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Add Recipients

Designate trusted individuals to receive vault access

Recipients are people who will receive access to your vault when release policies trigger. This guide will walk you through adding and managing recipients.

Before You Begin​

Prerequisites:

  • ✅ Vault created
  • ✅ Documents uploaded (recommended but not required)
  • ✅ Logged into Torvus Security

What You'll Need:

  • Recipient's full name
  • Recipient's email address
  • Relationship to recipient (spouse, child, attorney, friend, etc.)

Add a Recipient​

Step 1: Navigate to Recipients​

  1. Log in to app.torvussecurity.com
  2. Click "Vaults" in sidebar
  3. Select the vault where you want to add recipients
  4. Click "Recipients" tab

Step 2: Click "Add Recipient"​

  1. Click "Add Recipient" button (green button in top-right)
  2. Recipient form appears

Step 3: Enter Recipient Information​

Full Name (Required)​

  • Enter recipient's legal name or preferred name
  • Example: "Jane Smith", "John Doe Jr.", "Dr. Sarah Johnson"

Email Address (Required)​

  • Enter recipient's email address
  • This is where they'll receive release notifications
  • Important: Use an email address they check regularly
  • Enter recipient's mobile phone number
  • Used for SMS notifications (if enabled)
  • Format: +1 234-567-8900

Relationship (Required)​

  • Select relationship from dropdown or enter custom relationship
  • Common options: Spouse, Child, Parent, Sibling, Attorney, Friend, Business Partner, Executor

Why Relationship Matters: Helps you organize recipients and provides context when multiple recipients exist.

Step 4: Set Permissions​

Choose what the recipient can do when they receive access:

Viewer (Read-Only)​

  • Can view and download documents
  • Cannot upload, edit, or delete documents
  • Cannot modify vault settings
  • Best For: Attorneys, advisors, distant relatives

Operator​

  • Can view and download documents
  • Can upload new documents
  • Cannot delete documents or modify vault settings
  • Best For: Family members who may need to add documents

Admin​

  • Can view, download, and upload documents
  • Can delete documents
  • Can modify vault settings
  • Cannot delete the vault itself
  • Best For: Spouse, trusted executor, business partner

Step 5: Configure Notification Preferences​

Email Notifications​

  • ✅ Enabled by default: Recipient receives email when vault is released
  • Content: Secure link to access vault, reason for release, instructions

SMS Notifications (Optional)​

  • Requires phone number
  • Brief alert sent via text message
  • Contains secure link to access vault
  • Use Case: Urgent notifications, backup if email not checked

Release Notification Timing​

  • Immediate (default): Notify as soon as vault is released
  • Delayed: Notify after specified delay (24 hours, 48 hours, 1 week)
  • Use Case: Delayed notification for secondary recipients

Step 6: Add Message for Recipient (Optional)​

Include a personal message that the recipient will see when they gain access:

Examples:

  • "This vault contains important family documents. Please share with your siblings."
  • "These are my cryptocurrency wallet recovery keys. Contact my crypto advisor (john@example.com) for help."
  • "My will is in this vault. Please coordinate with my attorney Sarah Johnson."

Best Practices:

  • Keep message concise (1-3 sentences)
  • Include context about vault contents
  • Mention other people to contact if needed
  • Provide any special instructions

Step 7: Review and Save​

  1. Review all entered information
  2. Click "Add Recipient" button
  3. Recipient is added to your vault

What Happens Next:

  • Recipient appears in your recipient list
  • Recipient does NOT have access to vault yet
  • Recipient will only receive access when a policy triggers
  • You can modify or remove recipient anytime

Add Multiple Recipients​

Option 1: Add One-by-One​

Repeat the steps above for each recipient.

