How to Make a List of Your Online Accounts and Digital Assets

A digital estate plan only works if someone can tell what actually exists. That is where most people get stuck.

They may remember the big things like email and banking, but forget older shopping accounts, cloud folders, payment apps, subscription services, photo storage, websites, or digital investments. If no one knows what is there, it becomes much harder to protect, preserve, close, or transfer anything later.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to make a list of your online accounts and digital assets so your digital life becomes easier to see, easier to organize, and easier to include in the rest of your estate plan.

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TL;DR: Quick Decision Guide

• If you use email, online banking, cloud storage, or social media regularly → start your list with those core accounts first.
• If the idea of listing everything feels overwhelming → organize by category instead of trying to remember accounts one by one.
• If some accounts hold money, access, or important records → mark those as high priority.
• If you are tempted to list passwords in the same file → keep the inventory separate from sensitive access details.
• If you already have a digital estate plan started → this list becomes the foundation of it.

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Why This List Matters

A lot of digital estate planning problems come down to one issue: invisibility.

Loved ones may not know:

• what accounts you have
• which ones matter financially
• which ones hold important records
• which ones contain sentimental material
• which ones should be preserved, transferred, or closed

That is why a digital account list matters. It gives shape to your digital life.

This list can help identify:

• high-priority accounts
• forgotten accounts
• accounts tied to money
• accounts tied to identity and access
• accounts that should be included in your master file or digital estate plan

In plain English, this is the document that helps answer: What do I have online, and what matters most?

👉 Compare: Estate Planning Tools in the Marketplace →

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Before You Start: Know What Counts as an Online Account or Digital Asset

A lot of people think too narrowly about digital assets.

Your digital life may include:

Access accounts

• primary email
• backup email
• password manager
• phone carrier login
• cloud storage

Financial accounts

• online banking
• brokerage platforms
• retirement portals
• insurance portals
• payment apps
• crypto platforms

Personal accounts

• social media
• messaging apps
• streaming services
• shopping accounts
• travel accounts
• rewards accounts

Sentimental and creative assets

• photo storage
• video libraries
• digital journals
• writing folders
• design files
• music libraries
• family archives

Business or creator assets

• websites
• domain names
• newsletters
• online stores
• course platforms
• monetized channels
• client portals

This step matters because a useful list starts with a broad enough definition of what belongs on it.

👉 Related: How to Leave Secure Access Instructions Without Sharing Passwords Unsafely →

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Step 1: Start With Categories, Not Memory

The easiest way to build the list is by category.

Create headings such as:

• Email and Communication
• Financial Accounts
• Insurance and Benefits
• Shopping and Payments
• Social Media and Content
• Cloud Storage and File Access
• Subscriptions and Memberships
• Business and Creator Platforms
• Digital Investments
• Devices and Tech Services

Then work through each category one at a time.

This step matters because trying to remember every account from memory usually leads to missed items. Categories give your brain a better way to search.

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Step 2: List Your Core Access Accounts First

Start with the accounts that unlock other parts of your digital life.

These usually include:

• primary email account
• backup email account
• password manager
• phone carrier account
• main cloud storage account
• device account such as Apple, Google, or Microsoft

For each account, note:

• platform name
• what it is used for
• why it matters
• whether it connects to other important accounts

This step matters because these accounts often act like keys. If someone cannot identify them, it may be much harder to recover or manage the rest of your digital life.

👉 Learn: How to Create a Master File for Your Family →

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Step 3: List Financial and High-Value Accounts Next

Now move to the accounts that involve money, financial access, or sensitive records.

Include:

• checking and savings portals
• brokerage and investing platforms
• retirement account logins
• health savings account portals
• insurance portals
• payment apps
• digital wallet apps
• crypto exchanges or wallet platforms

For each one, note:

• institution or platform
• account type
• whether it holds money, investments, or records
• whether it should be treated as high priority

This step matters because financial accounts are often among the first digital accounts your loved ones would need to understand.

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Step 4: Add Personal, Social, and Subscription Accounts

Now list the accounts that shape your everyday digital life.

This may include:

• Facebook
• Instagram
• X
• LinkedIn
• TikTok
• YouTube
• streaming accounts
• Amazon
• travel accounts
• loyalty accounts
• subscription apps
• delivery apps
• messaging platforms

For each one, ask:

• Is this important to preserve?
• Should this be closed later?
• Does it contain personal messages, photos, or account history that matters?

This step matters because these accounts may not always hold money, but they can still hold personal value, identity, and digital clutter that someone will eventually need to sort through.

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Step 5: Include Cloud Storage, Photos, and Digital Files

This section is easy to underestimate.

List:

• Google Drive
• Dropbox
• iCloud
• OneDrive
• photo storage services
• external digital archives
• shared folders
• online note systems
• document repositories

For each one, note:

• what kinds of files are stored there
• whether those files are financial, legal, personal, or sentimental
• whether someone would need to preserve or review them

This step matters because cloud accounts often hold the records behind your life, not just casual files.

