What is a digital legacy?

Start with the things someone would need to find

Think of the email account connected to household services, family photographs, an important document stored online, or a subscription that keeps renewing. The task is to make these matters understandable to the right person. A list of account names alone rarely explains which information matters or what that person should check next.

Include locations and wishes, not just accounts

For each matter, record the provider, a safe location hint, your wishes and the person who should know about it. Physical documents and devices can belong in the same map: a paper policy, the location of a laptop, or contact details for someone who holds the originals. Leave passwords, complete recovery codes, private keys and seed phrases out.

Separate finding information from having authority

Being told where a document is kept does not make someone its owner. Seeing an account name does not authorize a login or transfer. Your trusted contact, a provider's designated contact and a legally authorized representative may have different roles. Record those distinctions so the map directs people to the appropriate provider or professional instead of promising access.

A small example is more useful than an empty master list

A fictional entry might read: “Family photographs; cloud photo service; ask the provider about the account owner's existing legacy arrangement.” A separate entry could point to a printed insurance policy and the insurer's contact details. These are finding aids, not login credentials or instructions to bypass account controls.

Prepare now and review when something changes

Start with one matter, check that its location is still accurate, then decide which information another person actually needs. Rillora provides a private map for these records and selected sharing. Long-term absence, loss of contact, incapacity and death should not be treated as the same event; a missed sign-in alone is not proof of death.

Common questions