---
title: "Initialize a new Vault."
method: POST
path: "/sys/init"
tags: ["system"]
---

# Initialize a new Vault.

`POST /sys/init`

The Vault must not have been previously initialized. The recovery options, as well as the stored shares option, are only available when using Vault HSM.

## Request body

- SystemInitRequest
  - `pgp_keys` string[] — Specifies an array of PGP public keys used to encrypt the output unseal keys. Ordering is preserved. The keys must be base64-encoded from their original binary representation. The size of this array must be the same as `secret_shares`.
  - `recovery_pgp_keys` string[] — Specifies an array of PGP public keys used to encrypt the output recovery keys. Ordering is preserved. The keys must be base64-encoded from their original binary representation. The size of this array must be the same as `recovery_shares`.
  - `recovery_shares` integer — Specifies the number of shares to split the recovery key into.
  - `recovery_threshold` integer — Specifies the number of shares required to reconstruct the recovery key. This must be less than or equal to `recovery_shares`.
  - `root_token_pgp_key` string — Specifies a PGP public key used to encrypt the initial root token. The key must be base64-encoded from its original binary representation.
  - `secret_shares` integer — Specifies the number of shares to split the unseal key into.
  - `secret_threshold` integer — Specifies the number of shares required to reconstruct the unseal key. This must be less than or equal secret_shares. If using Vault HSM with auto-unsealing, this value must be the same as `secret_shares`.
  - `stored_shares` integer — Specifies the number of shares that should be encrypted by the HSM and stored for auto-unsealing. Currently must be the same as `secret_shares`.

## Response `200`

OK

---

[API](https://skmtc.net/lensesio/apis/hashicorp-vault-api.md) · [All operations](https://skmtc.net/lensesio/apis/hashicorp-vault-api/llms.txt) · [OpenAPI document](https://skmtc-service-staging.skmtc.workers.dev/v1/apis/lensesio/hashicorp-vault-api/versions/bd8194de0697/schema)