Manage locked content

What's inside this article:


Basic information

When a user opens the edit screen for a content item in Pangea CMS, the system immediately locks the item. When an item is locked for editing by one user, a second user cannot start editing the item. This logic stops multiple users from editing the same item at the same time (Pangea CMS does not support collaborative editing).

If an item is locked for editing, the box on the main Search screen is gray. The box also includes the extra Unlock and Read only buttons. This applies for all the available content types in Pangea CMS.



Unlocking: Overview

If necessary, you can unlock a content item that is locked for editing by another user. After the item is unlocked, it is available for editing. An overview of the unlocking process is available below. 2 CMS users are involved in this process:

  • User A: The user who is editing the item.
  • User B: The user who unlocks the item.

When User B unlocks the item, User A immediately sees a dialog with the message below:

"Your lock of this item has been removed by [User B (UserB@email.com)]. This item is no longer locked exclusively for you and you cannot save changes you have made."

User A must click OK to close the dialog. User A is then switched to read-only mode. In read-only mode:

  • User A cannot save changes (including unsaved changes made before the content was unlocked).
  • User A cannot make further changes to the content or settings.
  • Unsaved changes made by User A are still visible. However, these changes will be discarded when User A closes the edit screen.

User B can edit the content with no limitations. User B does not see unsaved changes made by User A.



Check who is editing an item

Before unlocking, you can check who is editing the content item.

To check who is editing an item, click the Unlock button.

The message includes the following details:

  • The name and username of the user who is editing the item.
  • When the user started editing the item.

The following options are now available:

  • Cancel: Return to Search without unlocking the item.
  • Unlock: Unlock the item to enable editing. Before unlocking, review the consequences described here.



Unlock an item

You can Unlock a content item that is locked for editing by another CMS user.

IMPORTANT: Before unlocking, review the consequences described here.

To unlock an item:

  1. Click the Unlock button.
  2. Click Unlock to confirm.

The item is now unlocked. You can edit with no limitations. To start editing, click the item title.



Open an item in read-only mode

If a content item is locked for editing, you can open the item in read-only mode. The following conditions apply:

  • The other CMS user who is editing the item is not notified and can continue editing without interruption.
  • You can view the latest saved version of the item (including content and settings). Unsaved changes are not visible.

To open a locked item in read-only mode, hit the title for the item.

The item opens in read-only mode. To enable editing, hit the Unlock button. Before unlocking, review the consequences described here.