You sign up for a new service and forget about it. Six months later, you get a notification from that service and cannot remember what it is or why you created an account. You have dozens of accounts across different websites and no clear record of what they are.
This is normal. Most people create accounts for things they need at the moment — a shopping site, a streaming service, a tool for a specific project — and then forget about them. Over a few years, the list grows to dozens or even hundreds of accounts.
Keeping track of your accounts is not about organizing them perfectly. It is about knowing what you have so you can make informed decisions about what to keep, what to close, and what to update.
Why accounts pile up
Every time you sign up for something new, you create an account. Some of these are important — your email, your bank, your phone provider. Others are things you used once and forgot about — a free trial you never cancelled, a forum you joined to ask one question, a shopping site you used for a single purchase.
The problem is that you do not have a single place where all of these accounts are listed. They are spread across your email, your phone, your browser’s saved passwords, and your memory.
A simple way to list your accounts
You do not need a fancy app to track your accounts. A simple document or spreadsheet works fine.
Create a document called “Online Accounts” and start listing what you remember. Do not try to remember everything at once — start with the accounts you use regularly and add more as you think of them.
Here is a simple format:
| Account | Email used | Purpose | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gmail | alex@gmail.com | Primary email | Active |
| Amazon | alex@gmail.com | Shopping | Active |
| Netflix | alex@gmail.com | Streaming | Active |
| Old banking app | alex@work.com | Closed account | Inactive |
You can use a spreadsheet, a note in your phone, or a document on your computer. The format does not matter — what matters is that you have one place to look.
What to record for each account
For each account, write down:
- The account name — the service or website
- The email you used — this is important because many people use different emails for different accounts, and you might forget which one you used
- What it is for — a brief note so you remember why you created it
- Whether it is active — if you no longer use it, mark it as inactive
You do not need to include your password in this list. Passwords should be stored separately, either in a password manager or in a secure location. The account list is for keeping track of what you have, not for storing login credentials.
Deciding which accounts to keep
Once you have a list, you can decide what to do with each account:
Keep active accounts. These are accounts you use regularly — email, banking, social media, shopping sites you buy from often. Make sure the email and password for these accounts are up to date.
Review accounts you rarely use. If you have not logged into an account in over a year, ask yourself if you still need it. If the answer is no, consider closing it. If the answer is “maybe someday,” keep it but mark it as inactive.
Close accounts you no longer need. Old accounts you do not use are a security risk — if the service gets breached, your information could be exposed. Closing accounts you do not need reduces this risk.
What to do with accounts you no longer use
For accounts you want to close:
- Log into the account and look for a “Delete account” or “Close account” option, usually in the settings or privacy section
- If you cannot find a delete option, check the service’s help or support page
- Before closing, make sure you have saved anything you want to keep (like purchase history or files)
Some services make it difficult to close accounts. If you cannot close an account, you can usually:
- Change the email to a secondary address you do not use for anything else
- Remove any payment information
- Set a strong, unique password so the account is harder to compromise
Keeping the list updated
You do not need to update your account list every time you create a new account. But once or twice a year, spend ten minutes reviewing it.
Here is what a yearly review looks like in practice: open your list on a Sunday afternoon. Go through each entry. For accounts marked “Active,” ask yourself: did I actually use this in the last year? If the answer is no, mark it as “Inactive” or note that it might be worth closing. For accounts marked “Inactive,” decide whether to close them or keep them for a specific reason. Add any new accounts you have created since the last review. Remove accounts you have closed.
This takes about ten minutes and keeps the list useful without turning it into a chore.
Related guides
- How to Create a Strong Password — making better passwords for the accounts you keep
- How to Recognize a Phishing Email — spotting fake emails that target your accounts
- How to Organize Account Information — storing your account details in one place