Question 1

What is Vaulted?

Accepted Answer

Vaulted is a free tool for sharing passwords, API keys, and other secrets through encrypted, self-destructing links. Your data is encrypted in your browser before it ever reaches our server, using AES-256-GCM encryption.

Question 2

Is Vaulted free?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Vaulted is completely free to use. No account, no signup, no payment required.

Question 3

How is my data encrypted?

Accepted Answer

Vaulted uses AES-256-GCM encryption, performed entirely in your browser using the Web Crypto API. The encryption key is placed in the URL fragment (the part after #), which is never sent to the server. This means your plaintext data never leaves your device.

Question 4

Can Vaulted read my secrets?

Accepted Answer

No. Vaulted uses a zero-knowledge architecture. The server only stores encrypted ciphertext and metadata (view count, expiry). We never see the encryption key or the plaintext.

Question 5

What happens when the view limit is reached?

Accepted Answer

The secret is permanently deleted from our servers. There is no recycle bin, no backup, and no way to recover it.

Question 6

Can I recover a deleted secret?

Accepted Answer

No, and this is by design. Once a secret is deleted — either by reaching its view limit or expiring — it is gone forever. This is what makes Vaulted secure.

Question 7

What are the limits?

Accepted Answer

Secrets can be up to 1,000 characters. You can set between 1 and 10 views, and expiration up to 30 days.

Question 8

Can I add a passphrase to my secret?

Accepted Answer

Yes. You can optionally add a passphrase when creating a secret. The passphrase is used to wrap the encryption key with PBKDF2 key derivation, adding a second layer of protection. The recipient must enter the passphrase to decrypt the secret.

Question 9

How long are secrets stored?

Accepted Answer

Secrets are stored until they either reach their view limit or their expiration time — whichever comes first. The maximum expiration is 30 days. After that, the secret is automatically and permanently deleted from our servers.

Question 10

Does Vaulted log IP addresses or track users?

Accepted Answer

Vaulted does not log IP addresses, track users, or require any form of authentication. We use privacy-focused analytics that collect no personal data. Rate limiting is applied per-IP in memory but is not stored or logged.

Question 11

What browsers does Vaulted support?

Accepted Answer

Vaulted works in any modern browser that supports the Web Crypto API — including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, and their mobile versions. No browser extensions or plugins are required.

Question 12

Is Vaulted open source?

Accepted Answer

The Vaulted client-side encryption code is open and auditable. All encryption and decryption happens in your browser using standard Web Crypto APIs, so you can inspect exactly what happens to your data using your browser developer tools.

Question 13

Can I use Vaulted from the command line?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Vaulted provides a CLI tool and a GitHub Action for sharing secrets in CI/CD pipelines and terminal workflows. You can create and retrieve secrets without opening a browser.

Question 14

Is Vaulted suitable for compliance (SOC 2, HIPAA, ISO 27001)?

Accepted Answer

Vaulted helps teams meet compliance requirements by eliminating plaintext credential sharing in chat, email, and documents. Zero-knowledge encryption means sensitive data is never exposed to third parties, including Vaulted itself. However, you should evaluate Vaulted against your specific compliance framework.

Question 15

What makes Vaulted different from other secret sharing tools?

Accepted Answer

Most secret sharing tools encrypt data on the server — meaning the server sees your plaintext. Vaulted encrypts entirely in your browser using AES-256-GCM before anything is sent. The encryption key stays in the URL fragment and never reaches the server. This zero-knowledge design means even if our servers were compromised, your secrets remain encrypted.

Question 16

Can I self-host Vaulted?

Accepted Answer

Vaulted is currently available as a hosted service at vaulted.fyi. Self-hosting is not supported at this time.

Question 17

Who built Vaulted?

Accepted Answer

Vaulted was built by Maxim Novak. You can find more at maxondev.com.

Frequently asked questions