What to include in your digital estate plan in 2026
About 90% of all adults have a digital footprint. It may include banking applications, cloud storage, social networking, and online businesses. However, there is little clarity on what to do with your assets if you lose access.
The good news is that a digital estate plan can help you to do just that. It helps in organizing and securing your entire digital presence. The following guide will provide you with a comprehensive overview of what to include in your 2026 digital estate plan.
What is a digital estate plan?
A digital estate plan is an organized record of all of your online accounts and assets. It also includes access credentials and instructions for managing them after your death or if you become incapacitated.
A digital estate plan complements your traditional estate plan. However, it is focused specifically on things that are digital or located online. The plan may contain the following information:
- Financial accounts
- Email addresses
- Cloud-based storage
- Social media
- Subscriptions
- Websites or businesses that you own.
The overall purpose of the plan is to protect your dependents. It provides clear, organized documents outlining how to access, manage, or close your digital accounts and assets in the event of your death.
Complete your list of digital accounts
You will need an organized and systematic list of your digital accounts to start your overall plan. Even your immediate family may not know where to start without the list. Create a centralized record of each of the accounts, including the platform name, the associated username/ID, and why you have that account.
When documenting your accounts, it’s essential to include every type of account you have, including personal, financial, and business accounts. Do not place passwords in your document. Instead, store it in a secure password manager or a location designed for sensitive information.
Back up important files and records
Use automated backup processes that work in the background and automatically save everything made on each device. Full backups of your devices will ensure that all of your data is always stored securely and accessible when you want to recover it.
Don’t forget to keep documentation available showing how to access your devices. If you cannot access your devices, you cannot access your accounts. Include any instructions required to unlock or reset your device.
If you use a biometric method such as a fingerprint or face to unlock a device, then you should include a backup method. When you protect your files with full backups, the files that matter most are always available when needed.
Encrypt all sensitive information
When managing your digital estate, security should always take precedence over everything else. Sensitive information like passwords, recovery codes, and other private documentation should always be protected using encrypted environments.
Reliable security options include password managers, encrypted online Cloud Storage, and secure offline devices. They protect your data from being lost or misused while at the same time providing access to the authorized individuals.
Legal documentation is everything
Your digital estate plan is most useful when there are legal documents to support it. To ensure that all of your digital assets have been properly incorporated into your estate, you should work with an attorney who understands estate planning.
Your attorney may also help you to appoint a digital executor and ensure that your digital estate plan conforms with appropriate laws. Legal documentation supporting your digital estate plan will help to ensure that your wishes will be executed as you intended when the time comes.
