> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://build.onswig.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Add a Guardian After Wallet Creation

You can add guardian recovery after a wallet already exists, as long as the
wallet's current authority can still sign.

Use this flow when the wallet was created first and recovery needs to be turned
on afterward.

## What happens in this flow

The setup still happens in two steps:

1. add the hidden recovery-authority role
2. configure the guardian public key and recovery delay

The hosted endpoints behind this flow are:

* `POST /transaction/wallet/recovery-authority/add`
* `POST /transaction/recovery/configure`

## Prepare the setup

```typescript theme={null}
const wallet = swig.wallets.use(existingWallet);

const setup = await wallet.recovery.prepareSetup({
  feePayer,
  requesterAuthority,
  guardianPubkey,
  delaySeconds: 86_400,
});
```

This returns:

* `setup.addAuthorityTransaction`
* `setup.configureRecoveryTransaction`

## Signing model

| Transaction                          | Who signs                                      |
| :----------------------------------- | :--------------------------------------------- |
| `setup.addAuthorityTransaction`      | the wallet's current authority                 |
| `setup.configureRecoveryTransaction` | the backend recovery operator already signs it |

After the current authority signs `addAuthorityTransaction`, the remaining work
is fee-payer or sponsor submission for the configure transaction.

## When to use this page instead of initial recovery setup

* use [Set Up Recovery](/developer-sdk/recovery-setup) when recovery is part of
  the initial wallet create flow
* use this page when the wallet already exists and you are enabling recovery later