Document Vault
Learn how the Document Vault keeps your governing documents and archived records, and how SHA-256 content hashes show whether a sealed document has changed.
Tamper-Evident Document Vault
Governing files must be protected from tampering. The Document Vault is your cooperative's record room: it holds the documents created in the Legal Hub, Formation Studio, and Convert, plus external records you archive yourself.
1. Content Hashing
When a document is executed (signed) or archived, the vault records a SHA-256 hash of its text:
- Seal Check: If a document's text changes by even a single character, its hash changes. Whenever the vault is opened, each sealed document's current text is hashed again and compared with the recorded hash, so it shows as verified, changed since sealing, or not yet sealed.
- Audit Records: The hash is also written to the audit log entry for the signing or archiving, creating a lasting record of the document's state.
2. Archiving External Records
Keep records that were created outside OwnFold alongside your executed documents:
- Archive a Record: Give it a title and category (such as Legal, Bylaws, Financial, or Onboarding) and paste in its text, such as a filed charter, a signed agreement, or a filing confirmation. The vault stores text, not uploaded files.
- Sealed on Arrival: Archived records are sealed immediately and can't be edited afterwards.
3. Approvals Before Signing
Bylaws changes require consensus. Approvals happen in the Legal Hub before a document reaches the vault: governing documents (articles, bylaws, operating agreements, and trust agreements) need attorney approval and a board resolution before they can be signed, and member ratification votes run in the Governance module.