The Complete Guide to Digital Memorials

A digital memorial is an online space created in honour of someone who has passed away. It goes far beyond a simple obituary notice. A well-crafted digital memorial can hold a full biography, photographs spanning decades, videos, a timeline of meaningful life events, and heartfelt messages from those who knew and loved them.

Think of it as a living tribute — one that can be updated, expanded, and visited by anyone, anywhere in the world. Where a headstone might carry a name and two dates, a digital memorial tells the whole story: the quiet kindnesses, the great adventures, the everyday moments that made a person who they were.

If you are new to the idea, our guide on what a digital epitaph is explores the concept in more detail and explains how it differs from traditional forms of remembrance.

Every family has stories that deserve to be remembered. The problem is that these stories are fragile. They live in the minds of the people who were there, in fading photo albums tucked away in attics, in letters that yellow with age. When someone passes away, the window to capture those memories begins to close — and once it does, what is lost is lost forever.

A digital memorial offers a way to gather all of these fragments in one place and preserve them for future generations. Grandchildren who never met their grandparents can read their life story. Distant relatives can contribute their own memories. The person is no longer defined only by a date of birth and a date of death but by the richness of a life lived.

We have written more about why this matters in our article on preserving family memories for future generations — it is well worth a read if you are thinking about how to keep your family's history alive.

Creating a digital memorial does not need to be complicated. At its simplest, you start with the person's name, a photograph, and a short tribute. From there you can add as much or as little as you wish — a full biography, a gallery of photos, important life events, connections to other family members, and an invitation for visitors to share their own memories.

With MyEpitaph, the entire process is guided and straightforward. You create a free account, choose who the memorial is for, and begin adding content. There is no time pressure; you can come back and add to the memorial whenever you feel ready. Many families find that the process itself is a meaningful way to reflect on a loved one's life.

For a detailed walkthrough, our step-by-step guide on how to create a digital memorial covers everything from choosing a portrait photo to setting privacy controls.

One of the most important parts of any memorial is the written tribute — the words that capture who someone truly was. This can feel daunting, especially during a time of grief. But the best tributes are rarely grand or poetic. They are honest, specific, and personal. A favourite saying, a quirk that made everyone smile, the way they made people feel — these are the details that bring a person to life on the page.

If you are writing an obituary or a biography for the first time, it can help to start with a simple structure: who they were, what they loved, and what they meant to the people around them. Do not worry about getting it perfect straight away. You can always return to it later when other memories surface.

We have two resources that may help: a practical guide on how to write an obituary, and a collection of example obituaries to give you a sense of tone and structure.

Whether you are organising a traditional funeral, a celebration of life, or a quiet family gathering, the planning process can feel overwhelming — particularly when you are already dealing with loss. Knowing what to expect and having a clear sense of the steps involved can make it significantly more manageable.

A digital memorial can complement a funeral or memorial service beautifully. You can share the memorial link with attendees beforehand so they can read the biography, view photos, and even leave messages of condolence. After the service, the memorial remains as a permanent place for people to return to whenever they wish.

If you are in the early stages of planning, our guide on how to arrange a funeral walks through the practical steps. And if you are looking for readings or verses, we have gathered a thoughtful selection of poems for funerals and memorials.

One of the most powerful things about a digital memorial is how it can connect to the physical world. With a QR code plaque affixed to a headstone, bench, or memorial wall, anyone who visits can scan the code with their phone and be taken directly to the full memorial page — no app needed, nothing to download. It transforms a quiet moment at the graveside into a rich, immersive experience.

Our plaques are crafted from solid brass, designed to endure decades of British weather. Each one is engraved with a unique QR code linked to a specific memorial. The link never changes, so even as you update the memorial with new photos or memories, the plaque always points to the latest version.

You can explore the full range — from the compact Classic to the larger Heritage and Memorial designs — in our plaque shop. Each plaque is made to order and shipped within five working days.