Controlled Multisigs Reference

Overview

A Controlled Multisig is a multisig with a set Config Authority. This allows the config authority to manipulate the Squad’s configuration without being subject to consensus, functioning as an admin.

Using a Controlled Multisig is not recommended for most use cases. Understand the tradeoffs before choosing this setup.

What is a Config Authority?

The configAuthority field in the Multisig account determines how configuration changes are made:

Value	Behavior
`Pubkey::default()`	Autonomous: Config changes require voting by members
Any other `Pubkey`	Controlled: Config changes require config authority signature

Autonomous vs Controlled

Autonomous Multisig (Recommended)

Config changes go through normal proposal and voting process
All members have input on membership and threshold changes
Most secure for decentralized governance
Set configAuthority: null when creating

const ix = await multisig.instructions.multisigCreateV2({
  // ... other params
  configAuthority: null, // Autonomous
});

Controlled Multisig

Config authority can make changes without voting
Single point of control for configuration
Useful for specific admin scenarios
Set configAuthority to a specific public key

const ix = await multisig.instructions.multisigCreateV2({
  // ... other params
  configAuthority: adminPublicKey, // Controlled
});

When to Use a Config Authority

Consider a Controlled Multisig only when:

A single admin needs absolute control over configuration
C-level executive requires specific config control
Regulatory requirements mandate admin override capabilities
Rapid configuration changes are operationally necessary

Available Config Authority Instructions

When a multisig has a Config Authority, use these special instructions:

Instruction	Description
Add Member	Add member without voting
Remove Member	Remove member without voting
Add Spending Limit	Add spending limit without voting
Remove Spending Limit	Remove spending limit without voting
Set Rent Collector	Set rent collector without voting

Security Considerations

Risk	Mitigation
Single point of failure	Use a multisig as the config authority
Key compromise	Implement key rotation policies
Unauthorized changes	Monitor config changes
Loss of access	Have backup recovery procedures

Overview

Getting Started

TypeScript SDK

Reference

API

Resources

Migration Guides

Controlled Multisigs Reference

Overview

What is a Config Authority?

Autonomous vs Controlled

Autonomous Multisig (Recommended)

Controlled Multisig

When to Use a Config Authority

Available Config Authority Instructions

Security Considerations

See Also

​Overview

​What is a Config Authority?

​Autonomous vs Controlled

​Autonomous Multisig (Recommended)

​Controlled Multisig

​When to Use a Config Authority

​Available Config Authority Instructions

​Security Considerations

​See Also

Overview

What is a Config Authority?

Autonomous vs Controlled

Autonomous Multisig (Recommended)

Controlled Multisig

When to Use a Config Authority

Available Config Authority Instructions

Security Considerations

See Also