SecondBrain/reference/credvault-locked-status-is-...

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---
summary: Why credvault status showing a locked vault does not mean credvault operations will fail — per-operation auto-unlock behavior.
tags:
- type/reference
- tool/credvault
scope: global
date: 2026-07-13
---
# credvault "locked" status is not blocking
`credvault status` reporting `login_state: locked` / `vault_locked: true` does **not** mean
operations will fail. credvault auto-unlocks per operation using its secured master-password
file (`master_password_file_secure: true` in the same status output). "Locked" only means
there is no persistent session held between commands — by design.
Verified 2026-07-13: with status showing locked, an idempotent `credvault ensure` on an
existing key succeeded (`"result": "existing"`).
**Rule of thumb:** don't treat status-locked as a blocker or ask the human to unlock. Only a
genuine `authentication_failed` / `vault_locked` **error returned by an operation** requires
human intervention — and per the credential-management skill, never attempt to fix vault
auth yourself.
## Related
- [[credvault-bulk-call-behaviors]]