Digital Estate Planning Checklist (Free Template)

The average person has over 100 online accounts. The average developer has significantly more. When you die or become incapacitated, your family needs to know what exists, where it is, how to access it, and what to do with it.

A digital estate planning checklist turns an overwhelming problem into a structured task. This guide provides a comprehensive checklist organized by category, with specific items to document for each asset type, and a complete markdown template you can copy and use immediately.

How to Use This Checklist

Work through each category below. For every item that applies to you:

Document the account or asset. Name, provider, URL.
Record the access method. Username, password location (not the password itself --- reference your password manager), two-factor authentication method.
Specify the action. What should your executor do with this account? Transfer, close, memorialize, download data, or leave as-is.
Note the urgency. Does this need immediate action (within 48 hours), or can it wait?

Store the completed checklist in an encrypted digital will system like Burning Ash Protocol, where it is protected by AES-256-GCM encryption and accessible only through threshold recovery when the dead man's switch triggers.

Category 1: Financial Accounts

Financial accounts are the highest priority. They involve real money, ongoing obligations, and legal implications.

Banking

Primary checking account(s) --- bank name, account number, online access credentials
Savings account(s)
Joint accounts --- note which are jointly owned and which are individual
Business bank accounts
Foreign bank accounts
Safe deposit boxes --- location, key/combination, bank branch

Investments

Brokerage accounts (Fidelity, Schwab, Vanguard, Interactive Brokers, etc.)
Retirement accounts (401k, IRA, Roth IRA) --- note beneficiary designations
Stock option grants or RSUs --- company, vesting schedule, exercise instructions
Robo-advisor accounts (Betterment, Wealthfront, etc.)
Bonds (paper or electronic --- TreasuryDirect)

Cryptocurrency

Exchange accounts (Coinbase, Kraken, Binance, etc.) --- login credentials
Hardware wallets --- physical location, PIN, model
Recovery seed phrases --- stored separately, encrypted
Software wallets --- application, device, password
DeFi positions --- chain, protocol, contract addresses
Multi-signature wallet configurations --- co-signers, threshold
NFT holdings --- wallet addresses, marketplace accounts
Staking positions --- validator, unbonding periods

Insurance

Loans and Debts

Mortgage(s) --- lender, account number, remaining balance
Student loans
Auto loans
Personal loans
Credit card accounts --- issuer, last four digits, autopay status
Lines of credit

Category 2: Email and Communication

Email accounts are often the recovery method for other accounts. Securing them is a high priority.

Primary email account(s) --- provider, login, 2FA method, recovery codes
Secondary/backup email accounts
Work email --- note that access may be controlled by employer
Messaging apps (WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram, iMessage) --- device access, PIN/password
Voice/phone services (Google Voice, VoIP providers)
Video conferencing accounts (Zoom, Google Meet)

For each social media account, document your preference: memorialize, delete, or transfer to a specific person.

Category 4: Cloud Storage and Documents

Note which cloud storage accounts contain documents your executor needs (tax records, legal documents, photos) versus which are routine and can be closed.

Category 5: Subscriptions and Recurring Payments

Active subscriptions continue charging after death. Your executor needs to cancel them or they drain your estate.

Entertainment

Streaming video (Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, HBO Max, Apple TV+)
Music (Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Tidal)
Gaming (PlayStation Plus, Xbox Game Pass, Nintendo Online, Steam)
Audiobooks/reading (Audible, Kindle Unlimited)
News/media subscriptions (NYT, WSJ, The Athletic)

Software and Services

Password manager (1Password, Bitwarden, Dashlane)
VPN service
Cloud storage (paid tiers)
Productivity software (Microsoft 365, Adobe Creative Cloud)
Backup services (Backblaze, Carbonite)
Email services (Fastmail, ProtonMail, Hey)

Physical/Digital Hybrid

Amazon Prime
Meal delivery services
Fitness apps and gym memberships
Subscription boxes

