diff --git a/doc/CLI.md b/doc/CLI.md
index c287e4c74ff..29c494e3bed 100644
--- a/doc/CLI.md
+++ b/doc/CLI.md
@@ -161,6 +161,14 @@ For AWS-backed secrets, `secrets doctor` reports missing non-secret provider
 env and the expected AWS SDK runtime credential source; do not store AWS
 bootstrap credentials in Paperclip secrets.
 
+Per-company provider vaults (multiple vault instances per provider, default
+vault selection, coming-soon GCP/Vault) are configured from the board UI under
+`Company Settings → Secrets → Provider vaults` or through
+`/api/companies/{companyId}/secret-provider-configs`. There is no CLI surface
+for vault management today. See the
+[secrets deploy guide](../docs/deploy/secrets.md#provider-vaults) and
+[API reference](../docs/api/secrets.md#provider-vaults) for the contract.
+
 ## Approval Commands
 
 ```sh
diff --git a/doc/DEVELOPING.md b/doc/DEVELOPING.md
index 07a571d50c8..c9a2a19414c 100644
--- a/doc/DEVELOPING.md
+++ b/doc/DEVELOPING.md
@@ -480,6 +480,12 @@ CLI configuration support:
 - `pnpm paperclipai doctor` validates secrets adapter configuration, can create a missing local key file with `--repair`, and reports missing AWS Secrets Manager bootstrap env when that provider is selected.
 - Provider health is available at `GET /api/companies/:companyId/secret-providers/health` and reports local key permission warnings plus backup guidance.
 
+Per-company provider vaults are configured in the board UI under
+`Company Settings → Secrets → Provider vaults`, backed by
+`/api/companies/{companyId}/secret-provider-configs`. The CLI does not own
+vault lifecycle today. See `docs/deploy/secrets.md` (`Provider Vaults` section)
+for the operator model.
+
 Migration helper for existing inline env secrets:
 
 ```sh
diff --git a/doc/SECRETS-AWS-PROVIDER.md b/doc/SECRETS-AWS-PROVIDER.md
index 94d236adc7e..c7cce82e57a 100644
--- a/doc/SECRETS-AWS-PROVIDER.md
+++ b/doc/SECRETS-AWS-PROVIDER.md
@@ -8,6 +8,16 @@ Operational contract for the hosted `aws_secrets_manager` secret provider used b
 - Source of truth for secret values is AWS Secrets Manager, not Postgres.
 - Paperclip stores only metadata needed for ownership, bindings, version selection, audit, and runtime resolution.
 - AWS provider bootstrap credentials are deployment/runtime credentials, not Paperclip-managed company secrets.
+- Remote import for existing AWS secrets is metadata-only. Preview/import uses
+  AWS inventory metadata and creates Paperclip external references; it does not
+  copy plaintext into Paperclip.
+- Per-company AWS provider vaults (named instances of `aws_secrets_manager`
+  with their own region, namespace, prefix, KMS key id, and tags) are managed
+  in the board UI under `Company Settings → Secrets → Provider vaults`. See
+  [Provider Vaults](../docs/deploy/secrets.md#provider-vaults) for the operator
+  model and [Provider Vaults API](../docs/api/secrets.md#provider-vaults) for
+  the routes. The bootstrap trust model in this document still applies — vault
+  config carries non-sensitive routing metadata only, never AWS credentials.
 
 ## Bootstrap Trust Model
 
@@ -168,6 +178,64 @@ Operational expectation:
 - Paperclip-managed secrets may be deleted only by Paperclip or an operator with equivalent break-glass access.
 - External references may resolve through Paperclip runtime, but Paperclip should not delete the external secret resource.
 
