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Templates

Master key plan template for Excel and PDF

Record which key opens which door: as an Excel cross matrix with an example, or as a PDF template to fill in on screen or print.

Download the Excel template Fillable PDF template

Free · no sign-up · Excel, Google Sheets and PDF

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Three ways to your master key plan

  • Excel template (.xlsx)

    Four sheets: guide, plan, example and changes. Room for 24 keys and 100 doors; keys per door and doors per key are counted for you.

    Download the Excel template

  • Google Sheets

    Creates your own copy in your Google account.

    Make a copy in Google Sheets

    opens Google Sheets in your Google account

  • Fillable PDF template

    Plan sheet in landscape with 20 doors and 16 key columns: fill it in on screen and tick the crosses with a click, or print it blank and fill it in by hand.

    Download the PDF template

How to make your copy in Google Sheets

  1. Click “Make a copy in Google Sheets” and sign in to your Google account if you aren’t already. A free account is enough.

  2. Google asks whether you want to copy the document. Confirm with “Make a copy”. The copy is then saved in your Google Drive under “My Drive”.

  3. Rename the copy, for example after the building, and start entering. The copy is yours: Log+Key can’t see your entries. To work on it with colleagues, use “Share”.

“Example” sheet of the master key plan template in Excel: eight doors as rows, eight keys as columns, the crosses shaded, the “Keys per door” count to their left
The “Example” sheet: one row per door, one column per key, and the counts work themselves out.

In brief

A master key plan is the overview of a locking system, also called a locking plan: for every door it shows which keys open it. Doors go in the rows, keys in the columns, and a cross marks each door a key opens.

What goes in

What belongs in a master key plan

  • Property, locking system and date – so it is clear which system is described, and as of when

  • Every door with its number and location – including side doors, basements, gates and letterboxes

  • Cylinder type and A/B length – so a replacement cylinder fits first time

  • Every key number with a description – GMK, MK, SMK or IK, and what the key is for

  • Number of keys per key number – so a missing copy stands out

  • A cross for every door a key opens – the row shows who opens a door, the column what a key opens

  • Changes with a date – replaced cylinders and reorders, so the plan stays current

Example

How to read a master key plan

A small office building with two floors and plant rooms in the basement: each row is a door, each column a key. An X means this key opens this door.

Sample master key plan: eight doors, eight keys
Door GMK MK1 MK2 SMK1 IK0.01 IK0.02 IK1.01 IK1.02
Main entrance Ground floor · Common entrance opens opens opens opens opens opens opens opens
Office 0.01 Ground floor opens opens does not open does not open opens does not open does not open does not open
Office 0.02 Ground floor opens opens does not open does not open does not open opens does not open does not open
Archive 0.03 Ground floor opens opens does not open does not open does not open does not open does not open does not open
Office 1.01 First floor opens does not open opens does not open does not open does not open opens does not open
Office 1.02 First floor opens does not open opens does not open does not open does not open does not open opens
Boiler room Basement opens does not open does not open opens does not open does not open does not open does not open
Plant room Basement opens does not open does not open opens does not open does not open does not open does not open

Read a row

Which keys open this door? Office 0.01: GMK, MK 1 and IK 0.01.

Read a column

Which doors does this key open? IK 0.01: Main entrance and Office 0.01.

The terms

GMK Grand master key
Opens every door in the system.
MK Master key
Opens every door in one section, such as a building or a floor.
SMK Sub-master key
Opens a group of doors, such as all plant rooms.
IK Individual key
Opens its own door and, if there are any, the common entrances.
CE Common entrance
A door that many or all keys open, such as the main entrance. Cylinders that all open with the same key are keyed alike.
Security card
The proof needed to reorder keys and cylinders from the supplier or manufacturer. Keep it locked away.

Good to know

What the plan doesn’t show

The plan describes the system: which keys open which doors. Who has a key right now is not in it — that is what a key register is for, on paper, in Excel or in software.

If a key goes missing, you need both: the plan to see which doors are affected, and the register to know who had it last.

Tips from practice

What works in practice

  1. Record changes the same day

    A cylinder is replaced, keys are reordered: note it on the “Changes” sheet straight away and update the date. Otherwise the plan shows yesterday’s system.

  2. Settle the loss case in advance

    Decide who is told when a key goes missing and who decides on replacing cylinders. The plan then shows straight away which doors are affected: every cross in that key’s column.

  3. Keep master keys few

    Sooner or later someone asks where the master keys are: the owners’ meeting, the management or the auditors. Keep their number small and record every checkout in the key register.

  4. Plan and security card apart

    The plan tells anyone which key opens which door; the security card lets them reorder keys. Both belong under lock and key — and not in the same place as the keys.

From our “What we learned” series — lessons from alarm services, care, property management, facility services and the public sector. Read the key management guide

Without paper

And who has the master key right now?

Keep your master key plan as it is. In Log+Key, the locking system becomes a field of its own on every key, and every handover documents itself:

  • Signature right on the screen — tablet, smartphone or terminal
  • PDF receipt by email to whoever takes the key
  • A complete history: who had which key when
  • Return deadline with an automatic email reminder

Log+Key is free for up to 10 objects, for good.

More about history and live status

Start for free

A handover in Log+Key: checkout with a signature on screen

Screencast: a bunch of keys is opened in the object list and taken out; the checkout is confirmed with the signature “M. Muster” on screen, followed by the PIN prompt

FAQ

Questions about the master key plan

  • Who draws up the master key plan?

    For a new locking system, the plan is usually drawn up with the supplier or manufacturer, because cylinders and keys are made to it. After that, you keep it up to date yourself. The template helps with both: preparing an order and keeping the overview day to day.

  • What do GMK, MK, SMK and IK mean?

    They are the levels of a master key system: the grand master key (GMK) opens every door, a master key (MK) every door in its section, a sub-master key (SMK) a group of doors and an individual key (IK) its own door plus the common entrances. Not every system uses every level; German plans call them GHS, HS, GS and ES.

  • What is a common entrance?

    A door that many or all keys in the system open, such as the main entrance, cellar or bin store in a block of flats. In the plan it is the row with the most crosses. Cylinders that all open with the same key are keyed alike.

  • What if a key goes missing?

    Read that key’s column in the plan: every cross is a door it opens — for an individual key, the common entrances too. Whether cylinders are replaced or re-pinned is up to you and your supplier. Afterwards, note the change on the “Changes” sheet and update the date. Who had the key last is in the key register.

  • Who should see the master key plan?

    Only people who need it for their job: whoever manages the keys, their stand-in and the supplier when reordering. Anyone with the plan knows which key opens which door. So keep it as safe as a master key, and the security card somewhere else.

  • Does the template work in Google Sheets and LibreOffice?

    Yes. The counts only use functions that Excel 2016 and later, LibreOffice and Google Sheets all know. For Google Sheets, use “Make a copy in Google Sheets” above to create your own copy in your Google account — or upload the Excel file to Google Drive and open it there.

  • How is a master key plan different from a key register?

    The plan describes the system: which keys open which doors. The key register describes everyday use: who has which key right now and when it comes back. There is a separate key register template for Excel.

Sample based on German practice. Not legal advice.