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1Password glossary

Learn the meaning of different terms used in 1Password, from administrator to vault.

1Password

Application that stores and manages your passwords, credit cards, licenses, and more. 1Password apps are available for Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android. You can also use 1Password in your browser or sign in to your account on 1Password.com.

1Password account password

The one password that you must remember and enter to unlock 1Password. It is never transmitted from your devices. No one but you should know your account password. 1Password can suggest a strong one when you sign up.

Account Recovery

Family and team accounts can restore account access for someone who has lost their Secret Key or 1Password account password. Recovering someone’s account lets them create a new password and Emergency Kit. Accounts in recovery will not be able to sign in until they have completed the whole process. See also: status.

Activity Log

Team accounts have a reference log of everything that happens including changes to permissions, status, vaults, and items. All logged events show a timestamp and the action a team member completed. The Activity Log can be viewed by Owners, Administrators, and vault managers. It can also be exported for offline viewing.

Administrator

Team member who can create and archive vaults, manage permissions for those vaults, invite others to the team, and initiate account recovery. The creator of each team is in the Administrators group by default. Additional team members can be added to the Administrators group.

Attachment

One or more files that are added to a standalone vault item, like images, PDFs, or text files.

Emergency Kit

PDF document containing important information required to access your account:

Its primary function is to help you recover from disasters: losing all your trusted devices or any time signing in to your account is otherwise infeasible.

It was created for you when you first created your 1Password account. It’s accessible any time in My Profile. It should be printed out or saved in a secure, offline location.

Family organizer

Family member who can manage billing, change the name of the family account, delete the family account, and initiate account recovery. Each family has one organizer by default (the person who created the family account), but additional people can be promoted to family organizer.

Favorite

Item that you have marked as important by clicking the star while viewing an item’s details. Favorites are available in the sidebar for quick, convenient access.

Groups

In a team, capabilities vary depending on group membership:

  • Owners group
    • delete the team
    • rename the team
    • initiate account recovery
    • view and change billing information
  • Administrators group
    • invite/confirm/suspend/delete team members
    • edit profiles
    • initiate account recovery
    • promote team members
  • Team members group
    • create vaults

Identity

Item for storing personal information like names, addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses. You can save multiple identities for yourself, like home and work. You can even save identities for friends, coworkers, and family members. Use 1Password in your browser to fill identities into websites.

Item

Entry in a vault, such as a password, credit card, license, or secure note. Some items have special capabilities. For example, credit cards can be filled into the checkout pages of online stores. An item can only belong to a single vault at a time.

Login

Item that holds the username and password for an online account. 1Password uses Login items to help you sign in to sites.

My Profile

Lists your Emergency Kit and all trusted devices. Allows you to change your profile picture.

Owner

Team member who can manage billing, change the name of the team, delete the team, and initiate account recovery. Each team has one Owner by default (the person who created the team), but additional people can be added to the Owners group.

Password Generator

Creates a password that is difficult to guess or crack. The password can be customized to fit the requirements of just about any website or app by using adjustable options. As adjustments are made, the generator will tell you the strength of the password using a sliding scale of colors from red (weakest) to green (strongest).

Permissions

Set of rules to determine the level of access a family or team member has to a vault and its contents. Permissions are specific to each vault, and they can be adjusted only by family organizers or vault managers. The available permissions are: Read, Write, and Export.

Secret Key

34 letters and numbers, separated by dashes. One is assigned to you when you first sign up for a 1Password account. It strengthens your account password and authenticates you with 1Password.

Your Secret Key is needed to authorize new devices, so it is important to never lose it. It can be found on any trusted device as well as in your Emergency Kit.

Setup Code

Square barcode included in the Emergency Kit. Scan it to sign in to your 1Password account on a new device without needing to enter your Secret Key.

Sign-in address

The web address for your 1Password account. For most folks, it’s my.1password.com. If you have a team or business account, you have a unique sign-in address that can be found in your Emergency Kit. Sign in to the link on the web, or by entering it into the desktop or mobile apps.

Status

Every family or team member has a current status. Here are the available statuses and what they mean:

  • Invited: Summoned to join your family or team but not yet created an account.
  • Pending Confirmation: Completed account setup and needs approval by a family organizer or administrator.
  • Active: Permitted to sign in and access family or team vaults.
  • Recovery Started: Initiated the account recovery process following a request to a family organizer, administrator, or owner.
  • Recovery Pending: Awaiting a family organizer, administrator, or owner to confirm the changes to account password allowing access back into an account.
  • Suspended: Revoked of access to any new items or changes to existing ones temporarily caused by suspension by a family organizer or team administrator. Suspension is required prior to permanent deletion.
  • Deleted: Revoked of access permanently to any family or team vaults caused by deletion by a family organizer or administrator. Past activities appear in the Activity Log. To return to the family or team, they must be invited again.

Trusted device

Computer, mobile device, or web browser that can access your 1Password account. Device is confirmed using your sign-in address, email address, account password, and Secret Key. These devices are listed in My Profile.

Two-factor authentication

Two-factor authentication is an extra layer of protection for your 1Password account. With two-factor authentication, a six-digit authentication code is required to sign in to your account on a new device, in addition to your account password and Secret Key.

Vault

Encrypted container for items. Can be shared with some or all family or team members. Can be created for a variety of different audiences and purposes.

Private vault

A vault for 1Password accounts that contains items only you can see. It can’t be renamed or deleted. Everyone has their own. In some accounts, this vault is called the Personal vault. Learn more about the Private vault in team accounts.

Shared vault

Family and team accounts have access to a Shared vault that contains items shared with everyone in the family or team. Only family organizers and team administrators can create new vaults.

Primary vault

Default vault if you don’t have a 1Password account. Created when you set up 1Password. The password for this vault unlocks your other vaults (even if you add a 1Password account later).

Standalone vault

Vault outside your 1Password account stored locally on your device and not automatically synced. Can be synced with iCloud, Dropbox, or the WLAN server.

Vault manager

Team member who can invite others to a vault and set their access permissions. Owners fill this role by default. Additional team members should be promoted into this role as backups.

Vault menu

1Password icon in the top left corner. Provides easy access to all your vaults.

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