What Happens to Your GitHub (Complete) Account When You Die
Quick Facts
Private repos
Inaccessible without login
Pages
Sites go offline
Actions
CI/CD pipelines stop
Sponsors
Check pending payouts
Step-by-Step Guide
Transfer organization ownership
For any GitHub org you own, add a trusted person as Owner. Settings → Organizations → Members → Invite. This ensures orgs and their repos survive.
Clone all private repositories
Clone every private repo to a local backup. Use GitHub CLI: gh repo list --json name,isPrivate | then gh repo clone for each. Document which repos are critical.
Document GitHub Pages sites
List all repos with GitHub Pages enabled. These sites go offline if the account is closed. Consider moving to a hosted platform.
Transfer package and Actions maintainership
If you publish GitHub Packages or maintain critical Actions workflows that others depend on, add co-maintainers. Unmaintained packages become security risks.
Check Sponsors and Marketplace income
If receiving GitHub Sponsors income or Marketplace app revenue, check pending payouts. This income is taxable on the final return.
Document Now Checklist
- GitHub username and credential location
- List all organizations you own or admin
- List critical private repos and their purposes
- List GitHub Pages sites
- Note GitHub Sponsors income and Marketplace apps
Last verified: June 2026. Platform policies may change. Verify current procedures directly with GitHub (Complete). This guide is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.
Related Guides
GitHub
GitHub has no formal memorialization process. Private repos become permanently inaccessible without account credentials. Add a trusted contact as org owner for any organizations you manage.
Vercel
Add a trusted person to your Vercel team with Admin role. This ensures deployments continue.
Netlify
Add a trusted person to your Netlify team. Team → Members → Invite.
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