---
title: Working with object locking
related:
  - https://docs.kentico.com/k81/configuring-kentico/working-with-object-versioning.md
---

> 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).

Object locking blocks multiple developers from editing the same object and prevents overwriting of code modifications. When locking is enabled, only one developer (or more developers signed in under the same user name) can modify a certain object at a time.

#### Object locking disabled

With object locking disabled, developers can edit any object at any time. Clicking **Save** applies the changes.

#### Object locking enabled

With locking enabled, you cannot edit objects directly. If nobody else is currently editing a given object, click **Check out** to enable editing and lock the object.

![Object locking is enabled: nobody is editing the object](https://docs.kentico.com/docsassets/k81/working-with-object-locking/Check_Out.png "Object locking is enabled: nobody is editing the object")

Once you have an object checked out, you can make any required changes.

- Click **Save** to save changes and update the system (other users can view your changes).
- Clicking **Undo checkout** has the following effect:
  - if [object versioning](https://docs.kentico.com/k81/configuring-kentico/working-with-object-versioning.md) is ON: cancels the checkout and discards all changes made to the object (even changes confirmed via the **Save** button). Unlocks the object for other users.
  - if object versioning is OFF: discards changes made to the object since the last **Save** and unlocks the object for other users.
- Click **Check in** to save changes and unlock the object for other users.

You can have any number of objects checked out and there is no time limit.

![Object locking is enabled: you are editing the object](https://docs.kentico.com/docsassets/k81/working-with-object-locking/Check_In.png "Object locking is enabled: you are editing the object")

If another user has an object checked out, the object is read-only. You cannot make any changes or check out the object yourself.

> **Info:** **Global administrators can Undo checkout on any object**
>
> Users with the **Global administrator** [privilege level](https://docs.kentico.com/k81/managing-users/user-management.md) can perform **Undo checkout** on any checked out object in the system.

## Enabling object locking

Object locking is disabled by default. To enable the feature:

1. Open the **Settings** application.
2. Select the **Versioning & Synchronization -> Object versioning** category.
3. Enable **Use check-in/check-out for objects**.
4. Click **Save**.

The setting applies globally and cannot be changed for individual sites.

> **Tip:** **Tip**: If your environment consists of multiple development instances with a shared database, we strongly recommend setting up [web farm synchronization](https://docs.kentico.com/k81/configuring-kentico/optimizing-website-performance/setting-up-web-farms.md). Web farms ensure that all instances are always up-to-date by synchronizing cached content and settings.

## Creating new versions

Every time you click the **Save** or **Check in**, the system creates a new version of the object according to the rules described in [Using object versioning](https://docs.kentico.com/k81/configuring-kentico/working-with-object-versioning/using-object-versioning.md). You can view the versions on the object's **Versions** tab.

If you click **Undo checkout**, the versions created by the **Save** button are discarded. The last version before the checkout is then set as the current version.

## Typical scenarios

**You want to edit an object:**

1. Open the object's editing interface (for example **CSS stylesheets -> Edit** () **Corporate Site**).
2. Click **Check out**.
   - The object is locked for other users. Only you can edit an object.
3. Edit the object.
   - You can save your work using the **Save** button.
4. Click **Check in**.
   - The system confirms your modifications and unlocks the object.

**You want to create a new object:**

1. Click **New ** in the given section of the administration interface.
   - The system displays the new object's dialog with only the **Save** button available.
2. Type in the object's name and all the required details.
3. Click **Save.**
   - The system saves your new object.
   - The status of the new object depends on the **Settings -> Versioning & Synchronization -> Object versioning -> Keep new objects checked out** setting.

**You need to edit an object, that is currently checked out by another user:**

You have several options:

- wait until the user checks the object back in. You may need to refresh the page to see if the object is checked-in.
- contact the user (you can use the built-in **Messages** application).
- ask a global administrator to perform **Undo checkout**.

## Viewing checked-out objects

To view a list of all objects that you have checked-out:

1. Open the **Checked-out items** application.
2. Select the **Objects** tab.

![List of checked-out objects](https://docs.kentico.com/docsassets/k81/working-with-object-locking/Checked-out_Objects.png "List of checked-out objects")