How to Lock Periods in Xero

Updated on:

May 12, 2026

By:

Use this interactive demo to learn how to set and save lock dates in your Xero financial settings.

Quick summary

Locking periods in Xero prevents changes to closed financial reporting periods, protecting the integrity of your accounts. You can set a lock date in just a few clicks via Xero's Financial Settings under the Accounting menu.

Steps

On Xero's main dashboard, go to the top menu bar and click Accounting.
Choose Advanced from the list of options.
Find and click Financial Settings.
Scroll down to the Lock Dates section, click the drop-down menu, and pick your preferred date from the calendar.
Click Save to apply the changes.
Your Xero organisation's financial reporting period is now locked based on your selected date.

📌 Why this matters

Locking accounting periods in Xero is a critical internal control that prevents backdated edits to finalised financial data, ensuring your reports remain accurate and audit-ready. For accountants and finance teams using Xero, the lock date feature stops unauthorised or accidental changes to closed periods, reducing the risk of compliance errors. This is especially important at month-end or year-end close when data integrity directly impacts tax filings and financial statements. Setting lock dates in Xero's Financial Settings takes under a minute and gives businesses reliable, tamper-proof accounting records.

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