# Auto date lock for more control

**URL:** <https://forum.manager.io/t/auto-date-lock-for-more-control/55922>\
**Category:** Uncategorized\
**Created:** [August 30, 2024, 1:40pm UTC](https://forum.manager.io/t/auto-date-lock-for-more-control/55922 "2024-08-30T13:40:37Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 15\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Yaser](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forum.manager.io/yaser/32/43236_2.png) [@Yaser](https://forum.manager.io/u/Yaser)\
**Post date:** [August 30, 2024, 1:40pm UTC](https://forum.manager.io/t/auto-date-lock-for-more-control/55922/1 "2024-08-30T13:40:37Z")

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Please note that I found all topics about this subject are closed, so i had to create it.  
I hope if there will be an option to lock the date automatically like :  
1- Today - 1 … =(Closing till yesterday)  
2- Current Month - 1 … =(Closing last month)  
so it would help many for more control especially for people who are not using Manager just as an accounting program, since we are depending on it for sales.  
Thank you!

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**Author:** ![Manager\_User](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/2acd7d/32.png) [@Manager\_User](https://forum.manager.io/u/Manager_User)\
**Post date:** [August 30, 2024, 2:21pm UTC](https://forum.manager.io/t/auto-date-lock-for-more-control/55922/2 "2024-08-30T14:21:51Z")

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Here are a few reasons why it has not ever been added:

> [@Lock the current date For the USERS](https://forum.manager.io/t/lock-the-current-date-for-the-users/38246/8):
>
> Accounting records are seldom totally complete and closed on a perfectly repeatable schedule. Holidays, personal illnesses, vacations, and changing business priorities often mean that financial periods are closed (and records locked) slightly later than planned, or occasionally even earlier than scheduled.

One feature to look at is “Closed Invoice”  
That will remove it from the list.

The one issue with your idea is that “Lock Date” locks all transactions.

Here is a topic in ideas.

> [@Custom Lock date](https://forum.manager.io/t/custom-lock-date/46781):
>
> Currently, the Lock Date feature only restricts changes to fields that affect the business’s financial position or amounts of a document, while leaving out non-financial information fields. However, some users may require the ability to prevent modifications to both financial and non-financial fields based on their country’s legislation. Suggestion Add Field by field locking option for Tabs/Transactions/Forms. (Choosing fields in a Tab to include or exclude in the lock) Example of Enabling th…

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**Author:** ![shahabb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/838e76/32.png) [@shahabb](https://forum.manager.io/u/shahabb)\
**Post date:** [August 30, 2024, 2:25pm UTC](https://forum.manager.io/t/auto-date-lock-for-more-control/55922/3 "2024-08-30T14:25:15Z")

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I think the proper request should be to add relative dates like this year/month/day, Quarters etc which i think is already in ideas.  
This could be useful in this and in many other reports.

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**Author:** ![Yaser](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forum.manager.io/yaser/32/43236_2.png) [@Yaser](https://forum.manager.io/u/Yaser)\
**Post date:** [August 31, 2024, 8:59am UTC](https://forum.manager.io/t/auto-date-lock-for-more-control/55922/4 "2024-08-31T08:59:32Z")

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![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/uploads/manager1/original/3X/b/d/bdea8ced7d0a36fe60786fe80e0e3b17eb6d3104.png)  
For us we have to close yesterday all the time (the day before today) Today -1  
and every day I have to do it manually in the morning, because we are using manager as operation program not just accounting.

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**Author:** ![shahabb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/838e76/32.png) [@shahabb](https://forum.manager.io/u/shahabb)\
**Post date:** [August 31, 2024, 9:11am UTC](https://forum.manager.io/t/auto-date-lock-for-more-control/55922/5 "2024-08-31T09:11:07Z")

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![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/uploads/manager1/original/3X/b/d/bdb651124a67c4cd07a774edb7302fa34014d1db.png)  
This i what i meant.

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**Author:** ![Yaser](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forum.manager.io/yaser/32/43236_2.png) [@Yaser](https://forum.manager.io/u/Yaser)\
**Post date:** [August 31, 2024, 9:22am UTC](https://forum.manager.io/t/auto-date-lock-for-more-control/55922/6 "2024-08-31T09:22:45Z")

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Understand but my request is different, it is about the Lock date to be Auto every night at 00:01 to close the previous day.

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**Author:** ![eko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a8b319/32.png) [@eko](https://forum.manager.io/u/eko)\
**Post date:** [August 31, 2024, 10:04am UTC](https://forum.manager.io/t/auto-date-lock-for-more-control/55922/7 "2024-08-31T10:04:59Z")

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> [@Yaser](#):
>
> Lock date to be Auto every night at 00:01 to close the previous day.

This will not be possible within Manager because it does not have any automation triggers such as with Cronjobs (Linux and MacOS) or Scheduled Task (Windows). To add these would complicate development and distribution of Manager to be used by these different operating systems. Also for both Cronjob and Scheduled tasks there would be user settings.

