Who this is for: Admins or users with elevated permissions who need to force-release a check-out lock that someone else holds — typically when the lock holder is unavailable
Time to complete: 30 seconds
Permission: Unlock Documents (typically restricted to admins, contract owners, or documented “lock breakers”)
What this does
Unlock force-releases a Check-Out lock held by another user, without uploading a new version. Any local edits the lock holder may have been working on are not captured — they’re discarded if the lock holder doesn’t get a chance to check in.
It’s the “break-glass” option for when normal check-in flow can’t happen (the holder is on PTO, left the company, lost their laptop, etc.).
Where to find it
Document viewer → header → vertical-ellipsis (Document actions menu) → Unlock.
The Unlock item only appears when:
Someone else has the document checked out, and
You have the Unlock Documents permission
If the document isn’t checked out, you’ll see Check-Out instead. If you are the holder, you’ll see Check-In and Cancel Check-Out instead.
How it works
Open the document.
The status banner shows “Checked out by <name> on <date>”.
Open the actions menu → Unlock.
A confirmation modal opens warning that any unsaved local edits the holder has will be lost. “This will release the lock without saving any version. Continue?”
Click Confirm. The lock releases; the document returns to Viewing state for everyone; an entry appears in Document Activity recording that you unlocked it.
What unlocking does and doesn’t do
Does:
Release the check-out lock, returning the document to Viewing state for all users
Log the unlock action with your name in Document Activity
Allow the next user to check out, upload a new version, or take other version-changing actions
Notify the original lock holder (per tenant config) that their lock was released by an admin
Does not:
Capture any edits the original lock holder may have made
Notify counterparties or external recipients
Affect any in-flight workflows or e-sign envelopes (those handle their own locking)
Roll back the document to a prior version (use Document Version Control for that)
Best practices
Always try to reach the lock holder first. A quick Slack/email asking them to Cancel Check-Out is cleaner than force-unlocking.
Document why you unlocked in a follow-up note or email. The Activity entry shows who and when but doesn’t capture rationale.
Don’t unlock to “free up” workflows mid-edit. If a workflow is paused waiting for check-in, the lock holder is probably actively working. Force-unlocking wastes their work.
Reserve Unlock for actual stuck locks: the holder is unreachable, the deal is time-critical, the lock has been open for more than certain business days, etc. Set tenant policy on what triggers a force unlock.
When to unlock vs. when to wait
Scenario | Recommended action |
Holder is in a meeting | Wait, or message them |
Holder has been on PTO for 3 days, deal is blocking | Unlock |
Holder left the company | Unlock (and reassign contract ownership) |
Holder doesn’t realize they have it checked out | Message them; Cancel Check-Out is theirs to do |
Workflow is stuck because of the lock | Investigate first — workflow may complete once holder checks in |
Holder explicitly asks you to unlock for them | Unlock |
Tips
Some tenants enforce a lock-age policy — locks older than N hours/days auto-unlock or send escalation alerts. Check tenant config.
After unlocking, the document is in normal Viewing state. You can then Check-Out yourself if you want to take over the edit, or just leave it for the original holder to re-check-out and try again.
Unlock is per-document, not per-version. There’s no “unlock v2 but leave v3 locked” — there’s only one current lock at a time.
Troubleshooting
Symptom | Likely cause |
Item missing | No Unlock Documents permission |
Unlock item present but greyed | Document isn’t currently checked out |
Unlock confirmation succeeds but lock persists | Browser cache; refresh the viewer |
Original holder claims they didn’t get a notification | Check tenant config for unlock notifications; some tenants don’t notify by default |
Lock keeps re-acquiring | Possible automation/integration auto-checking out — investigate which service account is doing it |
Related
Document actions menu
Check-Out — the action you’re undoing
Check-In — the cleaner alternative if the holder can do it themselves
Document Activity — confirms the unlock event was logged