Time Entries in MinuteDock can be locked so they can't be edited or deleted. Locking is how MinuteDock protects time that's already been invoiced, signed off, or closed out for a period.
What a locked Time Entry is
A locked Time Entry is a Time Entry that's been made read-only. You'll see a small lock icon next to it on the Time screen. While an entry is locked, no one can edit its details or delete it through the usual Time screen actions.
Most Users see locked entries as view-only: the lock icon shows Locked! and can't be clicked.
Anyone who can manage that User's time can unlock an entry to edit it. That means Account Admins, Users with Edit & manage others' time, and anyone set up to manage that User (Manages other users). Saving the edit locks the entry again. If the entry is attached to an Invoice, its Contact can't be changed, even while it's unlocked.
What causes a Time Entry to lock
A Time Entry can become locked for any of these reasons:
The Account lockout date. An Account Admin has set an Account-wide cutoff date and the entry falls on or before that date.
A locked day or week. Someone who can manage that User's time has locked that day or week on the User's Time screen.
An attached Invoice. The entry is attached to an Invoice. This applies even when the Invoice is still in draft.
An approved week. If your Account uses timesheet approval, approving a week locks every entry in it. The week heading shows Time approved!
Time synced with QuickBooks. Entries sent to QuickBooks with Send Time, or imported from QuickBooks, are locked and show Synced with QuickBooks. Sending an invoice to an accounting integration doesn't cause this lock; those entries are locked because they're invoiced.
A single Time Entry can be locked by more than one of these at once. Removing one reason doesn't unlock the entry if another reason still applies.
For a walkthrough of date, day and week, and Invoice locks, watch Video — Manage Locked Time Entries.
Set the Account lockout date
The Account lockout date is a single fixed date that locks every Time Entry dated on or before it, across the whole Account.
Only Account Admins can change this setting.
To set or change the lockout date:
Click Account in the top navigation.
Click Account Settings.
Under Time Lock-out, tick Lock out time from a specific date.
Pick the date you want to lock up to.
Click Save Settings.
Any Time Entry on or before that date is locked immediately. Anyone who can manage a User's time can still edit that User's locked entries and add new time on those dates. Everyone else is blocked. Moving the cutoff later locks more dates. To remove the Account cutoff, untick the option.
For example, a 31 August cutoff includes 20 August. Moving it to 30 September still includes 20 August. A cutoff of 19 August no longer includes 20 August, though an existing entry may still be locked for another reason.
Note: changing the date doesn't affect entries that are locked for other reasons (for example, entries attached to Invoices stay locked regardless of the lockout date).
Lock or unlock a day or week from the Time screen
The Time screen shows lock icons on each day and week heading. Anyone who can manage that User's time can click these icons (Lock this day, Lock this week) to lock or unlock that day or week. Other Users can't lock or unlock days or weeks, including their own.
This kind of lock is per-User. Locking a week from one Time screen only affects that User's entries for that week. It does not lock the same week for the rest of the team.
To lock or unlock a day or week for a specific User:
Open the Time screen.
If you need to view another User's time, click the My Time dropdown at the top of the Time screen and select the User you want to view.
Find the day or week heading you want to lock or unlock.
Click the lock icon on the heading to toggle the lock state.
Use this when you want to close out a specific team member's time for a period without affecting anyone else.
Permissions
Here's who can do what. Users with Edit & manage others' time can do this for anyone whose time they can see. Someone who manages a User can do it for the people they manage.
Action | Account Admins | Edit & manage others' time, or manages that User | Other Users |
Set or change the Account lockout date | Yes | No | No |
Lock or unlock a day or week from the Time screen | Yes | Yes | No |
Unlock an individual Time Entry to edit it | Yes | Yes | No |
Add new time on a locked date | Yes | Yes | No |
View a locked Time Entry | Yes | Yes | Yes (read-only) |
Edit or delete a locked Time Entry | Yes (after unlocking) | Yes (after unlocking) | No |
If you can't edit a locked entry, ask an Account Admin or whoever manages your time.
Edit a locked Time Entry
To edit a locked entry, you need to be able to manage that User's time. Unlock the individual entry first. You don't need to change the Account cutoff or the day or week lock, and another lock reason doesn't prevent it. Saving the edit locks the entry again.
Edit a single locked entry
Find the Time Entry on the Time screen.
Click the lock icon next to the entry (its tooltip reads Locked! Click to edit anyway...). This unlocks the entry for editing.
Make your changes and save.
Unlocking an approved or QuickBooks-synced entry to edit it doesn't remove the approval or the QuickBooks link.
See Video — Edit a Locked Time Entry for this in action.
Unlock a whole day or week temporarily
Open the relevant User's Time screen using the My Time dropdown if needed.
Click the lock icon on the day or week heading to turn it off.
Edit the entries you need to fix.
Click the lock icon again to lock the day or week back up when you're done.
If an entry is also locked for another reason, such as the Account cutoff or an attached Invoice, you still need to unlock that individual entry before editing it. Saving the edit locks the entry again.
Editing a Time Entry that's attached to an Invoice
Anyone who can manage that User's time can still click the lock icon to edit a Time Entry that's attached to an Invoice, including a draft Invoice. A few things to keep in mind:
The entry stays attached to the same Invoice after you edit it.
You can change details like duration, description, Project, and Tasks.
You cannot change the Contact assignment while the entry is attached to an Invoice. To move the entry to a different Contact, remove it from the Invoice first.
Common questions
Why can't I edit this Time Entry?
The entry is locked because it falls on or before the Account lockout date, its day or week has been locked, it's attached to an Invoice (including a draft), its week has been approved, or it's synced with QuickBooks. Ask an Account Admin or whoever manages your time to make the change.
I can't unlock an entry. What do I do?
Ask an Account Admin, someone with Edit & manage others' time, or whoever manages your time to make the change. Other Users can view locked entries but can't edit, delete or unlock them.
If I remove the Account lockout date, are past entries unlocked?
Past entries that were locked only by the Account cutoff are no longer locked once you untick the setting or move the cutoff earlier than those entries. Moving the cutoff later locks more dates. Entries also locked for another reason remain locked, but anyone who can manage that User's time can still unlock an individual entry to edit it.
Does locking a week from the Time screen lock it for the whole team?
No. Day and week locks from the Time screen are per-User. They only affect the User whose Time screen you're viewing. Use the My Time dropdown to switch between Users.
What happens to an Invoice when I edit an invoiced Time Entry?
The entry stays attached to the same Invoice. Editing the duration, description, or Tasks may affect what the Invoice shows. If you've already pushed the Invoice to an accounting integration like Xero, you may need to make matching changes there too.
Can I edit just one entry inside a locked day or week?
Yes. Click the lock icon next to the individual entry to unlock it for editing. You don't need to unlock the whole day or week.
Saving the edit locks the entry again. If it is attached to an Invoice, the Contact cannot be changed even while the entry is unlocked.
Who can add new time on a locked date?
Account Admins, Users with Edit & manage others' time, and anyone who manages that User can add new time on a locked date from the Dock or the Time screen's New button, without moving the lockout date. This applies to both the Account lockout date and a locked day or week.
For everyone else, New is disabled on locked dates, and pressing Log in the Dock shows You can't do that. with the message "That time couldn't be logged because the date is locked." The Timer keeps running, so the time isn't lost.