## Documentation Index

Access the complete documentation index at:
https://www.zoho.com/en-sg/books/help/llms.txt

Use this file to discover all available documentation pages before proceeding.

# Record Locking

Record Locking allows you to lock the records (items, quotes, sales orders, invoices, credit notes, and custom module transactions) in your organization. Once locked, only users with roles that have sufficient permission will be able to update records. This is useful for protecting important information and preventing accidental changes.

**Note:**

*   This feature is available only in specific plans of Zoho Books. Visit the [pricing page](https://www.zoho.com/books/pricing/) to check if it’s available in your current plan.
*   Record Locking is available in Items, Invoices, Quotes, Sales Orders, Credit Notes, and Custom Modules.

## Create a Lock Configuration

A lock configuration allows admins to define which actions are permitted or restricted after records are locked, and which roles can perform them.

To create a lock configuration:

*   Go to **Settings** in the top right corner.
*   Navigate to the module for which you want to create the lock configuration.
*   Switch to the **Record Locking** tab.
*   Click **\+ New Lock Configuration** in the top right corner.
*   Enter the **Lock Configuration Name** and provide a **Description** if required.
*   In _Allow or Restrict Actions_, choose if you want to **Restrict All Actions**, **Restrict Selected Actions**, or **Allow Selected Actions**.
    *   If you select _Restrict Selected Actions_ or _Allow Selected Actions_, you can choose the specific actions to restrict or allow from the dropdown below the option.
*   In _Allow or Restrict Fields,_ choose if you want to **Restrict All Fields**, **Restrict Selected Fields**, or **Allow Selected Fields**.
    *   If you select _Restrict Selected Fields_ or _Allow Selected Fields_, you can choose the specific fields to restrict or allow from the dropdown below the option.

**Note:**

*   The option to Allow or Restrict Fields will not be displayed if you select **Restrict All Actions** in the previous step or select **Restrict Selected Actions** and choose the **Edit** option in the previous step.

*   In _Lock Records For_, choose if you want the records to be locked for **All Roles** or if you want to allow specific roles to make updates (**All Roles Except**).
    *   If you select _All Roles Except_, select the roles that can update locked records.
*   Click **Save**.

![The New Lock Configuration pop-up. Allow or restrict actions and fields, and choose which users and roles can edit locked records using a lock configuration.](/books/help/images/settings/customization/record-locking/new-lock-configuration.png)

The modules and the preferences supported for them are listed below:

*   **Items:** Allow or Restrict Actions, Allow or Restrict Fields.
*   **Quotes:** Allow or Restrict Actions.
*   **Sales Orders:** Allow or Restrict Actions.
*   **Invoices:** Allow or Restrict Actions.
*   **Credit Notes:** Allow or Restrict Actions.
*   **Custom Modules:** Allow or Restrict Actions, Allow or Restrict Fields.

* * *

## Lock a Record

After creating lock configurations for the required modules, you can lock individual records once they reach a point where further updates should only be made by permitted users.

To lock a record:

*   Go to the module containing the record you want to lock.
*   Select the record you want to lock.
*   Click the _More_ icon on the record’s _Details_ page and select **Lock**.
*   Select the **Lock Configuration** and enter the **Reason for Locking** the record.
*   Click **Lock**.

![The Lock Record pop-up. Select the Lock Configuration and enter the Reason for Locking to a lock a record.](/books/help/images/settings/customization/record-locking/lock-record-pop-up.png)

Once a record is locked, a **Lock** icon will be displayed next to the record number. You can click the Lock icon to know why it was locked. Information such as the reason for locking, the user who locked it, the date and time of locking, and the selected lock configuration will be displayed.

![The Details page of a record. Click View Details at the top of a locked record to know why a record was locked.](/books/help/images/settings/customization/record-locking/locked-record-view-details.png)

* * *

## Unlock a Locked Record

If required, users with sufficient permissions can unlock a locked record. Here’s how:

*   Go to the module containing the record you want to unlock.
*   Select the record you want to unlock.
*   Click the _More_ icon on the record’s _Details_ page and select **Unlock**.
*   Enter the reason for unlocking the record and click **Unlock**.

![The Unlock Record pop-up. If you're a user with the permission to unlock locked records, enter the reason for unlocking the record in this pop-up.](/books/help/images/settings/customization/record-locking/unlock-record-pop-up.png)

The record will be unlocked, and the users in your organization with permission to edit records in the module will be able to update them.

* * *

## Edit a Lock Configuration

To edit a lock configuration:

*   Go to **Settings** in the top right corner.
*   Navigate to the module in which you created the lock configuration.
*   Switch to the **Record Locking** tab.
*   Hover over the lock configuration you want to edit, click the dropdown next to the lock configuration, and select **Edit**.

![The Record Locking tab of a module's Preferences page. Hover a lock configuration, click the dropdown, and select Edit to make changes to a lock configuration.](/books/help/images/settings/customization/record-locking/edit-lock-configuration.png)

*   Make the necessary changes and click **Save**.

* * *

## Mark a Lock Configuration as Inactive

If you don’t need a lock configuration, but you don’t want to delete it, you can mark it as inactive. Here’s how:

*   Go to **Settings** in the top right corner.
*   Navigate to the module in which you created the lock configuration.
*   Switch to the **Record Locking** tab.
*   Hover over the lock configuration you want to mark as inactive, click the dropdown next to the lock configuration, and select **Mark as Inactive**.

![The Record Locking tab of a module's Preferences page. Hover a lock configuration, click the dropdown, and select Mark as Inactive to disable a lock configuration.](/books/help/images/settings/customization/record-locking/mark-lock-configuration-inactive.png)

**Note:** If you used the lock configuration to lock records, those records will remain locked even if you mark the configuration as inactive. However, the lock configuration will not be listed when locking records after the configuration has been marked as inactive.

* * *

## Mark an Inactive Lock Configuration as Active

To mark an inactive lock configuration as active:

*   Go to **Settings** in the top right corner.
*   Navigate to the module in which you created the lock configuration.
*   Switch to the **Record Locking** tab.
*   Hover over the inactive lock configuration you want to mark as active, click the dropdown next to the lock configuration, and select **Mark as Active**.

![The Record Locking tab of a module's Preferences page. Hover a lock configuration, click the dropdown, and select Mark as Active to re-enable a disabled lock configuration.](/books/help/images/settings/customization/record-locking/mark-lock-configuration-active.png)

The lock configuration will be marked as active, and you can use it to lock records.

* * *

## Delete a Lock Configuration

**Warning:** If you delete a lock configuration, records locked using it will be unlocked, and users in your organization can make changes to them.

To delete a lock configuration:

*   Go to **Settings** in the top right corner of the page.
*   Navigate to the module in which you created the lock configuration.
*   Switch to the **Record Locking** tab.
*   Hover over the inactive lock configuration you want to delete, click the dropdown next to the lock configuration, and select **Delete.**

![The Record Locking tab of a module's Preferences page. Hover a lock configuration, click the dropdown, and select Delete to delete a lock configuration.](/books/help/images/settings/customization/record-locking/delete-lock-configuration.png)

*   Click **Delete** again in the pop-up.