TABLE OF CONTENTS
Overview
Locking a post prevents users from interacting with a question or answer by disabling actions such as editing, answering, commenting, and deleting. Site moderators should only lock posts as a last resort.
Who can lock a post?
Site moderators can apply specific types of locks to questions and answers.
Stack Internal also locks posts automatically in some situations, such as after a post is merged or migrated, or when it's deleted as spam or abusive.
Types of locks
Site moderators can apply the following types of locks.
Content dispute
A content dispute lock prevents new interactions while a dispute about a post's content is resolved.
Use this lock if there are disputes about a post's content that need to be resolved.
Comments only
A comments-only lock prevents users from adding new comments while allowing other interactions to continue.
Use this lock when comments no longer help improve the post.
Wiki Answer
A Wiki Answer lock prevents users from adding new answers and encourages users to edit existing answers.
Use this lock to encourage collaboration on existing answers instead of adding new ones.
Obsolete
An obsolete lock prevents new interactions on posts that are out of date.
Use this lock when a post is out of date and should no longer accept new interactions.
How long do locks last?
When a site moderator applies a lock, they choose how long it remains in place.
Site moderators can apply a lock for one of the following durations:
- 1 hour
- 1 day
- 1 week
- Permanent
Stack Internal automatically removes temporary locks when they expire. A site moderator can also remove a lock before it expires if they no longer require it.
If you have questions or issues, reach out to our support team for help.