Digital Account and Password Inventory Checklist — Canadian Estate Planning
A typical Canadian today has 50-150 digital accounts — email, banking apps, streaming services, social media, cloud storage, work accounts, subscriptions, retail accounts. After a death, the executor needs to find each one to either close it, transfer it, retrieve content from it, or stop it from billing. Without documentation, this becomes a forensic exercise that often leaves accounts dormant forever. This checklist organizes the documentation.
When to use this checklist
For Canadians of any age who use the internet meaningfully. Especially helpful when:
- You have significant value tied up in digital accounts (cryptocurrency, online business)
- You have important content in cloud storage (years of photos, family videos)
- You want to spare your family from sleuthing through accounts after your death
- You're updating your overall estate plan and want to address digital assets
The checklist
Core access — start here
- Phone unlock method (PIN, fingerprint, face — make this accessible)
- Computer login password (or password manager access)
- Primary email account (the one tied to most other accounts)
- Password manager (which one, master password access plan)
- Two-factor authentication setup (where the codes come from)
- Backup codes for major accounts (Google, Apple, Microsoft)
Email accounts
For each:
- Service (Gmail, Outlook, iCloud, work email, etc.)
- Email address
- Login password (or "in password manager")
- Two-factor authentication method
- Preferred action after death (close, memorialize, transfer)
Cloud storage
For each:
- Service (iCloud, Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, etc.)
- Account login
- What's stored there (photos, documents, work)
- Preferred action (download and preserve, keep active for X years, delete)
Social media accounts
For each:
- Platform (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X, LinkedIn, TikTok, etc.)
- Username/handle
- Login password (or password manager reference)
- Preferred post-death action (memorialize, delete, keep active)
- If memorialize: which person should manage (Facebook Legacy Contact, etc.)
Banking and financial apps
- Primary banking app
- Investment/brokerage apps
- Payment apps (PayPal, Wealthsimple Cash, Interac e-Transfer history)
- Crypto exchanges (Newton, Bitbuy, NDAX, Coinbase, etc.)
- Other financial services
Cryptocurrency
- Exchange accounts (which exchanges, login)
- Software wallets (which wallet, seed phrase storage)
- Hardware wallets (physical location, PIN, seed phrase)
- Approximate value
- Disposition wishes (transfer to whom, or sell and add to estate)
Subscriptions to cancel
- Streaming services (Netflix, Disney+, Crave, Apple TV+, Spotify, etc.)
- Software subscriptions (Microsoft 365, Adobe, Notion, etc.)
- Cloud services (iCloud storage, Google One, Dropbox premium)
- Gym, club, or association memberships with online accounts
- Recurring charitable donations
- News and media subscriptions
- Gaming accounts and in-game purchases
Online businesses and assets
- Domain names you own (registrar, login)
- Websites you operate (hosting, admin login)
- Etsy, eBay, Amazon seller accounts
- Online stores (Shopify, etc.)
- YouTube or other content monetization
- Disposition wishes (transfer to whom, close, sell)
Other digital assets
- Apple ID (App Store purchases, iMessage, Find My)
- Google Account (Photos, Pay, YouTube, Docs)
- Microsoft Account (Office, OneDrive, Xbox)
- Loyalty programs with monetary value (Aeroplan, Air Miles, hotel points)
- Domain names with .ca extension (CIRA-managed)
Storage of this inventory
- Where this inventory is stored
- Who has access to retrieve it after your death
- How they access it (password manager emergency access, physical location, etc.)
- When this inventory was last updated
Download a print-ready PDF
Download the Digital Account and Password Inventory checklist PDF →
Important: Do NOT use the downloadable PDF to record actual passwords. The PDF is a template to organize what accounts exist and where the passwords are stored. Actual passwords should live in a password manager with proper emergency-access controls, not in any document.
Want a checklist customized for your situation?
This is the standard template. It's Simple Will customers get a personalized Life Discovery Kit that captures digital account information in a structured, secure way alongside the rest of your estate information — accessible to your designated executor through the same auth-gated system as your Will. Much more secure than printed inventories.
Learn more about It's Simple Will →
Related guides
Citations & sources
- [1]Uniform Law Conference of Canada — Uniform Access to Digital Assets by Fiduciaries Act — Uniform Law Conference of Canada
- [2]LinkedIn Help — Memorialize or close the account of a deceased member — LinkedIn
Frequently asked questions
Where should I store this inventory?
Options range from secure to convenient. A password manager (Bitwarden, 1Password, etc.) with emergency access enabled for a trusted person is the modern standard. A physical printed copy in a home safe with location noted in the will is simpler but requires manual updates. A copy with the will at your lawyer's office is secure but harder to update. Avoid email — too easily compromised. Avoid generic cloud storage without encryption.
What about passwords that change frequently?
A password manager solves this — your executor or trusted contact accesses the manager's master password (or uses the manager's emergency access feature), and gets the current passwords automatically. A static printed list goes stale quickly. If you don't use a password manager, document the password manager's existence ('I use Bitwarden; emergency access is enabled for [Person]') and let the manager hold the actual passwords.
What about two-factor authentication?
Document where your 2FA codes come from — authenticator app on phone, hardware key, SMS to specific phone number. After your death, accessing 2FA-protected accounts requires either access to the authenticator app, the hardware key, or the SMS phone. Some accounts allow backup codes; document those if you have them.
What about social media accounts after death?
Each major platform has its own post-death policy — Facebook offers memorialization, Instagram offers memorialization or deletion, X (Twitter) will deactivate an account at the request of a verified immediate family member or someone authorized to act for the estate, LinkedIn offers memorialization or account closure, Google offers an Inactive Account Manager. Policies change, so confirm the current process on each platform's help pages. Document your preferences and provide login access or memorialization instructions for each.
What about cryptocurrency?
Crypto is uniquely vulnerable — lost private keys mean lost coins, with no customer service to call. Document any crypto holdings, wallet types (exchange, hardware wallet, software wallet), and how to access them. Hardware wallets need physical access plus a PIN; seed phrases unlock most wallets. Without this documentation, crypto disappears with the deceased.
What about my browser bookmarks, photos, work documents?
Document where they live (Google Photos, iCloud, OneDrive, etc.) and how to access them. Family often most wants to recover photos and personal records; these are typically stored in cloud accounts that require login. Make sure the cloud account access is documented along with everything else.