Check why a journal entry is locked
Distinguish posted entries from drafts blocked by dates, missing lines, permissions, or Nonprofit setup.
- Who can do this
- Owners, or people with View journal entries; backdating settings need Manage business settings, roles & permissions
- Where
- Books, then Journal entries
- You'll need
- Advanced accounting turned on in Features
An entry does not have a separate locked status. Its status is draft, posted, or reversed. A fiscal period can be locked, which can prevent a draft from posting.
Check the entry and date
| What you find | What QixCount allows |
|---|---|
| Posted or reversed entry | Editing and deletion are blocked. An eligible posted original can be reversed with permission. |
| Unequal draft totals | Posting is blocked until debits equal credits. |
| Fewer than two saved lines | Posting is blocked. Zero-amount lines do not count because they are not saved. |
| Date in a closed or locked period | An ordinary journal cannot post to that period. The draft can still be edited. |
| Date outside the backdating limit | Posting is rejected even if the draft otherwise appears ready. |
| Missing action permission | A visible button can still return a permission error. Creating, editing, deleting, posting, and reversing use separate permissions. |
In General, a closed year blocks ordinary journals even without monthly periods. Monthly periods take precedence over an annual period for the same date. If monthly periods overlap, a closed or locked overlapping month prevents an ordinary journal from posting. Nonprofit also checks every period covering the date and the year-end closing record. A closed year or another closed or locked period can still block posting after a month is reopened. Ask a user who manages fiscal periods to review the date and period status.
Find the backdating setting
A user with Manage business settings, roles & permissions permission can open Settings, then Accounting setup, and review Posting rules. When Prevent backdating is on, Oldest allowed date sets how many days back posting is allowed. The setting accepts 1 to 365 days. Saving a draft does not bypass that check.
Check Nonprofit setup
Nonprofit also requires approved account mappings, an active Operating fund, an accessible active or trial Nonprofit subscription, valid coding, and balanced funds. A selected archived fund, program, grant, or restriction must be reactivated. Expense lines need a function or an approved default.
If Post Entry is unavailable, review the date and period status even when Balanced says yes. If fund totals differ, preview interfund offsets. Contact support if the entry still cannot post after its date, lines, permissions, and setup have been checked.
Next, edit the draft, post it, or reverse a posted original.