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How to let users edit their submissions only until they are approved

Allow portal users to edit their own submissions while they’re in progress, then automatically block further edits once the submission status changes (e.g., to Approved, or Finalized).

In some workflows, users need to be able to edit their submissions after submitting them – but only until a certain point.

For example, you might let applicants edit their application while it’s still In progress, but prevent any further changes once it has been reviewed and marked as Approved.

💡 To block further user edits once the submission status is updated – you can create two separate views in your portal:

  • One editable page for submissions that are still under review/in progress

  • One read-only page for approved/finalized submissions

Then, using filtering, granular access settings, and logic, users will automatically move from the editable view to the read-only view once their submission is approved.


Step 1: Create two portal pages

Inside your portal, create two separate pages for the same form submissions:

  • In progress – where users can view and edit their own submissions

  • Approved – where users can only view their approved submissions

This lets you show the same form data in two different ways, depending on the submission status:


Step 2: Filter each page by status

  • On the In progress page, add a filter to show only submissions where the status is In progress,

  • On the Approved page, add a filter to show only submissions where the status is Approved:

This ensures users only see the submissions that belong in each stage.


Step 3: Allow users to view only, or view & edit their submissions

On the In progress page, open the table's Options and go to Manage access. Allow users to:

  • View their own submissions

  • Edit their own submissions

This lets users continue updating their submission while it’s still under review.

On the Approved page, go to table's Options, and in Manage access, and only allow users to:

  • View their own submissions

Do not enable editing access on this page.

Once a submission appears here, users can still see it, but they can no longer make changes.


Step 4: Show the approved page only to specific users (optional)

If you want more control, you can also create a dedicated user role:

  1. Go to your portal’s User Directory

  2. Click Edit profile fields

  3. Add a new role, e.g., No editing

Then set the Approved page to be visible only to users with this role:

This keeps the approved, read-only page hidden until the user’s submission reaches the right stage.


Step 6: Automatically assign the role when the submission is approved

To assign the role automatically, open your application form and go to Advanced logic. In the On update section, create a rule like this:

IF status is changed to Approved
THEN update record → User profile → User roles to No editing

This automatically grants the user the new role when their submission is approved, without affecting any other roles they already have.


What happens after approval

Once an admin changes the submission status from In progress to Approved:

  • The submission no longer appears on the editable In progress page

  • The user gains access to the Approved page

  • The approved submission appears there as view-only

  • The user can see their approved submission, but can no longer edit it


Bottom line

To block edits after approval, you don’t need to remove the submission or lock the whole form.

Create two filtered pages for the same form data: one editable and one read-only. Then use access settings and logic to move users into the read-only experience once their submission is approved.

This keeps the workflow clear for users while giving admins full control over when submissions can no longer be changed.

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