+## Remote Import Inventory IAM
+
+Remote import preview needs one additional AWS permission:
+
+```json
+{
+  "Sid": "PaperclipRemoteSecretInventory",
+  "Effect": "Allow",
+  "Action": "secretsmanager:ListSecrets",
+  "Resource": "*"
+}
+```
+
+This is intentionally separate from the managed create/rotate/delete policy.
+AWS treats `ListSecrets` as an account/Region inventory action; do not document
+secret ARNs, names, tags, or AWS request filters as an IAM boundary for it. Use
+`Resource: "*"` and decide whether inventory exposure is acceptable for the AWS
+account and Region behind each provider vault.
+
+Remote import preview/import must not call:
+
+- `secretsmanager:GetSecretValue`
+- `secretsmanager:BatchGetSecretValue`
+- `kms:Decrypt`
+
+Those permissions are only needed later when a bound runtime resolves an
+imported external reference. For imported refs, scope read permissions to the
+operator-approved external prefixes that Paperclip is allowed to consume:
+
+```json
+{
+  "Sid": "PaperclipResolveImportedExternalReferences",
+  "Effect": "Allow",
+  "Action": "secretsmanager:GetSecretValue",
+  "Resource": [
+    "arn:aws:secretsmanager:<region>:<account-id>:secret:<approved-external-prefix>/*"
+  ]
+}
+```
+
+If selected external secrets use customer-managed KMS keys, also grant
+`kms:Decrypt` and `kms:DescribeKey` on those keys. Keep managed write/delete
+permissions scoped to `paperclip/<deployment-id>/*`; do not broaden them for
+remote import.
+
+Safe scoping guidance:
+
+- Prefer one Paperclip runtime role per environment/account.
+- Point provider vaults at the intended AWS account and Region instead of a
+  broad central admin role.
+- Enable `ListSecrets` only in accounts where inventory exposure is acceptable.
+- Keep preview/import board-only; agent API keys must not call these routes.
+- Treat AWS tag/name filters as search UX only, not permission enforcement.
+
+Paperclip also blocks importing refs under its own managed namespace as
+external references. Use the Paperclip-managed flow for
+`paperclip/{deploymentId}/{companyId}/{secretKey}` resources.
+
 ## Existing AWS Secrets
 
 V1 keeps existing AWS Secrets Manager entries as **linked external references**, not adopted
@@ -237,6 +305,7 @@ Symptoms:
 
 - Secret create/rotate/resolve operations fail with AWS provider errors.
 - Agent runs fail before adapter invocation on required secret resolution.
+- Remote import preview fails to list AWS inventory.
 
 Immediate actions:
 
@@ -246,6 +315,21 @@ Immediate actions:
 4. Retry a single resolution after AWS service health is green.
 5. If outage persists, pause high-risk runs that require secret access rather than churning retries.
 
+Remote import-specific actions:
+
+- Missing list permission: add `secretsmanager:ListSecrets` with
+  `Resource: "*"` only when inventory import is approved for that vault's
+  AWS account and Region.
+- Throttling: narrow the search, wait briefly, and retry with backoff. Avoid
+  full-account enumeration.
+- Invalid or stale cursor: refresh the preview and discard the old
+  `NextToken`.
+- Large account: load pages intentionally, keep one in-flight preview request
+  per vault/search, and do not run background full-account crawls.
+- Runtime read failure after import: verify `GetSecretValue` and KMS decrypt
+  on the selected external secret. Visibility in `ListSecrets` does not prove
+  read permission.
+
 ## Incident Response Runbook
 
 Potential incidents:
@@ -258,7 +342,9 @@ Response steps:
 