Developer/Professional

GitHub (paid plans, Copilot)
Cloud hosting (AWS, GCP, Azure, DigitalOcean, Hetzner, Linode)
Domain registrations (annual renewals)
SSL certificate subscriptions
SaaS tools (Figma, Notion, Linear, etc.)
JetBrains IDE licenses
CI/CD services (paid tiers)

For each subscription, note:

Payment method (which credit card or bank account)
Billing cycle (monthly/annual) and approximate amount
Whether auto-renewal is enabled
Cancellation instructions if non-obvious

Category 6: Legal and Government

Category 7: Business Assets

If you own or co-own a business:

Category 8: Hardware and Physical Digital Assets

Computers --- location, login password, disk encryption password
Phones and tablets --- PIN, biometric note (fingerprint/face ID does not work post-mortem)
Smart home devices --- hub credentials, app access
Security cameras and systems --- access credentials
External storage --- hard drives, USB drives, SD cards (location and encryption status)
Hardware security keys (YubiKey, Titan) --- physical location
Printers/scanners with stored credentials
Gaming consoles with digital purchases
E-readers with purchased content

Category 9: Digital Purchases and Licenses

Ebook libraries (Kindle, Kobo, Apple Books) --- note that most are non-transferable licenses
Digital game libraries (Steam, Epic, PlayStation Store, Nintendo eShop)
Digital music purchases (iTunes, Bandcamp)
Software licenses (perpetual licenses with keys)
App Store/Play Store purchases
Digital movie/TV purchases (iTunes, Google Play, Vudu)

Important: most digital purchases are licenses, not property. They typically cannot be transferred or inherited. Document them so your executor knows what exists, but note that access may terminate with the account.

Category 10: Personal Data and Memories

Photo libraries (Google Photos, iCloud Photos, Amazon Photos, Flickr)
Video archives
Personal documents (journals, letters, writings)
Email archives with sentimental value
Voice recordings or voicemails
Genealogy research (Ancestry, 23andMe accounts)

Document your wishes: should these be preserved, shared with specific family members, or deleted?

The Downloadable Template

Copy the following markdown template and fill it in with your specific information. Store the completed template in your encrypted digital will.

# Digital Estate Plan

**Last Updated:** [DATE]
**Prepared By:** [YOUR NAME]
**Digital Executor:** [NAME, CONTACT]
**Backup Digital Executor:** [NAME, CONTACT]

---

## Emergency Contacts

| Name | Relationship | Phone | Email | Role |
|------|-------------|-------|-------|------|
| | | | | Digital Executor |
| | | | | Attorney |
| | | | | Financial Advisor |
| | | | | Accountant |

---

## Master Access Information

- **Password Manager:** [Provider] — master password in [location]
- **2FA Recovery:** Backup codes stored in [location]
- **Hardware Keys:** [Type] stored in [physical location]
- **Primary Email Recovery:** [Method and credentials]

---

## Financial Accounts

| Account | Provider | Account # | Access Method | Action | Urgency |
|---------|----------|-----------|---------------|--------|---------|
| | | | | | |

---

## Cryptocurrency

| Asset | Location | Access Method | Recovery Method | Value (approx) |
|-------|----------|---------------|-----------------|----------------|
| | | | | |

**Hardware Wallet Location:** [Physical location]
**Recovery Seed Storage:** [Location — ENCRYPTED]

---

## Subscriptions (Active)

| Service | Payment Method | Billing Cycle | Amount | Cancel How |
|---------|---------------|---------------|--------|------------|
| | | | | |

---

## Domains

| Domain | Registrar | Expiry | Auto-Renew | DNS Provider | Action |
|--------|-----------|--------|------------|--------------|--------|
| | | | | | |

---

## Servers and Infrastructure

| Server | Provider | IP Address | Access Method | Purpose | Action |
|--------|----------|-----------|---------------|---------|--------|
| | | | | | |

