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Digital time capsule planner
Decide what to save, who to ask, and when to open it. Turn a few choices into a personal collection checklist, a contributor prompt, and a plan you can download or print.
A digital time capsule is a collection of messages, photos, voice recordings, or videos kept for a future opening. This worksheet helps you prepare that collection. It does not upload files, store a capsule, or schedule a reveal.
Plan my capsuleThree decisions before you begin
- Choose a person and a moment. A graduation, anniversary, or ordinary day five years from now gives the collection a reason to exist.
- Save context with the memory. Future readers may not recognize a face, a nickname, or a familiar place. Add names, dates, and a sentence explaining why each item matters.
- Make the wait practical. Choose a reveal date your hosting can support, keep the original files separately, and leave yourself a reminder to check access before opening day.
Make a plan you can keep
Your digital time capsule planner
Your entries stay in this page's memory. This tool does not send them to a server or analytics, or save them in browser storage. Refreshing or leaving clears them. Download or print your plan before you go.
Choose a future day. Set the exact time and timezone when you create the capsule.
Plan names or roles here. This does not invite anyone.
A prompt for this occasion
What does an ordinary day look like now, and what do you hope your future self remembers?
Your download includes this prompt and a contributor invitation. Add your own deadline and collection method before sharing it.
Include details worth remembering and where you will keep separate copies. Do not include passwords.
For a PDF, choose “Save as PDF” in your browser's print dialog. The plan includes your entries, a collection checklist, and reveal preparation steps.
Your plan preview
MY DIGITAL TIME CAPSULE PLAN A planning worksheet — this is not a saved or scheduled capsule. Occasion: My future self For: My future self / recipient to choose Open on: Not chosen yet Contributors: Just me / contributors to choose CONTENTS TO COLLECT [ ] A letter: Date it and describe life today, one memory, and a hope for the future. [ ] Captioned photos: Name the people, place, and date so the story survives the picture. [ ] A voice recording: Say who is speaking and when. Read a memory or record an ordinary conversation with permission. PROMPT TO SHARE WITH CONTRIBUTORS I am putting together a time capsule for My future self / recipient to choose, to open on a date we will choose. What does an ordinary day look like now, and what do you hope your future self remembers? Please include your name and the date, explain any unfamiliar details, and share only material you have permission to include. Before sending this invitation: add a contribution deadline and your chosen way to collect the files. MY NOTES & BACKUP LOCATION Add personal ideas and the location of a separate copy of the original files. Do not write passwords here. BEFORE THE REVEAL [ ] Choose a collection deadline before the reveal and tell each contributor where to send their memory. Reanimation Lab contributor windows last 1–30 days from creation and end earlier if the reveal arrives first. [ ] Check names, dates, captions, permissions, and playback for every file. [ ] Keep original media and this plan in a separate backup location I control. [ ] Choose hosting that covers the wait; confirm its retention rules and any limits before uploading. [ ] Set the actual reveal date, time, and timezone in the capsule builder. This planner schedules nothing. [ ] Test the finished share link while signed out, and keep the destination with my backup. [ ] Put a reminder in my own calendar to review account access, contact details, and the backup before the reveal. HOSTING CHECK This planner is free. Reanimation Lab Free capsules are scheduled for removal 14 days after creation, so they do not cover a longer wait. Paid plans provide ongoing hosting under the current service, without a permanent-preservation guarantee. Review current plan limits before scheduling. Keep your own copies. Plan your capsule: https://reanimationlab.com/resources/digital-time-capsule-planner Explore digital time capsules: https://reanimationlab.com/digital-time-capsules
Ready to make the capsule?
Save your plan first, then use it while adding your message and media. The builder opens in a new tab and does not receive these entries. Creating and saving a capsule uses the account and plan flow.
Create a digital time capsule (new tab)Review hosting plans before choosing a reveal date. The free planner does not provide storage or schedule a reveal.
From a plan to a future reveal
Give contributors one clear prompt, a deadline, and a way to send their memory. Ask permission before including someone else's photo or recording. Review the collection while there is still time to fix missing captions or a video that will not play.
Then create the capsule, confirm the reveal date and timezone, and test its share link while signed out. A downloaded plan is a text document; it does not contain your original media. Keep the files and a copy of the finished destination somewhere you control.
Is a digital time capsule free?
This planner is free with no account. Hosting a capsule is separate. Reanimation Lab's Free plan lasts 14 days from creation, after which the capsule is scheduled for removal. A reveal months or years away needs a paid hosting plan that covers the wait. Paid hosting operates under the current service and does not guarantee permanent preservation.
Free and Premium allow up to 2 collaborators; Collaborative allows up to 25. Contributor windows last 1–30 days from creation and end earlier if the reveal arrives first, so collect group memories near creation even for a distant opening. Check current pricing, storage, and media limits when choosing your plan.
What if I have not chosen an opening date?
Leave the date blank and download a working plan. Pick a milestone that will still make sense to the recipient, then decide how you will keep access to the account and original files until that day. The guide to choosing an unlock date can help you decide.