 1. Stop or pause affected Paperclip runs.
 2. Audit recent Paperclip secret access events for impacted secret ids and consumers.
-3. Audit AWS CloudTrail for `GetSecretValue`, `PutSecretValue`, and `DeleteSecret` calls on the deployment prefix.
+3. Audit AWS CloudTrail for `ListSecrets`, `GetSecretValue`,
+   `PutSecretValue`, and `DeleteSecret` calls on the relevant vault account,
+   Region, deployment prefix, and approved external prefixes.
 4. Rotate impacted secrets in AWS through Paperclip-managed versioning.
 5. Re-scope IAM and KMS policies before resuming normal traffic.
 6. If a value may have reached an agent transcript or external system, treat it as exposed and rotate immediately.
diff --git a/docs/api/secrets.md b/docs/api/secrets.md
index d6441e8e2b6..93a56b60803 100644
--- a/docs/api/secrets.md
+++ b/docs/api/secrets.md
@@ -62,6 +62,308 @@ The equivalent CLI check is:
 pnpm paperclipai secrets doctor --company-id {companyId}
 ```
 
+## Provider Vaults
+
+Provider vaults are named, company-scoped configurations that route secret
+material to one of the supported provider backends. See the
+[secrets deploy guide](/deploy/secrets#provider-vaults) for the operator model
+and custody rules.
+
+All routes below require board auth and company access. Mutating routes emit
+`secret_provider_config.*` activity-log entries. No route in this surface
+returns provider credential values; submitting credential-shaped fields in
+`config` is rejected at validation time.
+
+### List Vaults
+
+```
+GET /api/companies/{companyId}/secret-provider-configs
+```
+
+Returns every vault for the company (including disabled rows for audit), each
+with id, provider, displayName, status, isDefault, non-sensitive `config`,
+latest health snapshot (`healthStatus`, `healthCheckedAt`, `healthMessage`,
+`healthDetails`), `disabledAt`, and audit columns.
+
+### Create Vault
+
+```
+POST /api/companies/{companyId}/secret-provider-configs
+{
+  "provider": "aws_secrets_manager",
+  "displayName": "Prod US-East",
+  "isDefault": true,
+  "config": {
+    "region": "us-east-1",
+    "namespace": "paperclip",
+    "secretNamePrefix": "paperclip",
+    "kmsKeyId": "arn:aws:kms:us-east-1:123456789012:key/abcd-...",
+    "environmentTag": "production"
+  }
+}
+```
+
+Per-provider `config` shapes:
+
+- `local_encrypted`: optional `backupReminderAcknowledged: boolean`.
+- `aws_secrets_manager`: required `region`; optional `namespace`,
+  `secretNamePrefix`, `kmsKeyId`, `ownerTag`, `environmentTag`.
+- `gcp_secret_manager` (coming soon): optional `projectId`, `location`,
+  `namespace`, `secretNamePrefix`.
+- `vault` (coming soon): optional origin-only HTTPS `address`, `namespace`,
+  `mountPath`, `secretPathPrefix`. `address` values with embedded credentials,
+  paths, query strings, or fragments are rejected.
+
+`status` defaults to `ready` for `local_encrypted` and `aws_secrets_manager`,
+and to `coming_soon` for `gcp_secret_manager` and `vault`. Coming-soon and
+disabled vaults cannot be marked `isDefault`. Setting `isDefault: true` clears
+the previous default for the same provider in the same transaction.
+
+### Get Vault
+
+```
+GET /api/secret-provider-configs/{id}
+```
+
+### Update Vault
+
+```
+PATCH /api/secret-provider-configs/{id}
+{
+  "displayName": "Prod US-East-2",
+  "config": {
+    "region": "us-east-2",
+    "kmsKeyId": "arn:aws:kms:us-east-2:123456789012:key/abcd-..."
+  }
+}
+```
+
+`config` is replaced wholesale on update — pass the full provider config
+payload, not a partial diff. Status transitions for `gcp_secret_manager` and
+`vault` are constrained to `coming_soon` and `disabled` until their runtime
+modules ship.
+
+### Disable Vault
+
+```
+DELETE /api/secret-provider-configs/{id}
+```
+
+Soft-deletes the vault: status flips to `disabled`, `isDefault` clears, and
