> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.anchorage.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Customizing vault policies

> Configure approval requirements and operational rules for individual vaults.

Vault policies define approval requirements for operations within a vault — like deposits, withdrawals, transfers, and policy changes. Each vault can have its own customized policy, allowing different rules for different types of assets or business purposes.

## What vault policy controls

Vault policies define approval requirements for:

* **Deposits** — Receiving assets into the vault
* **Withdrawals** — Sending assets out of the vault
* **Transfers** — Moving assets between vaults
* **Stablecoin conversions/swaps** — If enabled
* **Policy changes** — Modifying the policy itself
* **User access** — Adding or removing users from the vault
* **Large transactions** — May have higher approval thresholds

See [Vault policies](/knowledge-base/porto/policies/quorums) for details on policy types and quorum structures.

## Access vault policy settings

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open vault">
    From the home screen, select the vault you want to customize.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Open vault settings">
    Tap the vault name or **Settings** icon.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Select policies">
    Look for **Policies**, **Vault policy**, or **Rules**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="View current policy">
    You'll see:

    * Current approval requirements
    * Quorum structure (who must approve)
    * Any rules or thresholds
    * When the policy was last modified
  </Step>

  <Step title="Tap customize or edit">
    Select **Edit policy**, **Customize**, or **Modify rules**.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Customization options

### Simple approval structure

Basic single or dual approval:

* **Single approver** — One designated approver for all vault operations
* **Two required** — Any two approvers must approve
* **All required** — Every approver must approve

### Advanced quorum structures

More complex approval rules:

* **Tiered by amount** — Different approvals for different transaction sizes
* **Role-based** — Different rules for different user roles
* **Time-based** — Different rules for certain times of day or days of week
* **Operation-type specific** — Different rules for withdrawals vs. transfers

### Risk-based rules

Adjust approvals based on risk:

* **Standard operations** — 1 approver needed
* **Large transactions** — (over \$X) 2 approvers needed
* **To new addresses** — (not pre-approved) 2 approvers needed
* **To trusted destinations** — (pre-approved) 1 approver needed

## Create policy rules

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open vault policies">
    Go to **Settings** > **Policies** > **Vault policy**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Tap add rule">
    Select **Add rule**, **Create new rule**, or **Add condition**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Define rule conditions">
    Specify when this rule applies:

    * **Operation type:** Withdrawal, deposit, transfer, swap
    * **Amount:** Any amount, or only above/below a threshold
    * **Address type:** Any, trusted destination only, new address
    * **User role:** Initiator, all users, etc.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Define approval requirements">
    Specify approval requirements:

    * **Number of approvers:** 1, 2, all, etc.
    * **Which approvers:** Specific roles, specific people, or any approver
    * **Voting structure:** Simple majority, unanimous, etc.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set timeout (optional)">
    How long before the approval request expires (default: 24 hours)
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save the rule">
    Tap **Save** or **Create rule**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Submit policy changes">
    Tap **Save policy** or **Submit changes**. Vault policy changes may require admin approval.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Approve if needed">
    If the vault has admin policy approval requirements, the change must be approved.
  </Step>
</Steps>

See [Adding rules](/knowledge-base/porto/policies/adding-rules) for detailed rule creation instructions.

## Quorum structures

Different vaults can have different quorum setups:

| Structure  | Example                              | Best for                     |
| :--------- | :----------------------------------- | :--------------------------- |
| **1 of 1** | Treasury manager approves all        | Small team, high trust       |
| **1 of 3** | Any one of 3 approvers               | Speed with distributed power |
| **2 of 3** | Any two of 3 approvers               | Checks and balances          |
| **3 of 3** | All 3 must approve                   | High security, joint custody |
| **2 of 2** | CEO + CFO must both approve          | Executive oversight          |
| **Tiered** | 1 approver for \<$100k, 2 for >$100k | Risk-adjusted                |

Choose a structure that matches your organization's security needs and approval speed requirements.

