How to Create a Digital Estate Plan in 2025

In today's world, our identity, work, and memories live online. Email, social media, banking, investments, and photo libraries are no longer stored in drawers or safes, they exist in servers, apps, and clouds.

Yet few people have planned for what happens to their digital lives when they pass away. Creating a digital estate plan ensures your loved ones can access, manage, and protect what you leave behind without unnecessary stress or confusion.

This guide explains what a digital estate plan is, why it matters, and how you can create one in 2025 using secure and modern tools like Fort Legacy to safeguard your digital footprint.

What a digital estate plan includes

A digital estate plan is a structured record that outlines what should happen to your online accounts, passwords, and personal data after your death. It ensures that your digital presence is handled according to your wishes and that the people you trust can access what they need when the time comes.

Your plan should include the following core elements:

An inventory of digital assets

Start by listing every online account and asset. Include email accounts such as Gmail, Outlook, or Yahoo, social media profiles on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or TikTok, banking, investment, and cryptocurrency accounts, cloud storage like Google Drive, Dropbox, or iCloud, online subscriptions including Netflix, Spotify, or Amazon Prime, any domain names, websites, or digital businesses, and important documents such as tax returns, wills, or insurance papers stored digitally.

Access instructions

Decide how your loved ones or executors should gain access to each account. Clarify whether accounts should be deleted, memorialized, or transferred, where to find passwords or two factor authentication codes, and what content should be shared or preserved.

Designated legacy contacts

Choose trusted people who will manage your digital estate. Many major platforms now allow you to assign a legacy contact who can handle your data if you pass away. These individuals receive limited access to your accounts and follow your instructions for closure or preservation.

Legal documentation

Support your plan with legal documents that confirm your wishes. You can include a digital will or integrate digital assets into your traditional estate plan. Consult an attorney if you manage valuable online businesses, cryptocurrency, or intellectual property.

Security and storage

Protect your plan with encryption or secure storage. Never store plain text passwords in unsecured files. Services like Fort Legacy allow you to safely upload your plan, assign legacy contacts, and automate release based on inactivity or verified events.

Why every person needs one

Digital estate planning is no longer optional. As more of life moves online, the consequences of not planning can be severe. Without access to important accounts, families can lose photos, financial records, and legal information that are difficult or impossible to recover.

Here are key reasons why every person needs a digital estate plan:

• Protect loved ones from stress and uncertainty: Without instructions, family members are often left guessing passwords, struggling to recover accounts, or dealing with locked digital assets. A clear plan spares them from that burden during an emotional time.
• Prevent identity theft and fraud: Unmonitored digital accounts can be targets for hackers or scammers. By transferring control or closing unused accounts, you minimize the risk of posthumous identity theft.
• Preserve your digital legacy: Your photos, messages, and creative work represent your personal legacy. A digital estate plan ensures these memories are preserved and passed on intentionally, not lost when services expire or accounts are deleted.
• Manage digital finances: Many assets, including cryptocurrency wallets or online investments, are exclusively digital. Listing them in your plan ensures your executor or family can claim their value.
• Ensure legal and ethical control: Without explicit instructions, companies follow their own policies. Some delete inactive accounts while others may lock them indefinitely. Your plan keeps decisions aligned with your values.

Steps to create and maintain your digital estate plan

Building a digital estate plan in 2025 is simpler than it sounds. Follow these practical steps:

Step 1: Take inventory of your digital life

List every online account and service you use. Organize them by email, banking, social media, subscriptions, and cloud storage. Include notes on how each is accessed, what is stored there, and what should happen after your death.

If you are supporting someone who recently passed away, review Do This First When A Loved One Dies: Managing Digital Accounts to gather essential credentials before platforms lock you out.

Step 2: Record access details securely

Gather key login credentials, recovery methods, and two factor authentication settings. Store them in a password manager or encrypted file. Avoid handwritten notes or unsecured documents that can be lost or stolen.

If you are helping someone else gather these records after a death, review our guide How to Access a Deceased Person's Online Accounts for platform specific instructions.

Step 3: Decide what happens to each account

Outline your wishes clearly. Delete personal or private accounts, memorialize social profiles so others can share memories, transfer ownership for digital businesses or online stores, and preserve family photos and documents in shared cloud storage.

For help understanding how companies handle inactive accounts, read What Happens to Your Digital Accounts When You Die so your instructions align with current policies.

Step 4: Appoint digital executors or legacy contacts

Select trusted people who will manage your online assets. Assign at least two contacts to reduce risk. Inform them of their roles, share how to access your plan, and provide context for sensitive information.

You can also prepare them with role specific guides such as How to Secure a Loved One's Online Banking and Subscription Accounts so they know which financial services to stabilize first.

Step 5: Integrate your digital plan with estate documents

Coordinate your digital estate plan with your legal will or trust. Mention where the plan is stored and who has permission to access it. Some jurisdictions recognize digital wills explicitly while others require integration with a physical estate plan. Work with an attorney who understands digital assets to avoid conflicts between documents.

Step 6: Use secure tools for automation and monitoring

Modern solutions can automatically manage your plan and verify your status. Fort Legacy provides monthly check ins to confirm that you are active. If you stop responding, the system securely notifies your legacy contacts and shares your plan according to your rules.

Combine Fort Legacy's automation with a password manager or encrypted vault so that two factor authentication devices, emergency codes, and recovery email addresses are always available to the right person at the right moment.

Step 7: Review and update regularly

Your digital life evolves constantly. Review your plan at least once a year or whenever you add new accounts or change passwords. Tools like Fort Legacy allow easy updates and keep your records current without manual rework.

Schedule a recurring reminder on your calendar, and use Fort Legacy's check ins as prompts to confirm that your inventory, instructions, and legal documents are still accurate.

Coordinate with trusted people ahead of time

Share the existence of your plan with the people who need it, but avoid distributing raw passwords or security codes. Instead, explain how to access the plan, identify who should be contacted first, and document how you want sensitive data handled.

Encourage your legacy contacts to run a short rehearsal. Walk them through what to do if Fort Legacy alerts them, where to find supporting paperwork, and how to request help from professionals. These conversations reduce uncertainty and prevent rushed decisions later.

How Fort Legacy helps manage your digital estate

Creating and maintaining a digital estate plan can feel complex, but Fort Legacy simplifies every step with modern security and automation.

Automated monthly check ins

Fort Legacy verifies that you are active through gentle monthly check ins. If you stop responding, the system initiates your plan only after multiple reminders and verifications, ensuring accuracy and respect for your wishes.

Secure legacy contact system

Designate trusted individuals as legacy contacts. When needed, they receive your plan securely with no passwords or manual sharing required.

Centralized account management

Store your account inventory, instructions, and documents in one encrypted platform. There is no need for multiple password managers or paper lists.

Legal and privacy compliance

Fort Legacy aligns with modern privacy laws, including GDPR and United States digital estate regulations, ensuring your data is handled with care and legal precision.

Peace of mind for you and your family

With automated processes and human verification options, Fort Legacy ensures your digital legacy is managed exactly as you intended, giving your loved ones clarity when they need it most.

Bring your plan to life with Fort Legacy

As we move further into the digital age, digital estate planning has become as essential as traditional estate planning. In 2025, every person, whether a professional, parent, or retiree, leaves behind a digital footprint that deserves thoughtful management.

By creating a clear, secure, and legally supported digital estate plan, you protect your identity, preserve your memories, and help your family avoid unnecessary stress. Pair this guide with the resources above so your legacy contacts have answers when they need them most.

Fort Legacy provides the tools and guidance to make that process effortless, secure, and future ready, keeping your instructions relevant no matter how technology evolves.