Option 2: Bulk Add (Professional Plan)​

  1. Click "Bulk Add Recipients"
  2. Upload CSV file with recipient information
  3. Map columns (name, email, relationship, permissions)
  4. Review and confirm

CSV Format:

name,email,phone,relationship,permission
Jane Smith,jane@example.com,+1234567890,Spouse,Admin
John Doe,john@example.com,,Attorney,Viewer
Sarah Johnson,sarah@example.com,+1987654321,Friend,Operator

Recipient Limits by Plan​

PlanMax Recipients Per Vault
Free3
Standard10
ProfessionalUnlimited
EnterpriseUnlimited

Tip: If you reach your limit, you can upgrade your plan or prioritize your most important recipients.

Understanding Recipient Access​

Before Release​

Recipients Do NOT have access to:

  • Vault contents
  • Document list
  • Any information about your vault

What Recipients Know:

  • Nothing (unless you told them outside of Torvus)

After Release​

When Vault is Released:

  1. Recipient receives email notification
  2. Email contains secure link to access vault
  3. Recipient clicks link and creates Torvus account (if they don't have one)
  4. Recipient verifies identity (email verification + optional ID verification)
  5. Recipient gains access to vault contents based on permission level

What Recipients Can Do (based on permission level):

  • Viewer: View and download documents
  • Operator: View, download, and upload documents
  • Admin: Full access including vault management

Recipient Verification​

Email Verification (Required)​

  1. Recipient receives release notification
  2. Recipient clicks secure link
  3. Recipient verifies email address
  4. Access granted

ID Verification (Optional - Professional/Enterprise Plans)​

For high-security vaults, you can require government ID verification:

  1. Recipient uploads government ID (driver's license, passport)
  2. Torvus verifies ID authenticity
  3. After verification, access granted

Use Cases:

  • High-value vaults (cryptocurrency, estate)
  • Legal compliance requirements
  • Extra security layer

Managing Recipients​

Edit Recipient Information​

  1. Navigate to Recipients tab
  2. Click recipient name
  3. Update information (email, phone, permissions)
  4. Click "Save Changes"

What You Can Change:

  • Email address
  • Phone number
  • Permission level
  • Notification preferences
  • Personal message

What You Cannot Change:

  • Recipient's past access (audit log is immutable)

Remove Recipient​

  1. Navigate to Recipients tab
  2. Click recipient name
  3. Click "Remove Recipient"
  4. Confirm removal

Important:

  • Removed recipients will NOT receive vault access when policies trigger
  • If vault was already released, removing recipient does NOT revoke existing access

Resend Invitation (After Release)​

If a recipient didn't receive release notification:

  1. Navigate to Recipients tab
  2. Find recipient
  3. Click "Resend Notification"
  4. New notification email sent

Advanced Recipient Configuration​

Conditional Recipients (Professional Plan)​

Feature: Different recipients for different release policies

How It Works:

  • Policy A (inactivity): Notify Spouse + Attorney
  • Policy B (manual release): Notify Spouse only
  • Policy C (death certificate): Notify Spouse + Attorney + Executor

Use Case: Different people need access depending on the situation.

Setup:

  1. Add all recipients to vault
  2. When configuring each policy, select which recipients should be notified

Tiered Recipients (Professional Plan)​

Feature: Recipients receive access in stages

How It Works:

  • Tier 1: Immediate access (spouse)
  • Tier 2: Access after 7 days (children)
  • Tier 3: Access after 30 days (attorney)

Use Case: Allow primary recipient time to review vault before others gain access.

Setup:

  1. Add all recipients
  2. For each recipient, set "Notification Delay"
  3. When vault releases, Tier 1 notified immediately, Tier 2 after delay, etc.

