How to create an online memorial for someone you love

Start small: a name, the right dates and a few true sentences. An online memorial can grow as you find photographs and other people add memories. You do not need to finish a life story before beginning.

Before you open the page

• Check whether someone has already created an accessible memorial for the same person. You may want to contribute together. A matching name alone does not establish that it is the same person.
• Have their name, birth date and death date to hand. Afterglow currently needs both dates to light a star. Do not invent a date to get past the form.
• Choose one photograph you have permission to share. Keep the original file somewhere safe.
• Write one memory in a separate note if that feels easier. You can paste or develop it later.
• Decide who should be involved and which details should stay out of public view.

1. Begin with Light a star

Open Afterglow and choose Light a star. Sign in when asked and follow the creation steps. Each memorial has a star in the shared sky. This is a digital place of remembrance, not the purchase or official naming of an astronomical star.

2. Check the name and dates

Use the name people will recognise. Check spellings and dates slowly; grief and forms are rarely an ideal combination. If Afterglow suggests an existing memorial, open it only if you are comfortable doing so. You can join an existing remembrance where appropriate or continue with a separate memorial. The site does not force families into a single account of someone’s life.

3. Understand what becomes public

The star-creation flow starts with public visibility. Do not enter a private letter, medical history, home address or family dispute assuming the new page will be private. For sensitive material, stop before creating the public memorial and check the available controls. Once on the memorial, its keeper can manage access and the visibility of content.

Private means keepers, not automatically “only me”. Family means people added to the memorial, not anyone who receives the URL. A public photograph can also be copied by its viewers; changing a setting later cannot recall copies already made.

4. Write an introduction people can recognise

Begin with who they were, rather than explaining the death. A short fictional example: “Maya was our sister, a determined gardener and the person who always brought enough food for six extra people.” Add a memory, a phrase they used, or something they cared about. Leave the cause of death out unless sharing it is a deliberate and appropriate choice.

For the wording itself, use these memorial-page examples. For a spoken funeral tribute, use the tribute-writing guide.

5. Add a photograph with a caption

One clear photograph is enough. A caption can say who is pictured, when it was taken and why the moment mattered. Ask before uploading a photograph that includes someone else, especially a child. Keep the high-quality original outside the site. Free memorials currently include an allowance of 25 photographs; check the current Plus offer on the site if you need more.

6. Invite a memory, rather than an assignment

“I’ve made a memorial for Sam. If you would like to, could you add one memory or photograph? Nothing polished, and no pressure to do it now.”

The keeper reviews contributions rather than handing over control of the page. Make it clear which audience will see someone’s memory. A person’s permission to tell you a story privately is not automatically permission to publish it.

7. Return when you want to

You can edit the story and manage the memorial later. Check access settings after inviting people or adding sensitive material. Save your writing and photographs separately as well. A memorial is a place to return to, not a new obligation to maintain a perfect record of your grief.

Before you share the link

• Is this the right person, with the right name and dates?
• Have you checked Public, Family or Private access?
• Do the photograph and contribution settings match your intention?
• Have other people agreed to the details involving them?
• Do you have your own copies of the writing and files?

Why people find these spaces meaningful

Research on digital mourning describes people sharing memories and keeping a connection with someone who died. It does not show that creating a page will treat grief, or that public remembrance is better than private remembrance. The useful test is whether this particular space helps you remember in a way that feels right.

Sources and further reading

• Liang et al. (2025): scoping review of social media for personal grief
• Irwin (2015): continuing bonds and mourning on Facebook