Your online life after you: A practical guide to digital heirs and executors

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Your digital presence now carries value: online bank accounts, trading accounts, UPI wallets, social-media handles, blogs, domain names, and even cloud-stored photos. But unlike physical assets, most Indian succession laws don't explicitly cover digital assets-so without proper planning, your online legacy may become inaccessible or lost.

List every account, wallet, subscription, blog, domain, cloud-storage folder, or digital business you own. For each item, record the platform, username/email, approximate value (if any), backup access, two-factor devices, and any legacy contact options.

Determine what you want to have done with each asset: transfer to beneficiary, archive, delete, memorialise or retain. In your will, name a trusted executor and/or a “digital executor” who has the technical knowledge and your confidence to act.

In the will, mention that you own digital assets and direct access through a separate secured document. Never include passwords or private keys in the will, as wills are public documents upon execution. Store credentials in a digital vault or encrypted file, noting location in the will.

Many online services have their own terms of service which may prohibit access by others or require particular procedures after death. For example, some platforms let you set legacy contacts, others lock accounts if inactive. Your will should reference these platform-rules and your executor should be able to navigate them.

Digital assets are constantly changing-new wallets, apps, domain names, subscriptions. Update your inventory and will annually, or anytime a new project or account is created. Make certain that the executor is still an appropriate choice and that backup devices/2FA methods are current.

Digital assets are now a real part of your estate; ignoring them is a recipe for loss or family headache. By inventorying them, defining your wishes, referencing them in your will, storing access safely, and updating regularly, you convert "digital chaos" into a manageable legacy.

Yes, Indian law does not specifically classify digital wallets like other categories of physical property. However, you can include them by treating them as part of your estate and giving clear instructions for access, transfer, or disposal.

No. It's best to not include actual passwords or private keys in the will because a will can become part of the public record. Instead, reference a secure vault or document, and give instructions within your will about how to access that document.

In the case of no mention or no instructions, there could well be a problem in accessing accounts due to platform rules, causing loss, deletion, or unavailability of assets. There is no assurance that the courts would treat the digital asset as a part of the estate under current Indian law.