Why are segments locked in the CAT Editor?

Overview

If segments appear locked in the Smartcat CAT editor, this is almost always caused by one of four reasons. This article explains each cause and how to resolve it.

When to use it

• You or a supplier cannot confirm or edit segments in a project

• You see a "Locked by manager" message on a segment

• Segments are locked after importing an XLIFF file

How to use it

⚠️The resolution for each of the causes below requires user permissions to view the editor from the organization side of the workspace. Typically this permission belongs to the Workspace Admin and Project Manager roles.

Cause 1: Previous workflow stage not confirmed

This is the most common cause for suppliers assigned to a project. In a project with multiple workflow stages (for example, AI Translation → Translation Review → Proofreading), a segment must be confirmed in each stage before the next stage can access it.

Identify the issue:

1. Open the document in the CAT editor

2. Hover over the confirmation icon in the toolbar. Confirmed stages appear highlighted, unconfirmed stages appear grayed out

   

3. Go to Filters → Current workflow stage → Unconfirmed segments to find any unconfirmed segments

Resolve it:

1. Review any segments flagged with critical issues (tag errors, glossary mismatches, formatting problems) and fix them

2. Confirm all segments in the previous stage

Segments in the next stage become editable once the previous stage is fully confirmed.

💡 If a segment is intentionally blank and not meant to be translated, lock it manually to prevent project completion issues.

Cause 2: Segments locked by a manager

Workspace Admins and Project Managers can manually lock segments to prevent changes. These appear completely grayed out and display a "Locked by manager" tooltip on hover.

Resolve it:

1. Open the project in the CAT editor

2. Hover over the locked segment to confirm it shows the "Locked by manager" message

3. Click the Lock/Unlock icon in the toolbar to toggle the segment's lock status

The segment is unlocked and available for editing.

Cause 3: Segments locked by XLIFF import settings

If a file was imported with the setting Lock segments for imported translations and confirm them to the last stage selected, those segments are locked automatically on import.

Resolve it:

• Re-upload the file with the lock option deselected

Segments are unlocked and editable.

📌Segments from an XLIFF file can be locked even if you do not select the Lock segments option when importing the file. If a translation unit has an attribute “translate” with value “no” it is locked in the editor regardless of the selection during import. You must edit the XLIFF file itself if you want to edit this segment in Smartcat.

Cause 4: File split among multiple suppliers

When a large file is divided among multiple suppliers working on the same language task, each supplier can only access their assigned portion. Segments outside their range appear locked.

Verify the assignment:

1. Go to Project Settings → Tasks

2. Check the supplier's assigned segment range

3. Confirm that the locked segments fall outside their allocation

If the assignment is configured correctly, no action is needed. If it is incorrect, update the task allocation.

Result: Each supplier can access only their assigned segments — this is expected behavior.

FAQs

All of a supplier's segments are locked. What is the most likely cause?

The previous workflow stage has not been confirmed. Ask the relevant person to confirm segments in the prior stage.

Only part of the file is locked for a supplier. Why?

The file is likely split among multiple suppliers. Check the task assignments in Project Settings → Tasks.

I see the "Locked by manager" tooltip. Who can unlock it?

Workspace Admins and Project Managers can unlock segments using the Lock/Unlock icon in the CAT editor toolbar.

Blank segments can't be confirmed. What should I do?

Lock them manually. Blank segments that are intentionally untranslated must be manually locked to prevent project completion issues.