# Trade Locking

Trade Locking is an important compliance feature in Molecule.

#### Definitions

When a trade is locked, it **cannot** be:

* edited from the Trade Edit screen
* edited as part of a batch from the Trades screen
* edited in-grid on the Trades screen
* changed via the API

A locked trade **can** be:

* Delivered against (via a Ticket)
* Actualized (via the Actualization screen, a Ticket, or As-Generated functionality)

<mark style="background-color:blue;">A frequent reason for a bulk or in-grid edit on the Trades screen to fail, is that the relevant trades are locked.</mark>

#### Actions

**Locking**

A trade can be locked in any of these ways:

* Manually, from the Trades or Trade Edit screen (by someone with the right permission)
* Automatically, based on a time of day set for your Account
* Automatically, based on the electronic source of the trade

<mark style="background-color:yellow;">If a lock time is set for your Account, any unlocked trades will re-lock at that time.</mark>

#### Unlocking

A trade can be unlocked manually from the Trade Edit screen:

<figure><img src="https://files.helpdocs.io/56bu62syz9/articles/0jgfj4ncor/1689890125258/screenshot-2023-07-20-at-4-54-45-pm.png" alt="Unlocking a Single Trade" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

Alternatively, one or more trades can be unlocked in a batch, from the Trades screen:

<figure><img src="https://files.helpdocs.io/56bu62syz9/articles/0jgfj4ncor/1689890033612/image.png" alt="Bulk Unlocking Trades" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

When a trade is unlocked, its Trader will receive an in-app notification that the trade is unlocked for editing:

<figure><img src="https://files.helpdocs.io/56bu62syz9/articles/0jgfj4ncor/1689890927315/image.png" alt="Unlock Notification" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

#### Viewing Status

On the Trades screen, the Status column will read `Locked` for locked trades. This column is the same on the API. On a Trade Edit screen, a yellow lock will appear in multiple places, and the header makes clear that the trade is locked:

<figure><img src="https://files.helpdocs.io/56bu62syz9/articles/0jgfj4ncor/1689890170113/image.png" alt="Viewing Lock Status" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

#### Interactions

The Workflows feature is a more advanced, customizable compliance feature in Molecule. Locking or unlocking a trade can trigger a Workflow status change. This is managed on the Workflows screen.

#### Permissions

The permission that controls locking and unlocking is `Edit Trade Status`.

#### Setup

Molecule’s Customer Success team is able to set up the locking feature, as well as the criteria that should trigger automatic locking.


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