Sharing a memorial page, in your own time
Decide who to invite, find a few words that feel right, and give family and friends an easy way to visit without any pressure to contribute.
Making a memorial page and sharing it can feel like two different steps. You might be happy gathering photographs privately but unsure how to tell other people about it. There is no need to make a large announcement. You can start with one person, a small family group, or a message you send when you feel ready.
Look at the page as a visitor
Before sending the link, check the name, photographs, and any service details you have included. Open the published page in a browser where you are not signed in, so you can see what a visitor will see.
Review who can open it. A page that is not listed in a public directory may still be accessible to anyone with its link. If you have chosen password access, decide how you will share that password with the people you invite.
Keep the invitation simple
You do not have to explain everything in the message. Say what the page is, include the link, and let people know whether you would welcome photographs or stories. For example:
We have made a page to remember Eleanor, with some photographs and stories from her life. You are very welcome to visit. If a memory or photograph comes to mind, we would love to hear from you, whenever you feel ready.
Change the wording so it sounds like you. It is also fine to say that the page is just for reading for now, or to ask people to send suggestions to you before anything is added.
Choose where to share it
A personal message lets you begin with the people closest to the person being remembered. A family group can help the link reach relatives who live further away. Before putting it on a public social profile, consider whether everyone whose words or photographs appear on the page is comfortable with that wider audience.
If you want to keep the invitation within a particular group, say so clearly. A request not to forward a link can explain your wishes, although it does not replace the page’s access settings.
Leave room for quiet visitors
Some people will write immediately. Others may prefer to read, look at a photograph, or come back another day. You do not need to follow up with everyone who has not contributed.
Sharing can happen gradually, just like making the page itself. If you are still gathering its first pieces, our guide to bringing family memories together offers a gentle starting point.