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**Author:** ![shahabb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/838e76/32.png) [@shahabb](https://forum.manager.io/u/shahabb)\
**Post date:** [August 31, 2024, 11:20am UTC](https://forum.manager.io/t/auto-date-lock-for-more-control/55922/8 "2024-08-31T11:20:04Z")

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> [@Yaser](#):
>
> it is about the Lock date to be Auto every night at 00:01 to close the previous day.

Thats what relative dates can do. If they are implemented then your case could be solve by selecting `Lock accounting periods till Yesterday.`

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**Author:** ![eko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a8b319/32.png) [@eko](https://forum.manager.io/u/eko)\
**Post date:** [August 31, 2024, 11:48am UTC](https://forum.manager.io/t/auto-date-lock-for-more-control/55922/9 "2024-08-31T11:48:51Z")

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> [@shahabb](#):
>
> Thats what relative dates can do

@Yaser wants it automated, which I explained Manager an not do. Your solution still requires manual daily updates. @Yaser should consider using a separate POS system and just put summaries in Manager for accounting purposes.

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**Author:** ![shahabb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/838e76/32.png) [@shahabb](https://forum.manager.io/u/shahabb)\
**Post date:** [August 31, 2024, 12:34pm UTC](https://forum.manager.io/t/auto-date-lock-for-more-control/55922/10 "2024-08-31T12:34:15Z")

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> [@eko](#):
>
> Your solution still requires manual daily updates.

I don’t know how will it need daily manual updates if we select Yesterday in the above case? When date changes the transaction of last day would fall under definition of yesterday and would automatically get locked. The same would happen the next day and so on.  
Or maybe i misunderstood the OP.

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**Author:** ![eko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a8b319/32.png) [@eko](https://forum.manager.io/u/eko)\
**Post date:** [August 31, 2024, 1:46pm UTC](https://forum.manager.io/t/auto-date-lock-for-more-control/55922/11 "2024-08-31T13:46:34Z")

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> [@shahabb](#):
>
> When date changes the transaction of last day would fall under definition of yesterday and would automatically get locked.

It would not, there is nothing that would trigger it to behave like you want. The screenshot you showed correctly has buttons of update / reset that one needs to click to change the lock date. There is nothing that Manager will do without action from the user.

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**Author:** ![shahabb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/838e76/32.png) [@shahabb](https://forum.manager.io/u/shahabb)\
**Post date:** [August 31, 2024, 2:08pm UTC](https://forum.manager.io/t/auto-date-lock-for-more-control/55922/12 "2024-08-31T14:08:42Z")

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> [@eko](#):
>
> The screenshot you showed correctly has buttons of update / reset that one needs to click to change the lock date. There is nothing that Manager will do without action from the user.

I never said its possible currently. I said it would be possible if Date picker gets an update and we get to choose from a dropdown with options like i showed on the SS as an example.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![eko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a8b319/32.png) [@eko](https://forum.manager.io/u/eko)\
**Post date:** [August 31, 2024, 2:15pm UTC](https://forum.manager.io/t/auto-date-lock-for-more-control/55922/13 "2024-08-31T14:15:31Z")

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> [@shahabb](#):
>
> I said it would be possible if Date picker gets an update and we get to choose from a dropdown with options like i showed on the SS as an example

And I tried to explain that even if you have data picker, etc it needs either automation such as cronjobs that “automatically” trigger an event such as telling to activate the new date or manual intervention. Manager does not and will not support such automatic triggers so it will need manual input. The software can not read a new date / time without either manual or automated intervention.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Yaser](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forum.manager.io/yaser/32/43236_2.png) [@Yaser](https://forum.manager.io/u/Yaser)\
**Post date:** [September 2, 2024, 10:37am UTC](https://forum.manager.io/t/auto-date-lock-for-more-control/55922/14 "2024-09-02T10:37:45Z")

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Ok Thank you for the time and explanation! 🙏

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**Author:** ![Patch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Patch](https://forum.manager.io/u/Patch)\
**Post date:** [September 2, 2024, 11:15am UTC](https://forum.manager.io/t/auto-date-lock-for-more-control/55922/15 "2024-09-02T11:15:22Z")

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> [@eko](#):
>
> Manager does not and will not support such automatic triggers

I agree it does not.  
I agree automatically generated transactions is contrary to Managers design philosophy.

I’m less convinced date specific behaviour is contrary to it’s design philosophy. It already

- Displays future dated transactions differently to past or current transaction

- Automatically add a date relative entry to transactions (today’s date)

- The recurrent transaction system has a prompt based on current date (current number of transactions it will generate)

Having a relative lock date is not contrary to Managers design philosophy imo.

- However I personally would not use it as I work on batches of date entry in Manager, such as entering and reconciling a month of transaction. On my (external to Manager) POS system I do (mostly) lock prior days transactions however that is still a manual “Seal and reconcile” process.

- Those who use Manager as a POS system may find automatically locking prior days transaction useful, however an automated date based lock would really only make sense if integrated into Managers user permissions system

- All this is part of transforming Manager form an accounting system to a POS / ERP / CRM, which is not something I support but is not my decision.
