What Happens to Your Blog if you pass away?

Okay, friend, I feel the need to write a blog post about something super important—your blogging legacy.

A few years back, Lani and I experienced a heartbreaking loss. A dear Restored 316 customer and friend passed away. She was a dedicated blogger whose passion practically radiated through every post.

Tragically, she passed away unexpectedly, and her heartbroken husband suddenly found himself with a massive challenge on his hands.

He was grieving, yes, but he was also drowning in questions. How do I log into her accounts? What about her blog income and expenses? What should I do with all her incredible work?

No plan was in place, and it left him totally overwhelmed… and her years of creativity in limbo.

Fast forward to recently, and I saw a Facebook post from another fellow blogger who had started thinking about the “what ifs” and hit a sobering realization.

She hadn’t shared passwords, account info, or a single detail about her blog with anyone. She worked alone and hadn’t thought about what would happen to everything she’d built if the unthinkable happened?

Now listen, this topic isn’t meant to freak you out—it’s meant to EMPOWER you. Because the hard truth is, when you’re deep in the hustle of creating content, growing your audience, and building your dream, it’s SO easy to overlook the practical side of things.

But here’s the thing—your blog represents years of hard work, passion, and creativity. It deserves to be protected, and your loved ones deserve clarity in the unexpected moments of life.

I know it’s not the most fun topic, but trust me on this—planning for your blog’s future is an absolute MUST. If you haven’t done anything yet, here’s a list of the basics you need to cover:

Picture the people you love scrambling to get into your accounts… but they don’t even know what they are… please don’t put your family through that.

Do yourself (and them) a favor by storing all your login details—blog platform, hosting, email tools, social accounts, everything—in one super-organized, super-safe spot.

A password manager like LastPass works great, but if you’re old school, even a detailed document saved securely will do the trick. Just make sure your loved ones know where to find it.

Feeling overwhelmed by all the details?

Don’t worry—I’ve got you covered. Download my free Blogging Legacy Worksheet to organize your login details and everything else you need to protect your blogging legacy.

Step 2: Get Clear on Your Blogging Wishes

Okay, real talk—what do YOU want to see happen with your blog down the road? If your family isn’t looking to take it on, no worries!

There are amazing platforms like https://nicheinvestor.com (formerly Blogs For Sale) that make it simple to sell your blog and ensure it finds the right home.

But if someone in your family wants to step up and keep it going, help them out! Point them toward blogging courses (or create your own notes for them!) to give them the confidence and tools they’ll need to rock it. The key here is communication. The clearer you are now, the smoother things will be for your family later.

Step 3: Keep Your Blogging Besties in the Loop

Oh, and don’t overlook your blogging besties! You know—the incredible, supportive people in the community you’ve built over the years? They’ll want to know if something happens, and they can offer fantastic advice or step in to help your family.

That’s how Lani and I heard about our dear friend’s passing. Her husband had remembered hearing about Restored 316 and reached out to us for help.

So, make a list of these must-contact friends or the names of Facebook groups where they can be found. Add it to your super-safe spot of login details and blogging wishes.

Step 4: Clearly Define Income and Expenses

Your blog isn’t just your baby—it’s probably a business, too. And that means money is involved!

Whether it’s ad revenue, sponsored posts, affiliate links, or another income stream, make sure ALL the income sources are documented in one neat, easy-to-find place.

And don’t forget about the expenses—hosting, domain renewals, emails, subscriptions… every little (and big) penny matters. Being transparent about these details ensures there are no surprises for your family later on. And should your family sell the blog, they will have a rough idea of its value.

Step 5: Put It All Together and Take Action Today

Look, I know how easy it is to put something like this off for another day. But here’s the deal—this is one task you should tackle soon.

It doesn’t have to be a big, overwhelming process. Just take small, intentional steps today, and before you know it, you’ll have a solid plan in place for how your amazing work is handled if life takes an unexpected turn.

You’ve worked too hard on your blog to not have this stuff sorted out.

So grab a pen, a password manager, or whatever works for you, and start this conversation with your loved ones TODAY. You’ll feel so much better knowing you’ve set things up for success, no matter what.