Timesheet auto lock and manual lock — Q&A
Q: How do I unlock days that were already locked by an auto-lock?
Set a manual lock to an earlier date. For example, if auto-lock locked everything until January 15 and you want to unlock January 13–15, apply a manual lock with the date January 12. This moves the lock date back to January 12, making January 13–15 editable again. This does not affect future occurrences of the auto-lock — the next scheduled auto-lock will still run as usual.
Q: What happens if I apply a manual lock today, but auto-lock is supposed to run later today?
If you apply the manual lock before the auto-lock triggers, the auto-lock will still run at its scheduled time. Because auto-lock never downgrades an existing lock, it will only update the lock date if its calculated date is later than your manual lock date. If you apply the manual lock after the auto-lock has already triggered, the manual lock sets the lock date directly — even if the new date is earlier than what the auto-lock set.
Q: Can I prevent people from submitting time for dates before a certain date?
Yes. Once a lock is in place, no one except for admins can add, edit, or delete time or expense entries on or before the lock date. This means new entries cannot be created for those dates either. If you want this to happen automatically on a recurring basis, enable auto-lock in Settings > Preferences.
Q: Who can set or change the lock?
Only administrators with company-level write permissions can set, edit, or remove locks. This includes configuring auto-lock in Settings and applying manual locks from the Approval page. Regular team members and project managers without admin access can see the lock status but cannot change it.
Q: Does locking a timesheet affect invoicing or approvals?
Locking and approvals are independent. Locking prevents editing of entries, but it does not automatically approve or invoice them. However, you can check the Automatically submit time and expenses upon locking option when applying a manual lock, or enable Auto-submit in Settings for auto-lock. This will submit all unsubmitted entries up to the lock date for approval when the lock takes effect.
Entries that are locked can still be invoiced by an administrator — the lock only prevents changes to the time and expense data itself.
Q: How do I remove a manual lock?
- Go to the Approval page.
- Click Edit one-time manual lock in the lock status banner.
- Click Remove at the bottom of the dialog.
This clears the lock date entirely, making all entries editable again.
Q: What happens when I remove a manual lock?
All entries become editable immediately — there is no lock date in effect. If auto-lock is enabled, entries will remain editable until the next scheduled auto-lock triggers and sets a new lock date.
Q: Does the lock affect expenses too?
Yes. The lock applies to both time entries and expense entries. When a date is locked, expenses with that date cannot be added, edited, or deleted, just like time entries.
Q: What happens to running timers when I apply a lock?
Any running timers on entries dated on or before the lock date are automatically stopped when the lock is applied. This ensures no additional time is tracked to locked dates.
Q: Can I lock timesheets for specific people or projects?
No. The timesheet lock is company-wide. It applies to all team members and all projects. If you need per-project control, the approvals feature (submitting and approving timesheets) may be a better fit for your needs.
Q: Can I set a lock for a future date?
No. Manual locks can only be set up to and including today (in your company's timezone). If you want entries to be locked automatically on a future date, enable auto-lock with the desired schedule in Settings > Preferences.
Q: What is the "Auto-lock in X days" reminder I see on my timesheet?
When auto-lock is enabled, the timesheet and expense views (calendar, week, day, and expenses) show a countdown reminder indicating how many days remain before the next auto-lock triggers. This gives team members advance notice to finalize their time entries before the lock takes effect.
Q: What is the difference between auto-lock and the timesheet deadline?
The timesheet deadline is a reminder for team members to submit their time by a certain day and time each week. It does not prevent anyone from editing entries. Auto-lock, on the other hand, enforces a hard cutoff — once triggered, entries on or before the lock date cannot be changed. Auto-lock can be configured to follow the same schedule as the timesheet deadline or use a custom day and time.
Q: Can I automatically submit timesheets when the lock takes effect?
Yes. There are two ways:
- For auto-lock: Enable the Automatically submit time and expenses toggle in Settings > Preferences (under Auto-submit). This will submit all unsubmitted entries each time the auto-lock triggers.
- For manual lock: Check the Automatically submit time and expenses upon locking checkbox in the manual lock dialog before clicking Apply.
In both cases, entries are submitted without sending manager notifications.
Q: I see "This entry has been locked by an admin" — what does that mean?
This message (or a similar one like "This day has been locked by an administrator") appears when you try to edit a time or expense entry that falls on or before the company's lock date. An administrator has locked entries up to that date. If you need to make changes, ask an administrator to adjust or remove the lock.