Funeral QuestionsOnline Memorials
Online memorial pages and digital tributes — creating them, sharing memories, and keeping a loved one's story accessible to everyone who knew them.
An online memorial gives the people who loved someone a permanent, shared place to gather, wherever they are, and for as long as the page exists. This hub brings together the site's guidance on setting one up, writing for it, sharing it well, and keeping it running smoothly over time.
What Is an Online Memorial?
An online memorial is a dedicated web page honouring a person who has died, typically holding their story, photos, and service details, and open to family and friends to add their own memories and tributes. It works alongside a funeral or memorial service, and continues long after, as a permanent place to visit on anniversaries and beyond.
Why Online Memorials Matter
Grief used to be geographically limited: only the people who could physically get to a graveside could take part. An online memorial removes that limit: overseas family, old school friends, and former colleagues can all contribute a memory from anywhere, and those memories are gathered in one lasting place rather than scattered across text messages and social posts that get lost within days. Done well, a memorial page becomes a family heirloom that grows for years; created and then abandoned, it becomes another small loss layered onto an already difficult time.
Key Concepts
- Tribute wall: the part of the page where anyone who knew the person can add memories, condolences, and messages; often the part of the page families value most over time.
- Administrator: whoever holds control over the page's privacy, posting permissions, and individual posts; usually one or two family members.
- Memorialised social account: a frozen social media profile (Facebook, for example), distinct from a dedicated memorial page. See what happens to your digital accounts when you die.
- Page privacy: whether a memorial is open to anyone with the link or restricted to an approved circle; a deliberate choice, not a default to accept without thinking. See who can see an online memorial page for the fuller set of visibility and posting controls available beyond this initial choice.
Common Mistakes
- Creating the page and telling no one. A memorial page's value comes from its contributors: share the link in the funeral notice, the order of service, and the family group chat.
- Letting perfect stop good. Families sometimes delay starting a page until they've written the definitive life story. One photo and a few honest sentences is enough; the community fills in the rest over time.
- Reacting immediately to a difficult post. A same-day removal, made in the heat of the moment, is more likely to be regretted than a decision made a day later. See how do you moderate an online memorial page for a calmer approach.
- Forgetting to hand over the keys. Recording who administers the page, and passing that on, deserves the same succession thinking as any other part of a legacy. See who inherits administrator control of an online memorial page.
Related Topics
- Grief and Loss: ongoing grief support that a memorial page complements but never replaces.
- Memorials: the physical and event-based side of memorialising a loved one, alongside the digital page.
- End-of-Life Planning: recording your own wishes, including setting up your own memorial page in advance.
Common Questions
Is an online memorial the same as a memorialised Facebook account? No. A memorialised social account freezes what someone already posted, inside one platform, mostly visible to their existing connections. A dedicated online memorial is built about the person by their family, open to anyone who knew them, and independent of any one social network's policies. See what is an online memorial for the full comparison.
Who should administer the page? Usually one or two family members who are willing to seed it with early content, invite contributors, and handle the rare moderation decision. See how do you moderate an online memorial page for handling disagreements once the page is live.
When should the page go up: before or after the funeral? Before, if possible. In the days before the funeral it does practical work (sharing service details, gathering memories for the eulogy); afterwards it becomes the long-term gathering place. See what is an online memorial for more.
Knowledge Base
Fundamentals
Writing and Sharing
- What Should You Write on Someone's Online Memorial Page?
- How Do You Announce a Death and Share an Online Memorial Respectfully?
Administration
- How Do You Moderate an Online Memorial Page When You Disagree With What's Been Posted?
- Who Inherits Administrator Control of an Online Memorial Page?
- Who Can See an Online Memorial Page? Privacy and Visibility Settings Explained
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