---

## Social Media

| Platform | Username | 2FA Method | Preference |
|----------|----------|-----------|------------|
| | | | Memorialize / Delete / Transfer to [name] |

---

## Cloud Storage

| Provider | Storage Used | Critical Data? | Action |
|----------|-------------|----------------|--------|
| | | | Download & close / Transfer / Close |

---

## Business Assets

| Asset | Details | Access | Action |
|-------|---------|--------|--------|
| | | | |

---

## Physical Digital Assets

| Device | Location | Unlock Method | Important Data? | Action |
|--------|----------|--------------|-----------------|--------|
| | | | | |

---

## Special Instructions

[Any specific instructions for your executor that do not fit the categories above.
Include wishes for data preservation, deletion, or distribution.]

---

## Document Locations

| Document | Location | Format | Notes |
|----------|----------|--------|-------|
| Traditional Will | | | |
| Trust Documents | | | |
| Insurance Policies | | | |
| Tax Returns | | | |
| Property Deeds | | | |

---

## Notes

- This document references credentials stored in [password manager].
  The master password for the password manager is included in the
  encrypted will stored in Burning Ash Protocol.
- High-value secrets (cryptocurrency recovery phrases, root server
  credentials) are stored in BAP's encrypted will with Shamir's
  threshold recovery requiring [K] of [N] Survivors.
- Review and update this document quarterly. Last review: [DATE].

Tips for Completing the Checklist

Start with what matters most. Financial accounts, cryptocurrency, and business assets have the highest impact. Social media and entertainment subscriptions can wait.

Do not put passwords directly in the checklist. Reference your password manager instead. The checklist should say "credentials in 1Password under 'Chase Bank'" not the actual password. The exception is your password manager's master password, which must be stored in the encrypted will itself.

Be specific about actions. "Close account" is better than nothing, but "Transfer balance to [spouse's account #], then close" is actually useful.

Note urgency honestly. A mortgage payment is urgent. A Spotify subscription is not. Your executor will be overwhelmed --- help them prioritize.

Update it. A checklist written in 2024 and never updated is full of closed accounts, changed passwords, and missing new assets. Quarterly updates keep it current.

Test it. Have someone you trust (your designated digital executor, if possible) read through the checklist and tell you what is unclear, missing, or confusing. If they cannot follow it, your actual executor in a crisis certainly will not.

Storing the Checklist Securely

This checklist, when completed, is one of the most sensitive documents you own. It is a roadmap to your entire digital life.

Do not store it in an unencrypted file. Not on your desktop, not in Google Docs, not in an email to yourself.

Do not rely on a single storage location. If the storage is lost, the checklist is lost.

Recommended storage approach:

Complete the checklist in a local text editor
Store it in Burning Ash Protocol's encrypted document storage
Ensure it is covered by your dead man's switch configuration
Keep a backup copy in your password manager's secure notes (encrypted by the password manager)
Reference the checklist's location in your traditional (legal) will

BAP's encryption model protects the checklist with AES-256-GCM and makes it accessible only when the dead man's switch triggers and a threshold of your designated Survivors cooperate to reconstruct the decryption key.

Conclusion

A digital estate planning checklist transforms the vague anxiety of "what happens to my accounts when I die?" into a concrete, actionable document. The checklist above covers the major categories of digital assets, from financial accounts and cryptocurrency to subscriptions and personal memories.

The most important step is to start. You do not need to complete every category in one sitting. Begin with financial accounts and work outward. An incomplete checklist that covers your banking, email, and cryptocurrency is infinitely more useful to your executor than a plan to eventually write a comprehensive one.

Copy the template, fill in what you can today, and store it securely. Then set a calendar reminder to review and update it quarterly. Your future executor will thank you for the structure, clarity, and forethought.

Digital Estate Planning Checklist (Free Template)

Digital Estate Planning Checklist (Free Template)

How to Use This Checklist