+`disabledAt` is stamped. Disabled vaults remain in `GET` results for audit
+purposes but are no longer offered in the secret create/rotate flow.
+
+### Set Default
+
+```
+POST /api/secret-provider-configs/{id}/default
+```
+
+Marks the target vault as the default for its provider family and clears the
+previous default. Returns 422 when the target is `coming_soon` or `disabled`.
+
+### Run Health Check
+
+```
+POST /api/secret-provider-configs/{id}/health
+```
+
+Runs a provider-specific health probe and persists the result on the vault.
+Response shape:
+
+```json
+{
+  "configId": "<uuid>",
+  "provider": "aws_secrets_manager",
+  "status": "ready" | "warning" | "error" | "coming_soon" | "disabled",
+  "message": "Provider vault is ready to handle managed writes",
+  "details": {
+    "code": "provider_ready",
+    "message": "...",
+    "guidance": ["..."]
+  },
+  "checkedAt": "2026-05-06T14:00:00.000Z"
+}
+```
+
+Health responses never include provider credentials or secret values. For AWS
+vaults, `details.guidance` may include missing non-secret env names and the
+expected AWS SDK credential source; coming-soon vaults always return
+`status: "coming_soon"` with `code: "runtime_locked"` and never call into
+provider modules.
+
+### Selecting A Vault When Creating Or Rotating Secrets
+
+`POST /api/companies/{companyId}/secrets` and
+`POST /api/secrets/{secretId}/rotate` both accept an optional
+`providerConfigId` field that pins the secret to a specific vault. When
+omitted (or null), the operation runs through the deployment-level provider
+configuration — the same path existing installs already use. The board UI
+preselects the company's default vault for the chosen provider before
+submitting, so callers should usually send an explicit `providerConfigId`.
+Coming-soon and disabled vaults are rejected with a 422; a vault that does not
+match the secret's provider is rejected the same way.
+
+```json
+POST /api/companies/{companyId}/secrets
+{
+  "name": "prod-stripe-key",
+  "provider": "aws_secrets_manager",
+  "providerConfigId": "<vault-uuid>",
+  "managedMode": "external_reference",
+  "externalRef": "arn:aws:secretsmanager:us-east-1:123456789012:secret:paperclip/prod/stripe"
+}
+```
+
+### Response Redaction Rules
+
+Every route in this surface enforces the same redaction contract:
+
+- Secret values are never returned. The board UI never has a "reveal value"
+  affordance; resolution happens server-side at runtime under a binding.
+- Provider credential values are never accepted, stored, returned, logged, or
+  echoed in error messages. Submitting credential-shaped fields fails
+  validation with a non-leaking error.
+- Activity log entries record vault id, provider, displayName, status, and
+  isDefault transitions — never `config` payloads or health detail bodies.
+
+## Remote Import From AWS Secrets Manager
+
+Remote import links existing AWS Secrets Manager entries into Paperclip as
+`external_reference` secrets. Import stores provider reference metadata only; it
+does not copy the remote secret plaintext into Paperclip.
+
+The routes are board-only and company-scoped. `providerConfigId` must point to
+a same-company AWS provider vault with status `ready` or `warning`. Disabled,
+coming-soon, non-AWS, and cross-company vaults are rejected. Imported secrets
+resolve later through the selected vault, so runtime reads still need
+`secretsmanager:GetSecretValue` and any required KMS decrypt permission on the
+selected external secret.
+
+### Preview Remote Import Candidates
+
+```
+POST /api/companies/{companyId}/secrets/remote-import/preview
+{
+  "providerConfigId": "<aws-vault-uuid>",
+  "query": "stripe",
+  "nextToken": "opaque-provider-token",
+  "pageSize": 50
+}
+```
+