## Vault policy templates

Common templates your organization may offer:

### Treasury Vault (High security)

* **Withdrawals:** 2 of 3 senior officers
* **Transfers:** 1 of 3 senior officers
* **Policy changes:** All 3 senior officers
* **Use case:** Large reserves, institutional customers

### Operations Vault (Standard security)

* **Withdrawals:** 1 operations manager + 1 approver
* **Transfers:** 1 approver
* **Policy changes:** 2 of 3 administrators
* **Use case:** Regular operations, moderate amounts

### Client Custody Vault (Flexible)

* **Deposits:** Any operator
* **Withdrawals:** Client + custodian approver
* **Transfers:** Client approval
* **Policy changes:** Custodian admin
* **Use case:** Client funds, specific approval controls

### Settlement Vault (Fast)

* **All operations:** 1 approver
* **Large transfers (>\$X):** 2 approvers
* **Policy changes:** Admin
* **Use case:** Frequent, regular operations, trusted parties

## Transaction amount thresholds

Set approval requirements based on transaction size:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open vault policies">
    Go to vault **Settings** > **Policies**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add tiered rule">
    Select **Add amount-based rule** or **Create tier**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Define thresholds">
    Set approval levels for different amounts:

    * **Up to \$10,000:** 1 approver
    * **$10,001 - $50,000:** 2 approvers
    * **\$50,001+:** 3 approvers or Anchorage review
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save the tier">
    Tap **Save** and then **Submit policy changes**.
  </Step>
</Steps>

Thresholds can be by USD value, crypto amount, or both.

## Adding custom approvers

Designate specific users as approvers for a vault:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open vault users">
    Go to vault **Settings** > **Users** or **Team**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Find or add user">
    Select an existing user or add a new one.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Change their role">
    Set their role to **Approver** or **Admin**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Confirm">
    Save the change. The user can now approve operations in this vault.
  </Step>
</Steps>

You can have different approvers in different vaults — for example, the CEO approves the treasury vault, but regional managers approve their respective vaults.

## Policy change requests

When you modify a vault policy:

1. **Submit for approval** — The policy change itself is submitted
2. **Approvers review** — Designated approvers review the new policy
3. **Approval required** — Usually requires the same quorum as the vault's own policy (or higher)
4. **Effective date** — Once approved, the new policy takes effect immediately
5. **Audit trail** — The change is recorded with who changed it and who approved it

## Monitoring policy effectiveness

After setting policies, monitor:

1. **Approval times** — Are approvals happening in reasonable time? If not, adjust approvers
2. **Rejection rates** — Are too many operations being rejected? Review the policy
3. **Bottlenecks** — Is one person always the bottleneck? Consider distributed approvers
4. **Compliance** — Is the policy still meeting your compliance requirements?

Review policies quarterly or when business changes.

## Emergency policy changes

If you need to change a vault policy urgently:

1. **Request expedited review** — Explain the urgency
2. **Temporary policy** — Sometimes you can implement a temporary policy and convert to permanent after review
3. **Escalation** — Contact your administrator or Porto account team for assistance

Emergency changes still require approval but may be fast-tracked.

## Special cases and exceptions

**Anchorage Digital review:**

* Large or unusual operations may require Anchorage Digital compliance review
* This is an automatic additional step; not affected by vault policy
* Typically takes 1-2 business days

**Unusual operations:**

* Operations to new addresses, bridges, or risky assets may have higher approval requirements
* Check your policy's rules for these scenarios

**Service agreements:**

* Enterprise customers may have negotiated policy terms with Anchorage
* These take precedence over default policies

## Testing your policy

Before fully relying on a new policy:

1. **Make a test operation** — Try a small withdrawal or transfer
2. **Verify approvals** — Confirm the right people are notified
3. **Check timing** — See how long approvals take
4. **Document learnings** — Note any issues to fix before next time

## Policy best practices

* **Balance security and speed** — More approvers = more security but slower operations
* **Right-size approvers** — Too few creates risk; too many creates bottlenecks
* **Clear thresholds** — Make amount-based rules obvious and well-documented
* **Separate roles** — Different people should submit and approve when possible
* **Document why** — Record the business reason for your policy structure
* **Review regularly** — Quarterly policy reviews catch issues early
* **Communicate** — All users should understand the policy and approval process