Being a responsible keyholder

Holding someone's key is about trust. CageCheck gives you real control over their lock, but some things always belong to the person you hold, and you can't switch them off.

What always belongs to them

• Emergency unlock. They can end their lock at any moment, even though you hold the key. It never costs anything. See Emergency unlock.
• Their safeword. They can decline any task or penance, with no penalty and nothing issued for it. See Safeword.
• Their hard limits. Only they can set or change them, and you can't require a live penance that goes against them. See Hard limits.
• Taking a break. They can pause tasks and penances, and only they can resume a pause they started. See Pause tasks and penances.
• Ending the pairing. Either of you can end it at any time. See Pair with a keyholder.

What you're told

• Emergency unlock: you get an alert, "Riley used emergency unlock", with their note if they wrote one. Their lock has already ended, and it shows as Emergency unlock under Past locks with you.
• Safeword: you get "Riley used their safeword on a task" (or "on a penance"), with their note if they wrote one, and "No penalty applies. Talk it through with them." The task or penance shows Safeword used. If it was a live penance, the call or live ends and any recording in progress is deleted.
• Hard limits: when they change them, you're told what changed, including any open penance that was changed to fit.

Good practice

• Talk before you pair. Agree on what you both want, and read their hard limits before you set anything. If they haven't written any, ask.
• Check their hard limits every time you set a task or penance.
• Never punish emergency unlock or a safeword. Don't set the same thing again, and don't push them to drop a limit. When they use one, check in with them kindly.
• Keep penances proportionate. Nothing should ever risk their health or safety.
• Give breaks when they're needed: a timed release for cleaning, a doctor's visit or travel, or a yes to a check-in exception when they can't make a check-in.
• Answer release requests. If the answer is no, tap Not now on their page and add a kind word, so they aren't left waiting (see Manage their lock).
• Treat their check-in photos and proof as private. They're shared with you in trust.

When a lock goes quiet

A lock ends on its own after 5 days without a check-in, and never before a check-in has been overdue for a full day. You're warned about a day before it ends ("Riley's lock ends in 24 hours"), a red line on their page says when, and you're told when it ends. It then shows as No check-ins under Past locks with you.

It keeps going if they check in, or if you approve a check-in exception they've sent for the missed check-in. A quiet lock can mean someone is unwell or away, so send them a message. See When a lock ends on its own.

If something isn't right

If you're worried about someone you hold, message them. If someone makes you uncomfortable, you can end the pairing, or use ••• on their page or profile to report or block them. Blocking ends the pairing straight away. Reports are confidential, and moderators review every one.