+`query` is optional and is passed to AWS Secrets Manager inventory filtering.
+Treat it as non-secret metadata because AWS may record list request parameters
+in CloudTrail. `nextToken` is an opaque AWS cursor; callers must pass it back
+unchanged and must not synthesize offsets. `pageSize` is optional, defaults to
+50 in the UI, and is capped at 100.
+
+Preview uses AWS `ListSecrets` only. It must not call `GetSecretValue` or
+`BatchGetSecretValue`, must not request `SecretString`, and must not require KMS
+decrypt. The response contains sanitized metadata for display and conflict
+decisions:
+
+```json
+{
+  "providerConfigId": "<aws-vault-uuid>",
+  "provider": "aws_secrets_manager",
+  "nextToken": null,
+  "candidates": [
+    {
+      "externalRef": "arn:aws:secretsmanager:us-east-1:123456789012:secret:prod/stripe",
+      "remoteName": "prod/stripe",
+      "name": "prod/stripe",
+      "key": "prod-stripe",
+      "providerVersionRef": null,
+      "providerMetadata": {
+        "createdDate": "2026-05-06T00:00:00.000Z",
+        "lastChangedDate": "2026-05-06T00:00:00.000Z",
+        "hasDescription": true,
+        "hasKmsKey": true,
+        "tagCount": 3
+      },
+      "status": "ready",
+      "importable": true,
+      "conflicts": []
+    }
+  ]
+}
+```
+
+Candidate statuses:
+
+- `ready`: the row can be selected for import.
+- `duplicate`: a Paperclip secret already links the same canonical provider
+  reference for the same provider vault.
+- `conflict`: the row has a name/key collision or provider guardrail failure.
+
+Conflict types are `exact_reference`, `name`, `key`, and
+`provider_guardrail`. AWS refs under Paperclip's own managed namespace are
+blocked as external references; use the Paperclip-managed secret flow for those
+resources instead.
+
+### Import Selected Remote References
+
+```
+POST /api/companies/{companyId}/secrets/remote-import
+{
+  "providerConfigId": "<aws-vault-uuid>",
+  "secrets": [
+    {
+      "externalRef": "arn:aws:secretsmanager:us-east-1:123456789012:secret:prod/stripe",
+      "name": "Stripe production key",
+      "key": "stripe-production-key",
+      "description": "Stripe key used by production checkout",
+      "providerVersionRef": null,
+      "providerMetadata": {
+        "createdDate": "2026-05-06T00:00:00.000Z"
+      }
+    }
+  ]
+}
+```
+
+The `secrets` array accepts 1-100 rows. Each row may override the suggested
+Paperclip `name`, `key`, optional Paperclip `description`,
+`providerVersionRef`, and sanitized `providerMetadata`. Blank descriptions are
+stored as `null`; AWS provider descriptions are not copied into Paperclip
+descriptions. The backend re-checks duplicate refs and name/key conflicts at
+submit time; a stale preview does not bypass those checks.
+
+The import response is row-level:
+
+```json
+{
+  "providerConfigId": "<aws-vault-uuid>",
+  "provider": "aws_secrets_manager",
+  "importedCount": 1,
+  "skippedCount": 1,
+  "errorCount": 0,
+  "results": [
+    {
+      "externalRef": "arn:aws:secretsmanager:us-east-1:123456789012:secret:prod/stripe",
+      "name": "Stripe production key",
+      "key": "stripe-production-key",
+      "status": "imported",
+      "reason": null,
+      "secretId": "<paperclip-secret-id>",
+      "conflicts": []
+    }
+  ]
+}
+```
+
+Row statuses:
+
+- `imported`: Paperclip created an active `external_reference` secret and one
+  metadata-only version row.
+- `skipped`: the row had an exact-reference duplicate or name/key conflict.
+- `error`: the provider rejected the reference or the row failed validation.
+
+Activity logs for preview/import store aggregate counts, provider id, and vault
+id only. They must not store remote secret names, ARNs, descriptions, tags,
+plaintext values, provider credentials, or raw AWS error blobs.
+
 ## Rotate Secret
 
