Vault Actions

Overview#

Once your vault is registered, six actions are available from the dashboard. All actions except Ping also move ETH or change your vault configuration. Every action resets your inactivity timer, confirming that the wallet is still actively controlled.

Deposit#

What it does: Adds ETH to your vault balance.

When to use it: Any time you want to bring ETH under Aeternum's recovery protection. You can deposit as many times as you like after the initial registration.

Gas cost: ~24,000–40,000 gas.

How: Click Deposit on the dashboard, enter the amount in ETH, and confirm the transaction. Your vault balance updates immediately after confirmation.

Send#

What it does: Transfers a specified amount of ETH from your vault to any Ethereum address — a normal wallet, a DeFi protocol, an exchange, or another contract. This includes your own connected wallet, making send() the right tool for partial withdrawals. Your vault acts as a standard sending wallet.

When to use it:

• When you want to withdraw part of your vault balance to your own wallet. Unlike withdrawAll(), which always withdraws your entire balance, send() lets you specify any amount — use it whenever you need partial access to your funds.
• When you want to pay a recipient, interact with a DeFi protocol, or move ETH to any on-chain address directly from your vault without first withdrawing to your primary wallet.

Gas cost: ~25,000–76,000 gas to a standard wallet address (higher if the recipient is a contract that executes code on receipt).

How: Click Send, enter the recipient address and the ETH amount, and confirm. The transaction deducts the amount from your vault balance and transfers it on-chain.

Withdraw#

What it does: Pulls your entire vault balance back to your connected wallet address in one transaction.

When to use it: When you want your ETH back without canceling your vault configuration. Your vault stays registered and active after a withdrawal — you can deposit again any time. Use send() if you want to withdraw a specific amount. withdrawAll() always withdraws your full balance.

Gas cost: ~32,000–43,000 gas.

How: Click Withdraw balance in the sidebar. The full balance is sent to your connected address. Confirm in your wallet. The vault balance drops to zero but the vault itself remains live.

Ping#

What it does: Resets your inactivity timer without moving any funds or changing any settings.

When to use it: When you are not planning any vault transactions but want to reset your inactivity timer — whether as a regular routine or because your deadline is approaching.

Gas cost: ~6400–31,000 gas — the cheapest possible vault interaction.

How: Click Ping on the dashboard and confirm the transaction. Your countdown timer resets to the full inactivity period.

The ping() function does exactly one thing:

function ping() external onlyRegistered {
    s_configs[msg.sender].lastActivity = block.timestamp;
    emit ActivityPinged(msg.sender, block.timestamp);
}

It is intentionally minimal. There is no risk of accidentally moving funds or changing settings by calling ping.

Update Config#

What it does: Changes your backup address, your inactivity period, or both. Resets your timer as a side effect.

When to use it:

• Your beneficiary or heir has changed — a new primary beneficiary or an updated estate plan that designates a different recipient.
• The designated backup address is no longer appropriate — it has been compromised, the intended recipient has lost access to it, or you have moved to a more secure arrangement such as a multisig held by trustees.
• Your interaction frequency has changed and you want to adjust the inactivity period to better reflect your current usage — longer if you expect extended periods of inactivity, shorter if you want a tighter safety window.

Gas cost: ~15,700–40,000 gas for a backup address update; ~13,300–38,000 gas for an inactivity period update, depending on your current configuration.

How: Click Update config in the sidebar. A modal opens with your current settings pre-filled. Change either or both values and confirm the transaction.

Cancel Recovery#

What it does: Withdraws your entire balance AND removes your vault from the monitoring system — in a single transaction.

When to use it: When you want to fully opt out of Aeternum protection and take your ETH back without any ongoing monitoring.

Gas cost: ~24,000–58,000 gas, depending on whether your vault holds a balance to refund.

How: Click Cancel recovery in the sidebar. A confirmation modal warns that this removes your vault from monitoring. Confirm the transaction. Your ETH is returned to your connected wallet, your address is deregistered, and your vault is marked inactive.

After cancellation: You can re-register at any time by clicking Register again. Your vault starts fresh with new settings.