Summary
Coverage depends on whether a death appears in sources that can be searched, matched, and reviewed. A missing match does not prove that someone is alive.
What is covered best
Coverage is strongest when a person has a distinctive name, recent obituary, public memorial page, known location, age, and family details that can be matched against the watchlist entry.
Why deaths can be missed
- No obituary or public memorial was published.
- The notice used a nickname, maiden name, initials, or different location.
- The source is behind a paywall, blocked, delayed, or not indexed.
- The available record lacks enough details to safely match.
- Official records are restricted by state access rules.
How to read confidence
Confidence is a review signal, not a legal conclusion. High confidence should mean multiple facts align. Low confidence should prompt caution, more searching, or no action.
Sources
Related guides
Data Sources
The kinds of obituary, memorial, public-record, and external search sources IfTheyDie uses or evaluates.
Death Records vs. Obituaries
Understand the difference between official death records, death certificates, obituaries, cemetery records, and death indexes.
Privacy Policy
How IfTheyDie handles account data, watchlist information, monitoring records, and deletion requests.