Set up the receiving wallet before the first payout
A receiving address is shareable. The secret that restores the wallet is not.
Separate the address from the recovery secret
A miner or pool may need your public receiving address. It does not need your wallet's recovery phrase or private keys. Bitcoin.org explains that private keys authorize transactions. Treat requests for those secrets as a reason to stop and independently verify the setup instructions. Do not paste a recovery phrase into a miner dashboard, support chat or website.
Plan for a broken device
Bitcoin.org recommends protecting wallet backups and avoiding a single point of failure. A backup should survive the loss of the device it protects. Understand your chosen wallet's own recovery procedure before relying on it. Keep the recovery material private; a convenient cloud photograph can create a second route for theft rather than useful resilience.
Use a checklist at payout setup
Copy the receiving address from the intended wallet, check the network and compare the saved address with the original after submitting it. Read the pool's payout threshold and fees before assuming an empty wallet means the miner failed. A dashboard balance may be below the minimum payout or still awaiting the pool's settlement process. Keep those possibilities separate from connection problems.
Build a small operating record
Record the pool name, public address, device model and where you keep the manufacturer's instructions. Leave private keys and recovery phrases out of that ordinary record. It should help you troubleshoot without becoming a master key. If someone else may eventually need access, make a deliberate private recovery plan instead of assuming they will know which app or device mattered.