That may include:

• family photos
• taxes
• business files
• insurance records
• estate planning documents
• writing or creative work

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Step 6: Add Business, Creator, or Professional Platforms

If you run a business, publish content, or manage work-related platforms, give those their own section.

This may include:

• business email
• website hosting
• domain registrar
• e-commerce platform
• newsletter software
• payment processor
• client portal
• course platform
• monetized social channels
• ad accounts
• file-sharing systems

For each one, note:

• platform name
• what it controls
• whether it produces income
• whether it should be preserved, transferred, or shut down

This step matters because business-related digital assets often carry both financial and operational value. They usually deserve more than a casual mention.

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Step 7: Mark Each Account by Priority

Once your account list is built, label each account by priority.

A simple system works well:

High priority

Accounts tied to:

• money
• identity
• access
• important records

Medium priority

Accounts tied to:

• household management
• communication
• subscriptions
• online purchases

Lower priority or sentimental

Accounts tied to:

• content archives
• social history
• personal memories
• hobby platforms

This step matters because not every account needs the same attention. Priority labels help your loved ones know where to start.

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Step 8: Add a “What It Contains” or “Why It Matters” Column

A raw account name alone is often not enough.

For each account, add a short note such as:

• primary family email
• holds tax returns and estate documents
• main checking portal
• contains family photo archive
• online shop revenue account
• cryptocurrency exchange login
• social media profile to memorialize or close

This step matters because someone else may recognize the platform name without understanding why it matters.

That one short note adds useful context.

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Step 9: Keep Access Details Separate From the Inventory

This is important.

Your account list should usually not be the same document as your exposed password list.

Instead, your inventory can include:

• account name
• category
• priority
• what it contains
• where secure access instructions are stored

For example:

• “Access managed in password manager”
• “Recovery details in secure vault”
• “See digital access instructions page”

This step matters because a good digital inventory improves clarity without creating unnecessary security risk.

Smile Money Tip: Think of your digital account list as a map, not a key ring. It should show what exists and why it matters, while your secure access plan handles the credentials.

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Step 10: Store the List Where It Connects to the Rest of Your Plan

Once your list is done, place it somewhere useful.

It can live in:

• your digital estate plan
• your master file
• your family binder
• a secure digital vault
• a clearly labeled digital-assets folder

Also note:

• who should know the list exists
• where secure access instructions live
• when the list was last updated

This step matters because a digital asset list only helps if it is connected to the larger system your loved ones may already be using.

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Simple Online Accounts and Digital Assets Inventory Template

Category	Platform / Account	Why It Matters	Priority	Access Notes
Email	Gmail	primary email for banking and recovery	high	see password manager
Banking	Chase	main checking and savings portal	high	secure vault
Cloud Storage	Google Drive	taxes, estate docs, family records	high	linked to primary email
Social Media	Instagram	personal account and photo archive	medium	review for memorialize/close
Subscription	Netflix	recurring household subscription	low	cancel if no longer needed
Business	Shopify	online store income	high	business access notes

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Worked Example

Karen starts making her digital account list and assumes it will only take a few minutes. She writes down her email, bank, and Facebook account. Then she pauses and realizes her digital life is much larger than that.

As she goes category by category, she adds:

• two email accounts
• her password manager
• checking, savings, and brokerage portals
• health insurance and life insurance logins
• Amazon, Costco, and subscription services
• cloud photo storage
• Google Drive with tax records and estate documents
• a small Etsy shop
• a crypto exchange she opened a few years ago

Then she marks her email, password manager, banking, cloud storage, and crypto exchange as high priority.

By the end, Karen has not just made a list. She has created a clearer picture of what her digital life actually contains and what would matter most to someone else.

That is exactly what this inventory is supposed to do.

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Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Trying to remember accounts without using categories
  That usually leads to major gaps.
• Listing only social media and forgetting financial or access accounts
  Email, password managers, banking portals, and cloud storage often matter more.
• Mixing passwords directly into the inventory without a secure plan
  Keep the inventory and secure access strategy connected, but not careless.
• Ignoring old or less-used platforms
  Forgotten accounts can still hold money, records, or important access.
• Never updating the list
  Your digital life changes faster than most people realize.

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FAQs on Making a List of Your Online Accounts

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Final Thought

Making a list of your online accounts and digital assets may sound simple, but it is one of the most useful things you can do for a digital estate plan. It turns an invisible online life into something visible, organized, and easier to manage with care. And once that list exists, every other part of the plan gets easier.

Next Steps:

• 👉 Learn: How to Handle Social Media, Email, and Cloud Accounts in Your Estate Plan →
• 👉 Read: How to Create a Digital Estate Plan →
• 👉 Learn: How to Include Cryptocurrency and Digital Investments in Your Estate Plan →
• 👉 Compare: Estate Planning Tools in the Marketplace →