Time Vault
Create a vault
Step-by-step setup of your first Time Vault — name it, add content, schedule, and pick the bypass difficulty.
Quick answer
A vault takes about five minutes to set up. The biggest decision is the bypass difficulty — start more permissive than you think you need; tighten as you learn how the structure feels.
Step-by-step
Open Time Vault
Dashboard → Time Vault at app.daybreakpath.com.
Click 'New vault'
Pick a name that makes the purpose obvious in three months: "Late-evening social", "Weekday gaming lock", "News spiral block". "Vault 1" tells you nothing.
Add content
- Websites — type the domain (e.g.
instagram.com,reddit.com). Paste in multiple at once with comma- separation. The Focus extension enforces these. - Apps — pick from the list of apps you've connected (mobile only currently; desktop app support varies by OS).
- Custom identifier — for use cases that don't fit either bucket.
Set the unlock schedule
Pick one:
- Time-based: specific hours each day (e.g. 9 PM – 7 AM).
- Day-based: specific days of the week (e.g. Mon–Fri).
- Combined: both — e.g. weeknights only.
- Always locked: vault stays locked until you manually request an unlock.
See Unlock schedules for the full schedule reference.
Choose bypass difficulty
| Difficulty | Behavior |
|---|---|
| Easy | Confirmation dialog, instant unlock |
| Medium | 30-second waiting period, then unlock |
| Hard | Accountability partner approves via push |
| Maximum | No bypass available until scheduled unlock |
Start with Medium. Move up to Hard or Maximum once you know the vault is right and the friction is doing useful work.
Save
Vault is active immediately. The first lock takes effect at the next scheduled lock window (or immediately if "always locked").
Tips
- One vault per category beats one vault for everything. Different content needs different schedules.
- Tell someone what you're doing, especially if you're setting up the Hard or Maximum difficulty. The structure works better with a person in the loop.
- Start with the highest-friction content. Vaulting your three biggest time sinks does more than vaulting fifteen marginal ones.
- Review monthly. Vaults that don't fire (no urge to bypass) can be loosened or removed; vaults you keep bypassing need their structure rethought.
Common pitfalls
Setting Maximum difficulty on day one
Without a sense of how often you'll legitimately need to bypass, Maximum can lock you out of important things. Start Medium for the first week, then tighten.
Vaulting work tools 'just in case'
If a tool you use for work is in a vault, you'll either bypass constantly or break the vault. Don't vault what you need; vault what you don't.
Next steps
- Unlock schedules — fine-tune the when.
- Managing vault content — add, remove, organize.
- Set up an accountability partner for Hard-difficulty bypass approvals.
Still need help?
Pick whichever way of getting help works best for you.
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