How to backup 12-word Counterwallet passphrase?

Counterwallet pass-phrase cannot be reset (restored, recovered)

It is so by design. It is impossible for Counterwallet or anyone from the Counterparty Project to help you recover your (or anybody else’s) pass-phrase simply because we never know what it is.

a) When you create a wallet, the 12-word pass phrase is generated client-side by using JavaScript. Even then the server does not know what it is. Besides, you can make up your own pass phrase by picking any 12 words from the long list.

b) When you log on to Counterwallet using your pass-phrase, it is used to decrypt your wallet on the client. Your pass phrase is never sent to the server.

c) When you create a Quick Access URL and protect it with a password, Counterwallet also does not have access either to the URL or to your password.

If Counterwallet had a way to access your pass phrase (which it doesn’t), then it would also have to be able to access everyone’s wallet, which would be unacceptable. And in order to allow you to recover or reset it, it would need to know your identity by way of email, ID or phone number. As you probably noticed, this is never asked for simply because Counterwallet does not have knowledge of anyone’s pass phrase.

Securing and safeguarding your pass-phrase

By default the creator of each wallet is the only person who has the knowledge of that wallet’s pass-phrase. Because of that he is the only person who can protect that pass-phrase.

  1. Having a paper copy (or a backup copy of some archive or file with your pass phrase on a secure location separate from the system where you store it or the both) is a basic precaution that we recommend to each new Counterwallet user when we ask them to write down their pass phrase before they start using Counterwallet. Please write down your pass-phrase and store it in safe place or even two.

  2. In case you decide to store your pass-phrase inside of a local file on your system, make redundant copies of the file elsewhere, encrypt them if you want and keep those copies in a safe place.

  3. Do not store this file unprotected on Internet-connected systems (phone, PC, notebook, etc.).

  4. Make the file which contains pass phrase file read-only. This will not save you from disk crash, keyloggers, Trojans and so on (see precautions), but it may save you from accidental deletion of the file.

  5. Try to remember your pass phrase.

  6. Read about different backup strategies on the Internet and use implement additional or better approaches if you like them. For example you could also backup the private key of each address from your Counterwallet. This would allow you to access the addresses from any wallet (including Bitcoin-Core), but it’d be no different or “better” than having a backup of your pass phrase.