This guide explains how to create an online memorial for Australian families who want a calm, practical walkthrough of the process – from gathering photos and life-story notes through to setting privacy, collecting tributes and publishing a page that lasts. Forever In Our Hearts is an Australian platform that makes this possible with a one-time $59 AUD payment and no recurring fees.
Published: 7 May 2026
TL;DR
- Creating an online memorial takes most families one to two hours when content is gathered first.
- Start with photos, key dates, a short biography and a list of people to invite before you open the platform.
- Forever In Our Hearts provides a complete online memorial for a one-time $59 AUD payment with lifetime access.
- Privacy controls let you choose between a public page, an invite-only page or a private family-only memorial.
- Guests can add tributes, condolences and photos via a moderated online guest book once you share the link or QR code.
- You can start a draft and return to it before publishing – nothing goes live until you are ready.
- Australian grief-support services such as The Australian Centre for Grief and Bereavement can help if you find the process emotionally difficult.
Who this guide is for
Losing someone is hard, and the weeks that follow often involve more practical tasks than any family expects. This guide is written for bereaved family members or close friends who have been asked to organise a digital tribute, or who simply want a lasting, accessible home for a loved one’s story beyond the funeral service.
It is also useful for funeral directors and celebrants who advise families on digital options, and for anyone comparing platforms before deciding where to create a memorial. If you are still in the early stages of planning a service, the Australian Funeral Directors Association has practical guidance on managing the full range of end-of-life administration.
You do not need technical experience to follow these steps. The process is designed to be completed in one sitting, though you can save your progress and return at any time before publishing.
Step 1: Gather your content before you start
The single most useful thing you can do before opening any memorial platform is to collect the content you want to include. Sitting with an empty text box while grieving is hard. Having materials ready makes the process much smoother.
Photos and videos
Gather digital photos and any short video clips that capture the person at different life stages. These do not need to be professional – candid family moments, holiday snaps and everyday photos are often the most meaningful. If family members hold different photos, a shared cloud folder or a group message thread can be a quick way to pool images before you start.
Key life dates and milestones
Note down dates that matter: birth, marriage, significant career or community milestones, and when they passed. These form the backbone of a life timeline and help give structure to the biography section.
A short written life story
This does not need to be a complete biography on day one. A few paragraphs covering who they were, what they loved, their relationships and what made them memorable is a strong starting point. You can expand it later. If you are not sure how to begin, the Forever In Our Hearts FAQ has guidance on what families typically include.
Service and funeral details (if relevant)
If you want the memorial to serve as a central hub during the service period, gather the funeral date, time, location, livestream link and any donation page details. These can be added to the memorial and shared with guests before the service day.
A list of people to invite
Think about who you will want to access the memorial – immediate family, extended family, friends, colleagues, community members. You do not need their details yet, but knowing the likely audience helps you decide on privacy settings in Step 3.
Step 2: Choose your platform and start your memorial
Once your content is gathered, visit hub.foreverinourhearts.com.au to create your memorial. You will be guided through a short setup process that asks for the name of the person being remembered, their dates and a basic profile photo.
At this stage you are creating a draft, not a published page. Nothing is live or visible to others until you choose to publish. This means you can take your time, step away if you need to and return when you are ready.
What you will fill in during setup
- Name and dates: Full name, date of birth and date of passing.
- Profile photo: A clear, representative photo that will appear at the top of the memorial page.
- Biography: The life story you prepared in Step 1. You can paste this in and edit it within the platform.
- Life timeline: Key dates and milestones entered in chronological order.
- Photo and video gallery: Upload the images and clips you gathered.
- Service details (optional): Funeral date, time, location, livestream link if applicable.
- Donation links (optional): A link to a charity or cause the person supported.
- Grave or resting place location (optional): A map pin that visitors can use to find the gravesite or memorial location.
You do not need to complete every section before publishing. Many families publish a core page quickly and add further content over the following weeks as more photos and stories come in from extended family and friends.
Step 3: Set your privacy and access preferences
Privacy is one of the most important decisions when creating an online memorial. Forever In Our Hearts gives families direct control over who can view the page and what guests can contribute.
Public memorials
A public memorial can be found and viewed by anyone with the link. This is appropriate for families who want to welcome a broad community – extended social networks, colleagues, community organisations and people from the person’s past who may not be in direct contact with the immediate family.
Invite-only memorials
An invite-only memorial requires guests to use a specific link or QR code. It is not indexed publicly. This is the most common choice – it allows the family to share the memorial widely within their intended circle while maintaining control over who can access it.
Private family memorials
A private memorial is restricted to accounts the administrator approves. This suits families who want the memorial to remain an intimate, controlled family space rather than a broader tribute page.
Guest book and contribution moderation
Regardless of the privacy level you choose, Forever In Our Hearts includes AI content moderation for guest book entries. The family administrator can review and approve contributions before they appear on the page. This is particularly useful if you anticipate a large volume of messages or want to ensure all content remains respectful. The eSafety Commissioner also provides guidance on managing digital content and online privacy for families in sensitive situations.
