Create a lasting place where family and friends can remember someone special, share treasured memories and celebrate the life they lived.
An online tribute brings photographs, stories, messages and moments together in one meaningful space. It can be visited from anywhere and added to over time, helping the people who knew your loved one contribute to a shared record of their life.
A special place for their memories
When someone dies, their story lives on through the people who knew and loved them.
Creating an online tribute gives those memories a permanent home. Instead of photographs remaining on separate phones and stories being shared only once, everything can be brought together on a dedicated tribute page.
Family members, friends and colleagues can visit the tribute wherever they are. They can remember important moments, discover stories they may not have heard before and contribute memories of their own.
Your tribute can become a rich and personal celebration of a life—not simply a record of a loss.
What is an online tribute?
An online tribute is a dedicated webpage created in memory of someone who has died. It provides a central place to celebrate their personality, relationships, achievements and experiences.
An online tribute may include:
- A main photograph and personal introduction
- Their life story or biography
- Photographs from different stages of their life
- Memories and stories shared by family and friends
- Condolence messages and words of support
- Important dates, places and milestones
- Funeral or remembrance information
- Videos, readings, poems or music that reflect their life
- Details of charities or causes that mattered to them
Unlike a social media post, an online tribute is designed specifically for remembrance. It gives your loved one’s memories a dedicated place that is easier to revisit, share and continue building.
You can learn more about how memorial pages work in our guide to creating an online memorial.
How to create an online tribute
You do not need to have every photograph, date or detail ready before you begin. A tribute can start simply and develop as family and friends share more memories.
1. Create your tribute page
Register and add the essential details about the person you are remembering. Choose a photograph that captures how you would like them to be seen.
2. Tell their story
Write a short introduction or a fuller account of their life. You could include their character, family, friendships, work, interests, achievements and the moments that made them unique.
3. Add meaningful photographs and memories
Choose images that show different parts of their life. Add captions or short stories to give each photograph context and meaning.
4. Invite others to contribute
Share the tribute with relatives, friends and colleagues. Their messages and memories can reveal different sides of the person’s life and make the tribute more complete.
5. Return whenever you wish
There is no deadline for remembering someone. You can revisit the tribute, add new memories and mark meaningful dates whenever the time feels right.
Start creating an online tribute
What should I write in an online tribute?
There is no single correct way to write a tribute. Some people begin with a few heartfelt sentences, while others create a detailed biography covering an entire lifetime.
You might write about:
- The qualities that made them special
- The role they played within your family or community
- A favourite memory you shared
- Their sense of humour, sayings or habits
- The people and places they loved
- Their career, interests or accomplishments
- The values they passed on to others
- The difference they made to your life
- How you would like them to be remembered
Try to write in your own voice. A sincere memory often says more than formal or elaborate language.
If writing feels difficult, begin with one simple thought: “The thing I will always remember about them is…”
That first memory can become the beginning of a much larger tribute.
Bring family and friends together
Grief can affect families and communities spread across different towns, countries and time zones. Not everyone will be able to attend a funeral or remembrance event in person.
An online tribute gives everyone an opportunity to take part.
People can visit privately, leave a message when they feel ready and share a memory from wherever they live. This makes the tribute especially valuable for extended families, old friends, former colleagues and anyone unable to attend the funeral.
Every contribution can add another piece to your loved one’s story.
Create more than a book of condolences
Messages of sympathy can bring considerable comfort after a death. An online tribute can preserve these messages while also growing into a broader celebration of the person’s life.
Alongside condolences, contributors can share:
- Personal recollections
- Previously unseen photographs
- Funny or touching stories
- Memories from school or work
- Accounts of the kindness they showed
- The lessons they taught others
- The ways in which they will be remembered
If collecting messages is your main priority, our online condolence book guide explains how to bring words of sympathy and support together.
A tribute that can continue beyond the funeral
A funeral happens at a particular time, but remembrance continues long afterwards.
Your online tribute can remain a place to visit on birthdays, anniversaries, holidays and other significant occasions. New memories can be added as photographs are rediscovered or stories are shared.
Over time, the tribute can become an important family record. It may preserve memories for children, grandchildren and future generations who want to understand more about the person behind the photographs.
For families holding an online service or bringing people together remotely, read more about creating a virtual memorial.
Ideas for making your tribute personal
The most meaningful tributes reflect the individual rather than following a fixed formula.
You could personalise the page by including:
Their life in photographs
Select images from childhood, family occasions, friendships, holidays, work and everyday life. Informal photographs often reveal just as much as formal portraits.
A collection of short memories
Invite each person to contribute one story or describe one quality they most admired. Together, these different perspectives can create a vivid picture of your loved one.
Favourite words, music or readings
Include a poem, quotation, reading or piece of music that held personal significance or captures how people remember them.
Important places
Mention the towns, homes, workplaces, clubs or holiday destinations that formed part of their story.
The causes they cared about
Recognise charities, community groups or personal causes that mattered to them and explain why they were important.
Their personality
Remember the small details: the phrases they used, the food they loved, the jokes they told and the traditions they created. These details often make a tribute feel genuinely personal.
Why create an online tribute?
An online tribute can help you:
- Preserve precious memories in one place
- Celebrate the whole of someone’s life
- Give relatives and friends a way to contribute
- Include people who cannot attend in person
- Collect photographs and stories before they are lost
- Create a lasting record for future generations
- Return to their memories whenever you choose
- Keep their influence and story alive
Most importantly, it creates a place centred entirely on the person you are remembering.
Begin with one memory
You do not have to tell their entire story today.
Begin with their name, a photograph and one memory that matters to you. Invite others when you feel ready, and allow the tribute to grow naturally over time.
Create a beautiful, lasting place where their life can be remembered and their story can continue to be shared.
Frequently asked questions
How do I create an online tribute?
Register for an account, create a page for the person you want to remember and add their photograph and basic details. You can then share their story, upload memories and invite family and friends to contribute.
What can I include on an online tribute page?
You can include photographs, biographical details, personal stories, condolence messages, important dates and other content that reflects the person’s life. Begin with what you have and add further memories later.
Do I need to write a complete life story?
No. Your tribute can begin with a short personal message or a favourite memory. You can expand it over time or ask other people to help tell different parts of your loved one’s story.
Can family and friends contribute to the tribute?
An online tribute is intended to bring memories together. Sharing the page allows relatives, friends and others who knew the person to visit and contribute their own messages or recollections.
Can I create a tribute before the funeral?
Yes. A tribute can be created before the funeral to share information and collect messages, or afterwards as a lasting place of remembrance. There is no wrong time to begin.
What is the difference between an online tribute and an online memorial?
The terms are often used interchangeably. Both describe a dedicated online place that remembers and celebrates someone who has died. “Tribute” often emphasises the stories and qualities being celebrated, while “memorial” can refer to the complete remembrance page.
What should the first message on a tribute say?
Begin with a simple introduction explaining who the person was and what made them special. You could include your relationship to them, a quality you admired and a memory that captures their personality.
Can an online tribute be shared with people overseas?
Yes. Because the tribute is online, its link can be shared with family and friends wherever they live, allowing people who cannot attend a funeral or memorial event to take part in remembering the person.