1. What is a recovery key?
It's a backup key you generate in advance and store yourself. Zoho Vault never stores your master password, so if you forget it, the recovery key is the only way that lets you set a new one without wiping your business and personal passwords..
2. Do I need a recovery key if I already remember my master password?
It's worth setting up anyway. The whole point is that you generate it while you still have access, you can't create one after you've forgotten your master password. Think of it as a spare key you cut before you get locked out.
3. Where do I generate a recovery key?
Go to
Settings, click
Recovery Key under
Security, check the confirmation checkbox, and click
Generate Recovery Key. Full steps can be found in the
Recovery Key help article.
4. I lost my recovery key. Can I get it back?
No. The key is displayed once, at generation, and isn't stored anywhere on Zoho's side. If you still remember your master password, generate a new key right away that invalidates the lost one, which also closes the risk of someone else finding it.
5. What happens to my passwords if I recover my master password?
Recovering with a valid recovery key re-encrypts your vault under your new master password, and all your passwords, folders, and shared data remains intact.
6. What should I do if I forgot my master password and never made a recovery key?
You can reset your master password from the Welcome to Zoho Vault page using Forgot your master password, your personal passwords will be permanently deleted, and only enterprise passwords are retained.
7. Can administrators restrict master password recovery?
Yes. Administrators can restrict master password recovery for the organization under Fine-Grained Controls in Settings. If it's restricted, you won't see the option to generate a key, and an existing key won't work for recovery.