Backup Recipients​

Best Practice: Always add at least 2 recipients

Why: If primary recipient is unavailable:

  • Email address changed
  • Email compromised or deleted
  • Recipient unable to act

Recommended Configuration:

  • Primary: Spouse (Admin)
  • Secondary: Adult child (Operator)
  • Tertiary: Attorney or trusted friend (Viewer)

Common Recipient Scenarios​

Personal/Family Vault​

Typical Recipients:

  • Spouse: Admin permission (full access)
  • Adult Children: Operator permission (view and upload)
  • Attorney: Viewer permission (read-only)

Configuration:

  • All recipients notified when inactivity policy triggers
  • Spouse receives immediate notification
  • Children receive notification after 24 hours (gives spouse time to review)

Business Vault​

Typical Recipients:

  • Business Partner: Admin permission
  • COO/VP: Operator permission
  • Attorney: Viewer permission

Configuration:

  • All recipients notified when inactivity policy triggers
  • Immediate notification to all (business continuity)

Cryptocurrency Vault​

Typical Recipients:

  • Spouse/Heir: Admin permission
  • Crypto-Savvy Friend: Operator permission (can help spouse)
  • Attorney: Viewer permission (estate settlement)

Configuration:

  • All recipients notified when death certificate verified
  • Immediate notification to all
  • Include message with instructions: "Contact John (crypto friend) for help accessing wallets"

Journalist/Activist Vault​

Typical Recipients:

  • Editor: Admin permission
  • Colleague: Operator permission
  • Attorney: Viewer permission
  • Trusted Journalist: Viewer permission (backup)

Configuration:

  • Inactivity policy (daily or weekly check-ins)
  • Manual release option (emergency)
  • All recipients notified immediately

Security Considerations​

Choosing Trustworthy Recipients​

Questions to Ask:

  • Do I trust this person with sensitive information?
  • Will they follow my instructions?
  • Are they technically capable of accessing vault?
  • Do they have a stable email address?
  • Are they likely to be available when needed?

Red Flags:

  • Unstable relationship with recipient
  • Recipient has history of breaching trust
  • Recipient uses insecure email practices
  • Recipient frequently changes contact information

Recipient Email Security​

Best Practices:

  • Encourage recipients to use strong email passwords
  • Encourage recipients to enable 2FA on email accounts
  • Avoid recipients who use compromised email providers

Why Important: If recipient's email is compromised, attacker could intercept release notification.

Reviewing Recipients Regularly​

Recommended Frequency: Every 6-12 months

Review Checklist:

  • Are all recipients still appropriate?
  • Have any relationships changed?
  • Are email addresses still valid?
  • Are permission levels still appropriate?
  • Should anyone be added or removed?

Troubleshooting​

Recipient Not Receiving Notifications​

Possible Causes:

  • Email address incorrect
  • Notification in spam/junk folder
  • Email provider blocking Torvus emails

Solutions:

  1. Verify email address is correct
  2. Ask recipient to check spam folder
  3. Ask recipient to whitelist @torvussecurity.com emails
  4. Resend notification
  5. Update to different email address if needed

Cannot Add More Recipients​

Cause: Plan limit reached

Solutions:

  • Upgrade plan: Standard ($9.99/mo) allows 10 recipients
  • Prioritize recipients: Remove less critical recipients
  • Create second vault: Separate recipients across multiple vaults

Recipient's Email Changed​

Solution:

  1. Navigate to Recipients tab
  2. Click recipient name
  3. Update email address
  4. Click "Save Changes"
  5. Consider re-testing by triggering test release (Professional plan)

Testing Recipients​

Test Release (Professional Plan)​

Feature: Trigger test release to verify recipients can access vault

How It Works:

  1. Navigate to Recipients tab
  2. Click "Test Release"
  3. Select recipients to test
  4. Recipients receive test notification
  5. Recipients verify they can access vault
  6. Test access expires after 24 hours
  7. Vault returns to normal state

Use Case: Ensure recipients can access vault before real emergency.

Next Steps​

After adding recipients:

  1. Configure Policies: Set up automatic release conditions
  2. Manual Check-in: Complete first check-in (if using inactivity policy)
  1. Best Practices: Optimize your recipient configuration

Need Help?​

Last Updated: October 7, 2025