On your own server there is an administration for the whole server: who may register, invitations, accounts and a log. It is separate from the admin console of a family or organization. The server administration never sees vault contents either.
Who manages the server
- The first account on a new server manages it. So create your account right after starting the server, before you share the address.
- More admins are listed in
PASSBOX_ADMIN_EMAILS, separated by commas. These accounts may always register, even when registration is closed. That way you can also get back in if access was lost.
Admins see Administration in the web app's sidebar and in the settings.
Server settings
- Name of the server. It appears in emails and in the app.
- Who can create an account (see below).
- Help address, such as a web page or an email address. The sign-in page and the settings link to it.
- Email language for accounts that have not chosen a language yet.
- Master password requirements: minimum strength (strong or very strong) and a minimum length of 12 characters or more. The server never sees passwords. The apps enforce the requirement.
- AI agents and service accounts per member: a limit for service accounts. Unlimited by default.
Who can create an account
| Setting | Who can create an account |
|---|---|
| Everyone (default) | Anyone who can reach the server |
| Invited only | Only invited people. The apps hide "Create account" and explain that an invitation is needed. |
| Email domains | Addresses of the allowed domains, such as example.com, plus invited people |
An invitation to a family or organization also allows registering on servers that are open to invited people only.
Invitations
Under Invitations you invite people by email. The link is valid for seven days, works once and only for that address. Passbox also shows it to copy in case email is not set up yet. You can withdraw open invitations.
Accounts
Under Accounts you search by email address and see when an account was created, when it was last active and whether it uses two-factor sign-in.
Disable: A disabled account is signed out on all devices at once and cannot sign in. Its data stays until you enable it again. You cannot disable your own account.
The administration cannot reset a password or open vaults. That is what account recovery is for.
Under Email you see whether sending is set up, the sender, the address used in links, the queue and the last error. Send test email sends a sample. Setup is described in Server configuration.
Administration log
Every change in the administration is in the log, with person, time and IP address. Each row contains a hash of its content and of the previous row. The server checks the whole chain whenever the log is shown, and Passbox clearly reports a changed or deleted row.
Someone who can write to the database directly could still recompute the chain. Keep backups for an independent record.