 ```
diff --git a/docs/cli/setup-commands.md b/docs/cli/setup-commands.md
index 977f463a4fc..f6284aba01d 100644
--- a/docs/cli/setup-commands.md
+++ b/docs/cli/setup-commands.md
@@ -82,6 +82,13 @@ pnpm paperclipai configure --section secrets
 pnpm paperclipai configure --section storage
 ```
 
+`--section secrets` updates the deployment-level provider used as the fallback
+for secrets that do not target a specific company vault. Per-company provider
+vaults (named instances, default vault selection, multiple vaults per provider,
+coming-soon GCP/Vault) live in the board UI under
+`Company Settings → Secrets → Provider vaults` and the
+`/api/companies/{companyId}/secret-provider-configs` API.
+
 ## `paperclipai env`
 
 Show resolved environment configuration:
diff --git a/docs/deploy/secrets.md b/docs/deploy/secrets.md
index 6e481c41e12..41fa9df3757 100644
--- a/docs/deploy/secrets.md
+++ b/docs/deploy/secrets.md
@@ -128,11 +128,215 @@ For hosted Paperclip Cloud on AWS, see the AWS Secrets Manager operational
 contract — required env vars, IAM/KMS scoping, naming and tag conventions, and
 backup/rotation/incident runbooks — in `doc/SECRETS-AWS-PROVIDER.md`.
 
+## Provider Vaults
+
+A *provider vault* is a named, company-scoped configuration that points secret
+material at one of the supported provider backends. Each company can configure
+multiple vaults, including more than one vault per provider family, and pick a
+default vault per family for new secret operations. Existing secrets created
+before any vault was configured continue to resolve through the deployment-level
+default provider — no migration is required.
+
+### Where to configure
+
+Open `Company Settings → Secrets` in the board UI and switch to the
+`Provider vaults` tab. From there you can:
+
+- Create a vault for any supported provider family.
+- Edit the non-secret config of an existing vault.
+- Set one ready vault per provider family as the company default.
+- Disable a vault (a soft delete that keeps audit history).
+- Run a health check against a vault and read the latest result inline.
+
+The same operations are exposed under
+`/api/companies/{companyId}/secret-provider-configs` for automation. See the
+[secrets API reference](/api/secrets#provider-vaults) for the full route table.
+
+### Custody Of Provider Credentials
+
+Provider vaults intentionally store only **non-sensitive** configuration:
+region, project id, namespace, prefix, KMS key id, mount path, address, and
+similar routing metadata. The API, UI, and activity log never accept, return,
+or display provider credential values. Submitting fields with names like
+`accessKeyId`, `secretAccessKey`, `token`, `password`, `serviceAccountJson`,
+`privateKey`, `keyFile`, `unsealKey`, or any common credential alias is rejected
+at validation time.
+
+That keeps the bootstrap rule from the AWS provider applicable to every
+provider family: **provider credentials live in deployment infrastructure
+identity, not in Paperclip company secrets**. Allowed credential sources are
+workload identity attached to the Paperclip server (instance profile, IRSA, ECS
+task role), `AWS_PROFILE` / SSO / shared config for local runs, an orchestrator
+secret store that boots the server, or short-lived shell credentials for local
+development. Do not paste long-lived API keys into the vault config.
+
+### Vault Status
+
+Each vault carries a status that drives what the runtime can do with it:
+
+| Status        | Meaning                                                                                       |
+|---------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
+| `ready`       | Selectable for create/rotate/resolve. Eligible to be the default.                             |
+| `warning`     | Saved config exists but health needs attention (for example missing AWS env). Still selectable. |
+| `coming_soon` | Visible and editable as draft metadata, but locked out of all runtime operations.            |
+| `disabled`    | Soft-deleted. Hidden from the secret create/rotate flow.                                      |
+
+`gcp_secret_manager` and `vault` are pinned to `coming_soon` until their
+runtime modules ship. The settings UI lets you save draft configuration for
+those providers (and surfaces them on the vault list), but secret create,
+rotate, and resolve calls that target a coming-soon vault fail with a clear
+runtime-locked error.
+
+### Default Vault Behavior
+
+A company can mark **one** ready (or warning) vault per provider family as the
+default. The secret create and rotate dialogs preselect the default vault for
+the chosen provider so operators don't have to remember which vault to pick.
+Coming-soon and disabled vaults cannot be marked default; attempting to do so
+returns a validation error. Setting a new default automatically clears the
+previous default for that provider.
+
+If a secret is created without any `providerConfigId` (no vaults exist yet, or
+the operator clears the selector), runtime resolution falls back to the
+deployment-level provider configuration — the same path existing installs use.
+This keeps secrets created before any provider vault was configured working
+without migration. Picking the default in the UI is an explicit selection, not
+a runtime fallback: the create call still sends an explicit `providerConfigId`.
+
+### Multiple Vaults Per Provider
+
+Multiple vaults from the same provider family are first-class. Common patterns:
+
+- Two AWS vaults pointing at different regions or KMS keys for environment
+  separation.
+- A staging Vault address alongside a production address.
+- A dedicated GCP project for a single product line while the rest of the
+  company uses another.
+
+Each vault has its own display name, status, default flag, and health record.
+Operators choose the vault explicitly when creating or rotating a secret; the
+default vault is preselected to avoid accidental routing to the wrong account.
+
+### Per-Vault Health Checks
+
+`POST /api/secret-provider-configs/{id}/health` runs a provider-specific health
+probe and stores the result on the vault row. The settings UI exposes the same
+action and renders the result inline. Health responses include a status,
