How to Track Obituaries Online
Whether you're an attorney managing client estates, a financial professional, or a family member trying to stay informed, there are several ways to track obituaries online. Here's a comprehensive guide to your options.
Method 1: Manual Online Searches
The most basic approach is to manually search obituary sources:
- Local newspaper websites - Most newspapers publish obituaries online
- Legacy.com - Large obituary aggregator with nationwide coverage
- Funeral home websites - Often publish obituaries for their services
- Google search - Search "[Name] obituary [City]" for recent notices
Pros: Free, no setup required
Cons: Time-consuming, easy to miss notices, requires daily effort
Method 2: Google Alerts
You can set up Google Alerts to notify you when a name appears online:
- Go to google.com/alerts
- Enter the person's name in quotes: "John Smith"
- Add "obituary" to the search to filter results
- Set your email frequency preference
Pros: Free, automated
Cons: High false positive rate, doesn't scan all obituary sources, many common names trigger too many alerts
Method 3: Dedicated Obituary Monitoring Services
Purpose-built services like ObituaryMonitor are designed specifically for this task:
- Scan dedicated obituary sources (not general web pages)
- Use multiple matching criteria (name, location, age) to reduce false positives
- Only alert you when confidence is high (90%+)
- Run continuously, 24/7
Pros: High accuracy, comprehensive coverage, saves time
Cons: Monthly subscription cost
Comparison: Which Method is Best?
| Method | Cost | Accuracy | Time Required |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manual Search | Free | Low | High |
| Google Alerts | Free | Low-Medium | Low |
| ObituaryMonitor | $14.99/mo | High | None |