Hints or passwords
The log has four columns: the website or service, the username or email address you sign in with, a hint or the password, and notes with the date you last changed it. The third column is the one to think about. A hint is a few words that remind you of the password without spelling it out: "the usual, with the year of the trip" or "the long one, capital first". Someone who finds the page learns where you have accounts, but not how to get in. A written password is quicker to use and much easier to misuse. The password column is off by default; turn it on only for a log that stays locked away.
If you can, use a password manager instead and keep this log for the few things a manager does not hold well: the manager's own recovery words, a shared household account, or the accounts of a relative who does not use a computer. In that case the paper log is the one copy, so treat it like a key.
Where to keep the log
A locked drawer, a document box with a key or a small safe. Not the desk drawer that is never locked, not under the keyboard, not on the pin board and not in the bag you take to work. The log should be a little inconvenient to reach, because the same inconvenience applies to anyone else. If you print the A to Z version, keep the pages in a thin binder so one page does not go missing, and do not label the binder with the word password.
Filling in an entry
Write the service name the way you would search for it, and file it under that letter. Put the full username or email address in the second column, because that is what you forget first. In the notes, write what you will need later: the email address the account is tied to, whether a second step such as a code from your phone is turned on, the security questions you chose, and the date of the last change. Leave the second writing line of each entry free for the next change.
Updating an entry
When you change a password, strike the old hint through with one line so it stays legible, write the new one on the second line and add the date in the last column. The old hint can still be useful if a device somewhere is still logged in with the previous password. When both lines are used up, write the entry again in a free row on the same page and cross out the old row completely. Once a page is mostly crossed out, copy the live entries onto a fresh page and shred the old one.
When a card, a phone or the log itself is lost
Treat the loss as if someone else now has the information. Start with the accounts that can cost money or unlock others: the email account first, since it resets everything else, then banking and shopping accounts, then the rest. For each, sign in from a device you trust, change the password, sign out of other devices where the service offers it, and check the recovery email and phone number. If a payment card is involved, contact the bank or card issuer and have the card blocked and replaced. Then start a fresh log with the new hints and note the date of the change for every entry; the dates show at a glance which accounts are done.
Tools for stronger passwords
The password generator makes long random passwords or passphrases of several words in your browser; a passphrase is the easier kind to write a hint for. The password strength checker estimates how long a password would take to crack and points out the patterns that give it away, so you can test an idea before you use it. The 2FA code generator shows the one-time codes from a secret key for accounts with a second sign-in step; write in the notes column which accounts have that step turned on, so you remember to move them when you change phones.
Two related printables: the Wi-Fi password card gives guests your network name and password with a QR code to scan, and the emergency contact list belongs in the same drawer, so the people who matter are easy to reach when something goes wrong.
Frequently asked questions
Is the password log free?
Yes. Download and print it as often as you like, for yourself or for a relative who keeps their accounts on paper. There is no signup and no watermark; one small line at the bottom of each page names our website.
Is it safe to write passwords on paper?
A password manager is the better tool: it makes long passwords, fills them in and can be locked. If you keep a paper log anyway, keep it in a locked drawer or a safe, never next to the computer or in a bag you carry around, and prefer the Hint column: write something that reminds you of the password without being the password. Nothing you set on this page is sent anywhere; the template has no text fields of its own and prints blank.
What is the difference between the Hint and the Password column?
The third column says Hint unless you turn the password column on. A hint is a reminder only you understand, such as "the usual, with the year of the trip". The Password column is for writing the password itself, which is more convenient and more dangerous: anyone who finds the log can sign in. Choose it only for a log that stays locked away.
How do the A to Z pages work?
Each page carries a letter, or two letters when you pick 13 pages, and you file an account under the first letter of the service. Print all pages once, punch them and keep them in a small binder; new accounts go on their letter page, so you never have to re-copy the list. Plain pages have no letters and suit a short list.
What do I do when a password changes?
Cross out the old hint or password with a single line, write the new one on the second line of the same entry, and note the date in the last column. When an entry is full, carry it to a free row on the same page and strike the old row through. Replace the page when it gets crowded.
Does anything I pick here leave my browser?
No. The page builds the PDF in your browser and nothing is uploaded. There is nothing personal to send anyway: you only choose the layout, the number of rows, the paper and the color, and the printed pages are empty until you write on them.