Why Can't I Edit a Forecast Cell? Locked Channels Explained

Quick Answer: If a forecast cell won't accept an edit and you see the message "This channel is locked and cannot be edited," the channel has been locked by the forecast owner. Locked cells are read-only for everyone until the owner unlocks the channel in Forecast Settings → Lock Forecast.

What's Happening?

A locked channel protects a finalized part of your forecast from further edits. When a channel is locked, its cells are read-only across every period — past and future months — so the approved plan stays stable while your team executes against it.

If you try to change a locked cell, Moselle blocks the edit and shows a short explanation instead of saving the value:

This channel is locked and cannot be edited.

This is expected behavior, not an error. Your other unlocked channels remain fully editable.

Who Can Lock and Unlock a Channel?

Time to read: 2 minutes Difficulty: Beginner

Role	What they can do
Forecast owner	Lock and unlock channels, and edit any cell
Other team members	View the lock state (read-only); edit only unlocked channels

Everyone on your team can now see which channels are locked and who locked them — the Lock Forecast section in Forecast Settings is visible to all users, and read-only for anyone who isn't the forecast owner. This makes it clear why a cell can't be edited without having to guess.

How to See Whether a Channel Is Locked

1

Open the forecast

Navigate to the Forecasting section in the left sidebar and open the forecast you're working in.

2

Open Forecast Settings

Click the gear icon on the right-hand side of the forecast and select Forecast Settings.

3

Check the Lock Forecast section

The Lock Forecast section lists which channels are locked and notes who locked the plan. If you're not the forecast owner, this view is read-only.

Expected Result: You can confirm whether the cell you tried to edit belongs to a locked channel.

How to Make Edits Again

• If you're the forecast owner: open Forecast Settings → Lock Forecast, unlock the channel, make your changes, then re-lock it to protect the approved plan.

• If you're not the owner: ask the forecast owner (shown in the Lock Forecast section) to unlock the channel, or to make the change on your behalf.

Unlock a channel only when a change is genuinely needed. Locking exists to keep an approved forecast stable, so re-lock as soon as your edits are complete.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did editing a locked cell used to fail silently?

Answer: Editing a locked channel now shows a clear message — "This channel is locked and cannot be edited" — and your original value is kept. There's nothing you need to do differently; the block is intentional.

Can I still edit future months on a locked channel?

Answer: No. When a channel is locked, all of its periods are read-only, including future months. Unlock the channel to edit any period.

How do I know who locked the channel?

Answer: Open Forecast Settings → Lock Forecast. The section attributes the lock to the user who set it, so you know who to ask for an unlock.

Related Guides

https://github.com/Moselle-io/moselle-docs/tree/master/planning-and-execution/forecasting/locking-forecast-periods.mdRefine Your Forecast