---
title: Locking Inspections: Control Who Can Reopen Completed Work
slug: locking-inspections-control-who-can-reopen-completed-work
icon: {"faIcon":"fa-solid fa-lock"}
docTags: 
createdAt: 2025-07-28T18:40:30.019Z
---

Unlocking inspections is a **premium Workflows feature** that allows organizations to restrict who can reopen inspections that have been locked through a workflow. This adds an additional layer of control and auditability, ensuring that only designated roles can make changes after an inspection has been finalized.

**Note:** This feature must be **enabled by your VLX Customer Success team** before it appears in your Workflow settings.

## How It Works

When an inspection is marked as **locked** (typically via an action button in a workflow), it becomes read-only. With unlocking controls, organizations can define which user roles—if any—are permitted to unlock and edit these inspections again.

This is especially useful in regulated industries or multi-step validation processes where maintaining the integrity of submitted reports is critical.

**Note:** For example, a safety audit workflow may lock an inspection once submitted. Only the Super Admin role might be allowed to unlock it for corrections or approvals if necessary.

## How to Enable and Configure Unlocking Rules

### Step 1: Enable Workflows (Premium Feature)

Ensure the **Workflows** module is active in your organization settings. If it’s not visible, contact your account manager to enable the premium feature.

### Step 2: Set Unlock Permissions

1. Go to **Settings > Workflows**
2. Scroll to the section titled **Users allowed to unlock inspections**
3. Choose which roles can unlock:
   - Organization Owner
   - Super Admin
   - Admin
   - Team Admin
   - Inspection Creator
   - Or choose **Nobody** to fully restrict unlocking

**Note:** Selecting “Nobody” ensures that once an inspection is locked, it stays locked permanently. This is ideal for final submissions and legal documentation.

### Step 3: Lock the Inspection Within the Workflow

To trigger a lock:

1. Go to your template and add an **Action Button**
2. In the action button settings, navigate to the **Events** tab
3. Under **On Click**, enable **Lock Inspection**
4. Optionally:
   - Change the inspection status
   - Set a custom status label
   - Notify users via email
   - Allow or disable comments

**Note:** You can create different buttons for different roles or stages. For example, a “Mark as Reviewed” button might lock the inspection and notify the inspection creator, while a “Submit to Supervisor” button could lock it and send alerts to admin roles.

## Best Practices

- Only grant unlocking permission to trusted roles to avoid unauthorized edits
- Use descriptive custom statuses (e.g., “Ready for Review,” “Pending Final Approval”) for clarity
- Combine locking with page-by-page access settings for even more granular control
- Use email notifications to alert relevant users when inspections are locked or status changes occur

## Need Help?

If you’d like help designing a workflow with locking logic, or need this feature enabled, contact our Customer Success team and we’ll guide you through setup and best practices.