# What are Sub-accounts and Sub-account paths?

Sub-accounts are a method through which we can structure our main account and additional ones according to our needs and actions that we wish to perform on the blockchain. The initial account we create is called the root account, and all the ones that come after are the sub-accounts. 

If we want to create a new account, it can be done by selecting the Derive sub-account option in the parent account's menu. This branching off of accounts can quickly lead to a significant path of related accounts that could be arranged according to a sub-account path for further structure. The format of a sub-account path is /\<soft> //\<hard> ///\<password> where:

* /soft connects accounts in a manner whose relationship can be proven.
* //hard means that the relation between accounts is not “visible” for public addresses.
* ///password provides an additional (optional) encryption strategy.

///password works when importing an account, but isn't supported when creating a new derived account.

![](/files/Q1xQGl0x8wMRTncYoXHG) ![](/files/CmweKWfF3BGlMz49ttsQ)


---

# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://docs.alephzero.org/aleph-zero/use/aleph-zero-signer/what-are-sub-accounts-and-sub-account-paths.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.