Step 4: Write or gather tribute content
Tributes from family and friends often become the most visited and revisited part of an online memorial. There are two ways to build this section: you can write initial tributes yourself, or invite others to contribute through the guest book once the page is published.
Writing your own tribute
A tribute from the person’s closest family or partner often sets the tone for the whole memorial. Keep it personal and specific. Mention a memory, a phrase they used, something they taught you, or a place that meant something to both of you. Two to four paragraphs is a natural length – long enough to feel substantial, short enough to be read in full by every visitor.
Inviting others to contribute
Once published, you can share the memorial link or QR code with family and friends and invite them to add their own messages and photos through the guest book. The moderation tools mean you retain control over what appears publicly on the page. See our guide on collecting tributes digitally for more detail on how this works in practice.
Step 5: Share the memorial and the QR code
When you are ready to publish, Forever In Our Hearts generates a permanent shareable link and a secure QR code for the memorial. These can be distributed in several ways:
- Funeral service programme: Print the QR code on the order of service so guests at the service can scan and access the memorial immediately.
- Memorial card or notice: Include the link or QR code on printed memorial cards sent to family and friends.
- Email or message: Share the link directly via email, text or family group chats.
- Social media announcement: Some families share the link publicly as part of an announcement, directing community members to the memorial rather than a social media thread.
- Physical memorial marker: The QR code can be affixed to a physical tribute, headstone plaque or memorial item so it remains accessible from the gravesite indefinitely.
You can view an example of how published memorials look at memorials.foreverinourhearts.com.au.
Step 6: Add content over time
An online memorial is not a static document. Many families find that the page grows in the weeks and months after publication as more people contribute and as the immediate family finds more photos, stories and video clips.
You can return to the memorial at any time to add new content, update the biography, moderate guest book entries, adjust privacy settings or add a donation link to a cause that was meaningful to the person. There are no recurring fees – your one-time $59 AUD payment covers lifetime access and all future additions.
If you find the process of building or revisiting the memorial emotionally difficult, that is entirely normal. Organisations like The Australian Centre for Grief and Bereavement and Beyond Blue offer support for people navigating loss.
How to Create an Online Memorial with Forever In Our Hearts
Forever In Our Hearts is designed to support every stage of the memorial process described above. The platform includes life story and biography tools, photo and video galleries, a life timeline builder, an AI-moderated online guest book, digital order of service content, donation and livestream links, grave location mapping, privacy controls and a secure QR code – all included in a single one-time payment of $59 AUD with no subscription and lifetime access.
It is built for Australian families and is hosted in a way that prioritises long-term stability over short-lived social media posts or platforms that require ongoing fees to keep the page active.
FAQs
How long does it take to create an online memorial?
Most families complete the core setup in one to two hours when content is gathered beforehand. The platform lets you save a draft and return later, so you do not need to finish everything in one session. Adding content from other family members and updating the page can continue over weeks or months after the initial publish.
How to create an online memorial if I am not technical?
You do not need any technical skills. The setup process at hub.foreverinourhearts.com.au guides you through each section with prompts and examples. If you can upload a photo to a smartphone, you can create a memorial. The platform is designed for families, not web developers.
Can I keep the memorial private?
Yes. Forever In Our Hearts offers public, invite-only and private access settings. Most families choose invite-only, which allows them to share the link and QR code with their intended audience without the page being publicly searchable. You can change privacy settings at any time after publishing.
What does an online memorial cost?
Forever In Our Hearts charges a one-time fee of $59 AUD. There are no monthly fees, annual renewals or upgrade tiers. The memorial remains active for the lifetime of the platform. Some competitor platforms charge ongoing subscriptions or limit features on free tiers – see our comparison of what to look for in a digital memorial website for a fuller breakdown.
Can family members in other states or overseas access the memorial?
Yes. The memorial is accessible from any device with an internet connection, anywhere in the world. You can share the link or QR code with family and friends regardless of location. This is one of the main reasons families choose an online memorial over a local, printed tribute – it removes geographic barriers to participation.
Can guests add photos and messages?
Yes. Once published, you can invite guests to contribute to the online guest book, where they can leave messages, condolences and photos. All contributions are moderated before they appear publicly, so you retain control over the content on the page. AI moderation tools flag content that may be inappropriate, and you can approve or remove individual entries at any time.
What happens to the memorial in the long term?
Forever In Our Hearts is designed for long-term preservation. The one-time fee covers lifetime access with no expiry date. Unlike social media profiles, which can be deactivated, restricted or lost over time, the memorial is hosted on a dedicated platform built specifically for lasting digital tributes. The eSafety Commissioner’s guidance on managing digital accounts after someone dies is also worth reviewing for broader digital estate considerations.
A practical next step
If you are ready to begin, start by gathering a handful of photos and a few sentences about your loved one’s life. That is all you need to open the platform and start a draft. You can add more content, invite contributors and adjust settings before you publish.
Creating an online memorial does not need to feel like a project. At its simplest, it is a place where a person’s story is kept safe and accessible for everyone who loved them – for years to come.
Visit hub.foreverinourhearts.com.au to start a memorial, or browse memorials.foreverinourhearts.com.au to see examples of published memorials before you begin.
