> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://help.digits.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://help.digits.com/business-agentic-general-ledger/close-date.md).
# Locked Periods
Locking a month prevents edits, imports, and automations from changing past periods. Use this when you’ve finished reconciling and want clean, final numbers.
***
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**Closed Periods are now Locked Periods.** Same protection, new name. Locking also adds a review step: team members who can't lock the books can propose changes to a locked period, and an approver reviews them in the Checklist.
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### How locked periods work
Locking a period protects finalized books from unauthorized changes. Users with approval permissions can make changes directly, while everyone else must submit proposed changes for review. This applies to transaction edits, imports, matching, and automated activity.
**What you can do depends on your role:**
* **Approvers:** Anyone with admin-level access to your business’s books can lock and unlock periods, make changes directly to locked transactions, and approve or reject proposals from other users.
* **Other users:** Team members without approval permissions can propose changes to locked periods. Digits holds those changes for review until an approver approves or rejects them.
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**Not sure which permissions you have?** Open a transaction in a locked period. If you see **Edit**, you can make changes directly. If you see **Propose Edit**, your changes require approval.
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## If you are an approver
### Lock a period
1. Go to **Accounting** → **Ledger**.
2. Hover over the month you want to lock and click **Lock Period.**
3. Select the **Lock Date** (*pick the last day of the month you’re locking; everything on or before this date will be locked*), then click **Lock Period**.
A lock icon appears in the Ledger to indicate the period is locked.
### Unlock a period
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**Important:** Unlocking automatically approves and applies all pending proposals for the affected periods. Digits shows how many proposals will be approved before you confirm.
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1. Go to **Accounting** → **Ledger**.
2. Hover over the month you want to adjust and click **Lock Period.**
3. Select an earlier **Lock Date**. Everything after that date is unlocked. Everything on or before it stays locked.
4. Click **Lock Period** to confirm.
An edit icon appears in the Ledger for the unlocked periods.
To unlock everything at once, click **Unlock All Periods** instead. Use this only when you need to reopen all of the books, since it removes every lock and approves every pending proposal.
***
### Edit a locked transaction directly
You don't need to unlock a period to correct a transaction.
1. Open the transaction and click **Edit**.
2. Make your changes and save.
Digits warns you that the change affects a locked period and may change its balances and reports.
{% hint style="warning" %}
**Note:** Saving a direct edit automatically rejects all pending proposals for that transaction. If you want to approve an existing proposal instead, review the proposals panel before making changes.
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***
### Review proposals as an approver
Proposals from your team appear in **Checklist → Locked Periods**.
To review a proposal:
1. Go to **Checklist → Locked Periods**.
2. Open a proposal and click **Preview Changes** to see the proposed changes.
3. Click **Approve** to apply the changes, or click **Reject Changes** and provide a reason.
For proposals that modify multiple transaction fields, you can edit or reject individual changes before approving the full proposal.
You can also approve or reject proposals directly from a transaction.
{% hint style="info" icon="lightbulb-on" %}
**Note:** Approving a proposal automatically rejects other pending proposals for the same transaction. Digits asks you to confirm before proceeding.
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***
## If you can't approve changes
You can still do everything below. Digits just routes it to an approver before it takes effect.
### Propose a transaction change
1. Open a transaction in a locked period. A banner displays **"This transaction falls within a locked period."**
2. At the top of the transaction, click **Propose Edit**. This is the same toggle approvers see as **Edit**, and it opens the transaction for editing.
3. Make your changes.
4. Click **Propose Edits**.
5. Digits displays **"Proposal submitted"** and flags the transaction until the proposal is reviewed.
**To propose deleting a transaction:** open it, click the trash icon at the top, then click **Propose Delete** to confirm.
**To propose a match or unmatch:** start the match or unmatch as usual. The **Confirm** button reads **Propose Edits** instead of Match or Unmatch.
***
### Propose locking or unlocking the books
1. Go to **Accounting** → **Ledger**.
2. Hover over the month you want to change and click **Lock Period**.
3. Select **Lock Period** or **Unlock All Periods**, depending on the change you want to request.
Digits displays **"Lock date change proposed."** The lock date remains unchanged until an approver approves your request.
***
### Track or cancel a proposal
Open the transaction to view its proposals panel. It shows any proposals that are still pending. To withdraw one from the approver’s queue, click **Cancel Proposal**.
Once a proposal is approved or rejected, it no longer appears in the panel. If it was approved, you’ll see the change on the transaction itself.
***
### Frequently Asked Questions
Does locking one month lock earlier months too?
Yes. The lock date can be any day, not just a month-end. Everything dated on or before the lock date is locked, even if that date falls mid-month. Dates after it stay open.
How do I unlock just one month?
Move the lock date back. Go to **Accounting → Ledger**, hover over the month, click **Lock Period**, and select an earlier **Lock Date**. Everything after the new date is unlocked, and everything on or before it stays locked. Make your change, then move the lock date forward again.
If it’s a single transaction, edit or propose the change instead and leave the books locked.
What happens to pending proposals if the period is unlocked?
They’re approved and applied automatically. Before you confirm the unlock, Digits warns you how many pending proposals in that period will be approved. If you’d rather review them first, cancel the unlock and go through them in **Checklist → Locked Periods.**
Can my AI assistant change a locked period?
It can propose. Locked Periods and the Digits MCP write tools launch together and work as a pair. If you ask your AI assistant to change a transaction in a locked period, it submits a proposal that an approver reviews in **Checklist** → **Locked Periods**. That's true even if you're an approver yourself. See [Digits MCP](https://help.digits.com/business-connections/digits-mcp).
Will locking a month change my reports or exports?
No. Locking prevents changes; your reports and exports will reflect stable totals for locked periods.
What does the “Locked period” warning mean?
You’re about to change something that affects a locked month’s balances. Proceed only if you intend to update historical numbers. If the transaction has pending proposals, saving your change rejects them.
***
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