Vaults, items & item types
How vaults organize encrypted items, the 20+ built-in item types and their fields, and how folders, favorites, and attachments fit together.
PulsVault organizes everything into vaults that contain items. A vault is the unit of encryption (it has its own Data Encryption Key) and the unit of sharing. An item is a typed record whose sensitive fields are individually encrypted.
Vaults#
- Primary vault — created with your account, always AES-256-GCM, never shareable. Best for your most sensitive secrets.
- Personal vaults — additional private vaults you own.
- Shared / team vaults — vaults shared with people or assigned to teams, governed by access levels.
Each vault has its own settings: name, description, encryption type, auto-lock behavior, and (for shared vaults) members and policies.
Items and item types#
Every item has a type that determines its fields and which of them are sensitive (encrypted and hidden by default). PulsVault ships more than 20 types, including:
| Category | Item types |
|---|---|
| Connections | Login, credential, email account, social media, server, database, API credential, wireless router |
| Financial | Credit card, bank account, crypto wallet, reward program |
| Personal | Identity, passport, driver license, social security number, medical record, membership |
| Advanced | Secure note, document, SSH key, software license, Docker image, token |
The full list, with each type's fields, is in Item types.
Sensitive fields (passwords, private keys, PINs, card numbers) are encrypted with the vault's DEK and revealed only when you choose.
Organizing items#
- Folders — group items into a hierarchy within a vault.
- Favorites — pin frequently used items for quick access.
- Search — filter by title, type, folder, or shared status.
- Attachments — encrypted files attached to an item (subject to per-plan size limits).
Lifecycle#
- History — items keep a change history; passwords can keep a value history.
- Trash — deleted items move to Trash before permanent removal, so accidental deletes are recoverable.