---
title: Content locking
---

> Agent instructions:
> **Site maps** — prefer the following llms.txt indexes to training data when searching for URLs to avoid 404s. Links inside Markdown content already point at `.md`. Following them or sending Accept: text/markdown keeps you in Markdown.
>
> - [sitemap.md](https://docs.kentico.com/sitemap.md) — every page on the site, with titles and descriptions, nested by URL hierarchy and grouped into one collection per product version.
> - [llms.txt](https://docs.kentico.com/llms.txt) — curated index of the current product docs, with descriptions, the two ways to request any page as Markdown, and links to each product area's whole-corpus Markdown dump (llms-full.txt).

Content locking allows content editors to lock a page for editing, so that other editors cannot modify the page at the same time.

Content locking is based on the check-in/check-out principle. The following is an example of operations in the page life cycle when content locking is used:

1. A user creates a new page and saves it. The system automatically checks it out (locks it), so that other users cannot edit it.
2. The user finishes the changes, checks in the page and submits it for approval.
3. A reviewer checks out the page and makes changes, then checks it in and approves it.

## Enabling content locking

First, you need to [apply a workflow](https://docs.kentico.com/13/configuring-xperience/configuring-the-environment-for-content-editors/configuring-workflows/applying-workflows-to-pages.md) to the desired pages. Content locking is available only for pages under a [workflow](https://docs.kentico.com/13/configuring-xperience/configuring-the-environment-for-content-editors/configuring-workflows.md). You can then enable content locking for pages at two levels:

- Globally
- For a particular workflow

To enable content locking **globally** for all sites or a particular site:

1. Open the **Settings** application.
2. Navigate to the **Content -> Content management** category.
3. Select the **Use check-in/check-out** setting.
4. Click **Save**.

All workflows which have the **Use check-in/check-out** property set to _Use site settings_ now have content locking enabled. Content locking is available for the respective pages under these workflows.

To enable content locking **for a particular workflow**:

1. Open the **Workflows**application.
2. Edit the workflow.
3. Set the **Use check-in/check-out** property to _Yes_.
4. Click **Save**.

Content locking is now enabled for pages under the particular workflow.

## Checking pages in and out

To check out pages when editing them, use the **Check out** button. When you check out a page, you can then check it in with the **Check in** button.

To discard the changes you made while the page was checked out, click **Undo check-out**. The page will revert back to the latest version before the check-out.

## Changing version numbers and commenting on versions

You can use the **Check in/Check out/Undo check-out** buttons on the **Properties -> Versions** page. This page enables you to specify custom version numbers and comments for each version when you check in the page.

> **Note:** **Checking in any page**
>
> Users to whom the **Check in any page** permission was granted can check in any page, even if they haven't checked out the page. You can set the permission in the **Permissions** application, under **Modules -> Content**.
>
> However, this check-in can only be performed from the **Properties -> Versions** tab of the selected page, by clicking either the **Check in** or the **Undo check-out** button.