Seed backup guide

Back up your recovery phrase safely

Keep the words offline. Mark the plate carefully. Test it before you move funds.

Updated Sources

At a glance

A safe backup in four steps

  1. 01

    Use the wallet

    Let a trusted wallet create the phrase through its official setup process.

  2. 02

    Keep it offline

    Copy the words in order. Do not photograph, upload, or type them into another device.

  3. 03

    Mark and test

    Mark, re-check, and punch the plate. Then recover using the plate alone.

  4. 04

    Store it apart

    Keep the wallet and backup in separate, controlled locations.

Set up in private

Use a trusted wallet, current firmware, and a space without cameras.
  • Buy the wallet from its manufacturer or an authorized seller and complete its authenticity checks.
  • Install current firmware using the manufacturer’s official instructions.
  • Work slowly in a private space away from cameras, microphones, windows, and other people.

Let the wallet create the phrase

Use the wallet’s official setup. Never choose the words yourself.
  • Use the wallet’s documented new-wallet process and the word count it provides.
  • Confirm the words on the wallet device itself.
  • Do not choose, rearrange, or generate the words on a website or ordinary computer.
Optional: adding entropy

Some wallets can mix dice rolls or another supported source into their own randomness. This is optional.

  • Use only the method documented for your exact wallet model.
  • Keep the input private and meet the manufacturer’s stated minimum.
  • Do not build a phrase manually.

Skip this if you are unsure. Extra steps only help when they are done correctly.

Keep every word offline

No photos, cloud copies, or remote help.
  • Copy every word in its numbered position. Check spelling and order against the wallet display.
  • Do not photograph, scan, email, text, print, dictate, or save the phrase digitally.
  • Never enter it on Punchplate.com, in a support form, or on an ordinary connected computer.
  • Refuse help from anyone who asks to see or hear the words.

Mark the plate, then test it

  1. 1

    In private, use permanent marker to lay out every intended position on the Punchplate before punching.

  2. 2

    Check every ink mark against the original words and their order. Fix mistakes while they are still ink.

  3. 3

    Place the plate on a firm surface. Hold the punch vertically and punch only confirmed positions.

  4. 4

    Inspect each indent. If any mark could be misread, follow the product instructions or replace the plate.

  5. 5

    Put the original written words and every other copy out of view.

  6. 6

    Use the wallet’s backup-check feature or documented recovery process, using only the finished Punchplate as the source for the words.

  7. 7

    Confirm the expected wallet, account, or receiving address before moving a meaningful balance.

Do not reset your only working wallet just to run this test. Use its built-in backup checker or a spare trusted device when available.

If you use a passphrase

A missing or mistyped passphrase opens a different wallet.

A BIP-39 passphrase creates a different wallet from the same recovery words.

  • It is not the wallet PIN.
  • Record it exactly and include it in the recovery test. A typo opens a different wallet.
  • Plan where it will be stored and how an intended successor will find it.

If you cannot recover it years from now, do not use it.

Store the wallet and backup apart

Each complete plate may be enough to control the wallet.
  • Keep the Punchplate physically separate from the wallet it restores.
  • Control access to every complete copy. More copies reduce loss risk but create more places for exposure.
  • Do not label the plate in a way that advertises what it contains.
  • Leave recovery instructions for the right person without putting all secrets together.

Check it occasionally

Make sure the plate is present, readable, and stored as planned.
  • Confirm that the plate is present and readable without photographing it.
  • Review the plan after moving, changing wallets or passphrases, or changing who should recover it.
  • If you replace the wallet, test the new backup before moving funds or discarding the old one.

Before you move funds

Seven checks.
  • The wallet and firmware came from trusted, official sources.
  • The wallet created the phrase through its supported process.
  • No photograph, recording, printout, cloud copy, or other digital copy exists.
  • Every ink mark was checked before punching.
  • Every punched mark is clear and readable.
  • A test recovery used only the completed Punchplate as the source for the words.
  • Any passphrase and the expected wallet or address were included in the test.

Sources and limits

BIP-39 and wallet-security references.

References: BIP-39: Mnemonic code for generating deterministic keys and Bitcoin.org wallet security guidance. Follow the current official instructions for your wallet model.

This is general educational guidance. Punchplate records words in steel; it cannot verify your wallet, phrase, passphrase, storage plan, or recovery process. No setup is risk-free.

Choose a Punchplate that matches your wallet.

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