> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.inheribase.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# How Inheribase Works: Seal, Assign, Monitor, Deliver
> Understand the four-step Inheribase lifecycle — from client-side encryption and guardian key sharing to liveness monitoring and heir delivery.
Inheribase follows a four-step process — **Seal, Assign, Monitor, Deliver** — that together form a complete digital inheritance system. Each step builds on the previous one to ensure your assets are protected during your lifetime and reliably transferred to your heirs when the time comes. This page walks you through every stage in detail.
Upload files through the Digital Airlock. Encryption happens entirely on your device before anything is transmitted to Inheribase or the Arweave network.
**What happens during a Seal:**
1. You select files from your device in the Inheribase dashboard.
2. Your browser encrypts each file using **AES-256-GCM** with keys derived from your passkey credentials.
3. Only the encrypted binary blob leaves your device — Inheribase never sees your unencrypted data.
4. The encrypted file is stored in a high-availability cache (for instant confirmation), then concurrently pushed to the **Arweave permaweb** for permanent settlement.
5. Once Arweave confirms the transaction, the file's status upgrades from `temporary` to `permanent`, and you receive an **Arweave Transaction ID (TXID)** as cryptographic proof of storage.
6. Vault Credits are consumed based on file size (\$46.50/GB).
Your encryption keys never leave your device. Even if Inheribase's servers were fully compromised, an attacker would see only ciphertext they cannot decrypt.
Designate the trusted contacts who will participate in your estate plan. Inheribase separates responsibility between two distinct roles: **Guardians** and **Heirs**.
**Guardians** protect your vault through Shamir's Secret Sharing:
* Your vault key is mathematically split into fragments called shares.
* Each Guardian receives one share via secure email invitation.
* No single Guardian — including Inheribase — can access your vault alone.
* Choose **Standard (2-of-3)** or **Enhanced (3-of-5)** threshold presets. For a 2-of-3 configuration, any two of your three Guardians are sufficient to reconstruct the key.
**Heirs** are your designated recipients:
* Add up to 5 heirs by name and email address.
* Heirs are **not notified** of their designation until a release event occurs.
* All heirs receive full access to the entire vault upon release.
Guardians and Heirs can be the same people or different people. A common pattern is to assign a spouse and two attorneys as Guardians, and the same spouse plus adult children as Heirs.
Inheribase passively monitors your activity to distinguish between a temporary absence and a genuine succession event. You do not need to do anything special to stay active — any authenticated action resets the liveness timer.
**Actions that reset the timer:**
* Logging in to the dashboard
* Uploading or modifying a vault file
* Making an API call
* Checking in via the MCP AI assistant
**Configurable check-in cadence**: weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, or quarterly.
**Escalation sequence** (if you miss a check-in):
| Day | Event |
| --- | ---------------------------------------------------- |
| 0 | Alert sent to you via email and push notification |
| 3 | Second alert |
| 7 | Guardians notified to stand by |
| 14 | Third escalation to you |
| 21 | Fourth escalation |
| 28 | Final warning |
| 30 | Contestation window closes — release sequence begins |
You can cancel the release sequence at any time during the 30-day contestation window with a single click. After day 30, the release proceeds automatically.
When release conditions are met and the 30-day contestation period has elapsed without cancellation, your heirs receive their inheritance through a guided claim process.
**The delivery sequence:**
1. **Heir notification** — Secure claim links are sent to each designated heir. Heirs verify their identity via email and create their own passkeys.
2. **Key reconstruction** — Guardian shares are assembled. The required threshold of Guardians cooperate to reconstruct the vault key using Shamir's Secret Sharing.
3. **Decryption and access** — Assets are decrypted and made available for download. Heirs receive full access to all vault contents.
4. **On-chain audit trail** — The entire succession event is recorded on-chain for transparency and legal auditability.
Heirs do not need an Inheribase account before a release event. They create their credentials as part of the guided claim process.
## The complete lifecycle
Your vault is not static — you can modify Guardians, Heirs, and release triggers at any time during your lifetime. The full arc from creation to succession looks like this:
**During your lifetime**: Create vault → Upload assets → Assign people → Set trigger → Periodic check-ins → Modify as needed
**Transition**: Trigger fires → 30-day contestation period → Heir notification
**Succession**: Guardian shares assembled → Key reconstructed → Heirs access decrypted files
## Why Inheribase vs. alternatives
| Feature | Traditional dead man's switch | Cloud storage + shared password | Inheribase |
| --------------------- | ---------------------------------- | --------------------------------- | ----------------------------------- |
| **Encryption** | Varies | Provider holds keys | Zero-knowledge, client-side |
| **Persistence** | Depends on platform survival | Subscription-dependent | 200-year Arweave endowment |
| **Trigger mechanism** | Must actively re-sign periodically | No automated trigger | Configurable with grace period |
| **Key management** | Single point of failure | Password can be guessed or stolen | Shamir's Secret Sharing (M-of-N) |
| **Heir experience** | Complex, technical | Requires knowing the password | Guided claim process via email |
| **Cost model** | Volatile crypto tokens | Monthly subscription | Pay-as-you-go; credits never expire |
## Related topics
Set up your first vault in 10 minutes.
Learn how guardian key sharing works in detail.
Configure when and how your vault releases.
Understand Vault Credits and the cost model.