Locked Sections in Quip Documents

What

Locked Sections allow you to lock a section of a document to prevent accidental edits or deletion of sections of a document. Much like locking edits on an entire document , Locked Sections prevent accidental edits but now you have the ability to have some sections of a document open for editing and some locked.

How

To lock a section of a document:

1. Click into the section you would like to lock
2. Select the Paragraph menu, then Lock Edits. 

Or select Format on the menu bar and then Lock Edits

When a section is locked you will see a locked symbol next to your mouse when you try to click into that section.

To unlock a section of a document:

1. Click into the Paragraph Menu
2. Uncheck Lock Edits
3. Select Unlock in the pop-up window

Common Questions

What does a “Section” include?
A section includes:

• A heading
• A paragraph
• A pull quote
• A block quote
• A code block

Are there limitations to what can be locked?
Yes, none of the following paragraph styles can be locked:

• Bulleted lists
• Numbered lists
• Checklist
• Spreadsheets (You can lock cells, learn more here )
• Live Apps
• Images

Who can lock and unlock a section?
Anyone with Full Access or Can Edit access on a document can lock and unlock sections. For example, if Person A (Full Access or Edit Access) locks a section on a document, Person B (Full Access or Edit Access) could then unlock that section.

If I Lock Sections on a template, will those sections of the document be locked on the documents created using that template?
Yes, these sections will be locked in the documents created from the templates and the same rules around locking and unlocking will apply.

If sections are locked on a document and I copy a document, will those sections be locked in the copy?
Yes, these sections will be locked in the copied document and the same rules around locking and unlocking will apply.

If I copy and paste locked content, will the pasted content be locked?
No, the pasted content will be unlocked.

Is there a way to tell who locked or unlocked sections?
Yes! In the conversation pane of the document, you can see who locked or unlock edits.

Can I comment on a locked section?
Yes, commenting works normally on a locked section.

Is there a limit on the number of sections you can lock on a document?
No, however, keep in mind you can lock edits on the entire document. To learn more check out How do I lock edits for a document?

What happens if I lock sections of a document and then the entire document is locked?
The entire document would be locked in this case. If someone unlocks the entire document, the sections that had been locked would remain locked.

How do I unlock my bulleted list that I converted from the paragraph style?

1. Select around the locked bullet list item (from the section before to the section after, three sections in total)

2. Convert them to paragraph style.

3. Unlock the locked section.

Can I lock and unlock sections from the Quip Mobile App?
No, you can’t lock or unlock edits from the Mobile App. However, locked sections will remain locked on mobile and you will be able to tell which sections are locked.
 

Common Use Cases

Locking sections in Quip Templates
As a template creator, I want to ensure my team doesn’t remove different sections of templates they don’t want to fill out. By locking sections there is consistency in my team’s documents and I can track my team’s progress. Standardizing across my team is even easier with the safeguard of locked sections preventing users from removing necessary sections. Plus, if something is unlocked and removed, I can easily track this in the conversation pane and know who to follow up with directly.

Preventing accidental edits and deleted content
Locked Sections allows anyone to prevent a specific section from being edited/deleted so that I can keep specific information intact. As sections on projects are completed those sections can be locked to prevent accidental edits and to signal to everyone on the document that is the final draft.