Posting an Obits Through Seacoastonline: What Actually Works
Most people treat obituary websites like they are the same thing. They are not. Seacoastonline is a regional digital newspaper, and their obituary section serves a very specific geographic area along the New Hampshire and southern Maine coast. If you are trying to publish from, say, Concord or Manchester, it will not show up correctly, or at all. I learned this the hard way last year when my uncle passed and I tried to file from out of state without checking the coverage map first. The site charges approximately $85 to $150 depending on length and whether you include a photograph. A standard obit runs around 300 to 500 words. Anything beyond that gets broken into additional pages or pushed to a separate tribute layout. The submission form itself is straightforward, but there are a few details that trip people up. Start by going to their obituary submission page, which you find by navigating from the main site rather than guessing a URL. The direct link changes occasionally. They want a PDF or Word document with the full text, plus a JPEG or PNG of any photo. The image needs to be at least 800 by 600 pixels. Anything smaller looks pixelated on mobile. I always upload one that is 1200 by 900 to be safe.
The payment goes through a third-party processor, and I have noticed the transaction sometimes times out if your browser has aggressive popup blocking. Close all other tabs, use Chrome or Safari, and do not close the window until you see the confirmation screen. I have lost a submission once because I hit refresh too early, and the system had already taken the charge but not recorded the entry. Had to call their office at 411 to sort it out. Turnaround time is usually two to three business days for online publication, and the print version follows on the next available issue if you opted for that. During holidays, it can stretch to five days. This is worth noting if you are working against a funeral timeline. Here is something most guides do not mention. You can edit the obituary after it goes live, but only within 24 hours of publication, and only through the same account you used to submit. After that window, any changes require calling the editorial desk directly. I have seen families need to correct a misspelled name or add a surviving grandchild, and if they waited past that 24-hour mark, it became a much longer process involving proof-of-death documentation and editor approval.
The photo upload is another trap. Some people attach a low-resolution image from a group chat or social media post. The system accepts it, but it compresses badly on the obituary page. Always start with the highest quality version you have. If you only have a physical photograph, scan it at 300 DPI minimum. Do not use a phone camera against a wall. If you want to keep the cost down, skip the print version. Online-only is fine for most purposes now, especially if your audience is spread across different states. The online listing stays up permanently, which actually matters more these days. People search for obituaries months later when genealogy projects or old friends resurface. The print edition disappears after the paper runs its course. There is also a guest book feature attached to each obituary. It stays active for one year, and anyone can leave a message. I have mixed feelings about this. On one hand, it gives people a place to share memories without clogging up social media. On the other, you should expect spam or off-topic comments. There is a moderation option, but it is not turned on by default. You have to request it, and even then, response times vary.
Get the Full Details
If you are handling this for someone else and you do not have the password or account access, you cannot edit anything. Make sure the person who submitted it is the one who will be managing updates, or get their login credentials upfront. I handled a case where the original submitter was unreachable after the obit went live, and the family could not fix a critical error in the service time listed. That is a real problem, and it happens more often than you would think. The site also allows you to link a memorial donation to a charity of your choosing. This is free to set up, but they do not take a cut of donations. The charity receives the full amount. Just verify that the organization is set up to accept online memorial gifts, because some small local nonprofits do not have that infrastructure and the money can get lost in processing. If you are looking for alternatives, other New Hampshire papers like the Union Leader or the Portsmouth Herald have their own obituary systems, but they cover different areas. The key is matching the geographic relevance. A Portland, Maine death is better served by a Maine publication than a New Hampshire one, even if they are close. Readers trust local coverage, and algorithmic reach favors it.
The bottom line is that Seacoastonline handles obituaries competently, but the process rewards people who read the instructions carefully and plan ahead. Do not wait until the day before the funeral to start the submission. Give yourself at least a week if possible. Life moves fast, but paperwork does not.