+operator-facing message, and structured guidance (such as missing env var
+names, expected credential sources, and backup reminders). They never include
+provider credentials or secret values. Coming-soon vaults always return a
+`runtime_locked` health code and never call into provider modules.
+
+### Provider-Specific Notes
+
+**Local encrypted vaults** wrap the existing `local_encrypted` provider. The
+master key path and rotation guidance described above still applies. A local
+vault config is mostly bookkeeping plus an explicit acknowledgement that the
+key file is backed up alongside the database.
+
+**AWS Secrets Manager vaults** read the per-vault `region`, `namespace`,
+`secretNamePrefix`, `kmsKeyId`, `ownerTag`, and `environmentTag` to route
+managed writes and external-reference reads. The vault config supplements (and
+can override) the deployment-level `PAPERCLIP_SECRETS_AWS_*` env. Bootstrap
+credentials still come from the AWS SDK default credential chain — see
+`doc/SECRETS-AWS-PROVIDER.md` for the full IAM and KMS contract.
+
+**GCP Secret Manager** and **HashiCorp Vault** vaults are coming soon. You can
+save draft `projectId`, `location`, `namespace`, `address`, and `mountPath`
+metadata so the company is ready to flip them on when the provider modules
+ship. Vault `address` values must be origin-only `http(s)://host[:port]` URLs;
+addresses with embedded credentials, paths, query strings, or fragments are
+rejected.
+
+### Remote Import From AWS Vaults
+
+AWS provider vaults can import existing AWS Secrets Manager entries as
+Paperclip `external_reference` secrets. This is a metadata-only link: Paperclip
+stores the AWS ARN/path, a fingerprint/version reference, and binding metadata.
+It does not read, copy, store, log, or display the remote plaintext secret
+value during preview or import.
+
+Operator flow in the board UI:
+
+1. Open `Company Settings -> Secrets`.
+2. Confirm at least one AWS provider vault is `ready` or `warning`.
+3. In the `Secrets` tab, choose `Import from vault`.
+4. Select an AWS vault, search the remote inventory, and load more pages as
+   needed.
+5. Check the rows to import, review/edit the Paperclip name and key, then
+   submit.
+6. Review the result summary for created, skipped, and failed rows.
+
+The preview list is intentionally paged and search-first. AWS accounts can have
+large per-Region inventories, and `ListSecrets` returns opaque `NextToken`
+cursors. Do not expect Paperclip to crawl a whole account in the background;
+load pages deliberately and retry throttled requests with backoff.
+
+Remote import exposes AWS secret metadata visible to the Paperclip runtime
+role, including names/ARNs and safe derived fields such as dates, whether a
+description or KMS key exists, and tag count. Treat names, ARNs, tags, and
+search text as operational metadata that may be sensitive. The API and activity
+log must not store raw descriptions, tags, plaintext values, provider
+credentials, or raw AWS error blobs.
+
+Required AWS posture:
+
+- Preview needs optional `secretsmanager:ListSecrets` permission on
+  `Resource: "*"`. AWS does not support constraining `ListSecrets` to
+  individual secret ARNs or tags as an IAM boundary.
+- Preview/import must not call `secretsmanager:GetSecretValue`,
+  `secretsmanager:BatchGetSecretValue`, or KMS decrypt.
+- Runtime resolution of an imported reference still needs
+  `secretsmanager:GetSecretValue` on the selected external ARN/path and KMS
+  decrypt when that secret uses a customer-managed key.
+- Keep managed create/rotate/delete permissions scoped to the Paperclip
+  deployment prefix. Do not broaden managed write/delete permissions just
+  because import inventory is enabled.
+
+Safe scoping comes from deployment posture rather than AWS list filtering:
+dedicated Paperclip runtime roles per environment/account, AWS vaults pointed at
+the intended account and Region, import-enabled roles only where inventory
+exposure is acceptable, and board-only access to the import routes. Tags and
+name filters are search aids, not a permission model.
+
+If import preview fails:
+
+- `AccessDenied` or `not authorized`: the runtime role is missing
+  `secretsmanager:ListSecrets`; add the optional inventory statement only if
+  remote import should be enabled for that vault.
+- Throttling: retry after a short delay and narrow the search before loading
+  more pages.
+- Invalid cursor: refresh the preview; AWS `NextToken` values are opaque and
+  can expire or become stale.
+- Runtime resolution failure after import: verify `GetSecretValue` and KMS
+  decrypt scope for the selected external secret. Being visible in inventory is
+  not proof that the runtime role can read the value.
+
+### Backup And Restore
+
+Each provider family has a different backup story:
+
+- `local_encrypted`: back up the local master key file and the Paperclip
+  database together. Either alone is not enough to restore the encrypted
+  values, and the vault row only records the path and acknowledgement, not the
+  key bytes.
+- `aws_secrets_manager`: back up Paperclip's database for vault metadata
+  (vault id, region, prefix, KMS key id, default flag, bindings, version
+  pointers). The actual secret values live in AWS Secrets Manager under the
+  configured prefix; restore by pointing the same Paperclip company at the
+  same AWS namespace and confirming the runtime role still has
+  `GetSecretValue` plus KMS decrypt. The full restore checklist lives in
+  `doc/SECRETS-AWS-PROVIDER.md`.
+- `gcp_secret_manager` and `vault`: while these are coming soon, only the
+  draft vault config exists in Paperclip. Database backups capture it. There
+  is nothing to restore on the provider side until runtime support lands.
+
 ### AWS Provider Bootstrap Boundary
 
 The AWS Secrets Manager provider cannot bootstrap itself from Paperclip
 `company_secrets`. Its initial AWS access must be present before the server can
-create or resolve AWS-backed company secrets.
+create or resolve AWS-backed company secrets, regardless of whether you use the
+deployment-level default or a per-company vault.
 
 For Paperclip Cloud, provision the server runtime IAM role/workload identity,
 KMS key, deployment prefix, and non-secret `PAPERCLIP_SECRETS_AWS_*` environment