I’m not sure about you, but I never really thought about my digital footprint.
I mean, I knew that I had one. I had an email address, social media accounts, I did online shopping and had all the streaming services. I used my email address countless times over the years to create accounts and login to websites and platforms each and every single day.
What hadn’t occurred to me, though, was what would happen to all that online information when I die - and even less about who would have to deal with it when I shuffled off this mortal coil.
Ever since starting Fairlight, I have been really looking into digital legacy, and how many digital accounts the average person accumulates over their lifetime. The more I've looked into it, the more I've come to realise that most of us have a much bigger digital footprint than we think.
And this is where the tricky part starts…
Before anyone can decide which accounts should be closed, memorialised or kept active, we first need to know those accounts exist.
So, with all that being said, what exactly is a digital legacy, and why is it becoming such an important part of modern estate administration?
Simply put, a digital legacy is the digital information, accounts and online content that remains after someone dies.
I know what you're thinking: “I’m dead. Why would I care if my digital information is still around?”
And yeah, you’re probably right - you won't, but the people you’ve left behind might.
Not every digital account is as harmless as a monthly e-newsletter from the local community theatre, some may involve recurring payments for subscriptions or memberships.
Some accounts may even be connected to your business, your finances, or services that need to be managed after your death.
There are other accounts that hold more meaningful things like years of memories, photos and videos stored in the cloud
Your digital legacy isn't really about you anymore. It's about making things a little easier for the people who have to navigate your affairs after you're gone.
So, what actually makes up a digital legacy?
Here’s a (not-so-comprehensive) list of things that would be in a digital legacy:
Email accounts
Social media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, TikTok)
Cloud storage (Google Drive, iCloud, OneDrive, Dropbox)
Streaming services (Netflix, Spotify, Disney+)
Online shopping accounts
Loyalty programmes
Domain names and websites
Business software and online services
Digital photos and videos
Gaming accounts
Digital wallets and payment services
If it's on a computer or smart device and requires a login - boom! It's part of your digital legacy.
Now we’ve identified what is a digital legacy, and why it matters, let's talk about what we can actually do about it.
The first step is identifying what accounts you have, where they are and who they are with. If you're anything like me, you've probably got accounts you've forgotten existed. Remember signing up to that random shopping website in 2014 because they offered 10% off? Yep... that's probably still out there somewhere.
A great place to start with this is simply making a list of the accounts you regularly use, you can borrow the list from earlier if you would like. Don’t worry about making it perfect, we are just building a starting point.
A trick for beginners - sounds pretty obvious - we want to make sure that the people who need this information in the future, know where it's kept. There's not much point creating a helpful list if nobody knows it exists!
Something I also like to do every so often is to go through my inbox, and unsubscribe from all the many, many marketing emails I have somehow signed up to. From a housekeeping perspective it's great to clear out the clutter, but it also reminds me of what I have signed up to, so I can close the unused accounts.
By now you might be thinking, "This seems like a lot of work."
And honestly... you are 100% right, it absolutely can be.
Most of us haven't spent years carefully documenting every online account we've ever created. We've collected them gradually over time—one email address here, one shopping account there, another streaming service, another app, it all adds up.
The good news is you don't have to sort it all out in one afternoon. In fact, I'd encourage you not to. Start with one thing.
Write down your main email address.
Then your social media accounts.
Maybe next weekend, look at your streaming services or online shopping accounts.
The goal isn't perfection. It's progress.
Every account you identify today is one less mystery for your family to solve in the future.
And if you're reading this after losing someone, don't feel like you need to have all the answers either.
Digital legacy isn't about ticking every box—it's about knowing where to begin.
That's exactly why I'm so passionate about this area. It's practical, and it's often overlooked.
And I genuinely believe that making these small preparations today can remove a surprising amount of stress for the people we leave behind.
I'm currently putting together a free Digital Legacy Inventory to help people start identifying their online accounts. It's still a work in progress, but I'll be sharing it here very soon.
Here are some questions for you to roll around the ol’noodle:
Do the people closest to you know your primary email address?
Could someone identify your important online accounts if they needed to?
Have you ever reviewed how many subscriptions you actually have?
Is there one small thing you could organise this week?
Over the next few weeks, we are going to explore some more practicable steps that you and your family can take, including:
choosing legacy contacts
organising passwords
memorialising social media
and what to do if you don't know someone's email address.
Please also feel free to reach out to me directly, if there is something specific you would like to learn about in this space.
Until next time.
Need a hand?
Whether you're planning ahead or trying to navigate a loved one's digital accounts after they've passed away, Fairlight is here to help.
You'll find more articles, practical resources, and information about my services at:
