If Applicable)

Business structure and documentation
Business bank accounts and credentials
Key vendor relationships and contacts
Any partners or stakeholders who need notification
Succession plan or wind-down instructions

25. Messages to Leave

Any final messages for specific people
Instructions for funeral/memorial preferences
Charitable wishes
Anything else you want communicated

How to Store This Information

Completing the checklist is step one. Step two is storing it securely.

Bad ideas:

In your email (inaccessible if email is locked)
On a sticky note (insecure)
In your will (becomes public record)
Only in your head (defeats the purpose)

Better ideas:

Encrypted document in a password manager with emergency access
Secure note in a deadman switch service
With your attorney (expensive, but secure)
Physical copy in a safe, with digital backup

A deadman switch approach works well: your documentation is encrypted and stored. If you stop checking in, your designated person automatically receives access. No one needs to know where to look or guess passwords.

Maintaining Your Digital Estate Plan

This isn't one-and-done. Digital life changes constantly.

Set a quarterly reminder to review and update:

New accounts added
Passwords changed
Accounts closed
Beneficiaries updated
New assets acquired (especially crypto)
Contact information changed

Trigger an immediate update when:

You get married or divorced
You have children
Someone named in your plan dies
You start or close a business
You acquire significant new assets

Getting Started Today

You don't need to complete all 25 items right now. Start with the most critical:

Password manager access
Primary email access
Bank account access
Cryptocurrency (if you have any)
Name your digital executor

That's your minimum viable digital estate plan. It takes less than an hour and covers the most likely disasters.

Then work through the rest of the checklist at your own pace. Each item you complete is one less problem for your family.

Need a secure place to store your digital estate documentation? Killswitch provides zero-knowledge encrypted storage with automatic deadman switch delivery. Your files stay private until you stop checking in—then they go exactly where you've specified.