Why a submitted period locks
Once you submit, the period is a shared record. A reviewer is looking at those numbers. If the hours could shift under them, the approval would mean nothing. So the moment you submit, TimeTracker refuses new entries, edits, and deletions in that range. The refusal reads: “That period has been submitted for approval, so it can’t be changed.”Pick the right route
Route 1 – withdraw it yourself
The fastest route, and the only one you can do alone.1
Open the period
Go to Time and navigate to the period. The button on the right reads Withdraw submission.
2
Click Withdraw submission
A confirmation opens – “Withdraw
<period>? This pulls the timesheet back from approval and returns it to draft so it can be edited.” It shows the total you submitted.3
Confirm
Click Withdraw timesheet. You get
Timesheet withdrawn – the period is editable again.4
Fix and resubmit
Every entry is back to draft. Make your changes, then click Submit timesheet again.
Route 2 – ask your reviewer to send it back
If a reviewer is already looking at it, they can click Request changes and write what needs fixing. Every entry in the period returns to draft with the reason attached. The period reads Changes requested, and the reason appears at the top of your timesheet in a red panel, with the reviewer’s name. Individual affected entries show as Rejected until you redo them, and their cells are tinted in the grouped grid so you can find them fast. See /approvals/reject-a-timesheet for the reviewer’s side.Route 3 – a manager corrects it in review
A reviewer withtime.editOthers does not have to bounce a whole week back over one wrong description.
On the review screen they can:
- Click the pencil on any entry row and correct it in place.
- Click Add entry to add one you missed.
This is the only case where a submitted entry can be edited. It is limited to reviewers acting during review. Approved, locked, and invoiced entries stay frozen for everyone.
Route 4 – reopen an approved period
Once the period is approved, withdrawing is no longer available. An owner or admin has to reopen it. Reopening reverses the approval, returns every entry to draft, and sets the period to Changes requested so you can edit and resubmit. It is blocked if any entry has already been locked or invoiced. See /approvals/reopen-an-approval.Route 5 – adjust settled time
Locked and invoiced time cannot be edited or reopened by anyone. It is corrected with an adjustment – a separate, linked entry carrying a signed correction. The original stays exactly as it was. See /approvals/adjustments.Example
Sarah Lin submits her week on Friday with 32 hours. On Saturday she realises Thursday’s 90 minutes on Harbor Logistics never got entered. Nobody has reviewed the week, so she opens Time, clicks Withdraw submission, confirms, adds the 1.5 hours, and resubmits. Total: 33.5 hours. The next week she submits again. This time Priya Raman is already reviewing it and spots that one 3-hour entry is missing its description. Rather than bounce the whole week, Priya clicks the pencil on that row, types the description, and approves. Sarah never has to touch it. Two weeks later, after Tom Whitfield has closed the month, a client questions 2 hours. Those entries are locked. Daniel Okafor posts an adjustment of-2 hours against the original, with a reason. The original entry is untouched and the corrected total nets out.
Permissions
Plan gating
Withdrawing is free. Requesting changes and approving are Pro. Reopening an approval is never plan-gated – a workspace that lapses can always take a decision back.What happens next
- Withdrawing tells your pending reviewer the review is off.
- Requesting changes notifies you, with the reason.
- Reopening notifies you, with the reason.
- Resubmitting starts a fresh review. The previous verdict is cleared.
Common questions
Can I edit one single entry in a submitted week?
Can I edit one single entry in a submitted week?
Not yourself. You withdraw the whole period, fix the entry, and submit again. A reviewer can edit a single entry in place during review.
Does withdrawing lose my hours?
Does withdrawing lose my hours?
No. Withdrawing only changes status. Every entry stays exactly as you tracked it, back in draft.
Can I delete an entry in a submitted period?
Can I delete an entry in a submitted period?
No. The period has to be editable first.
Will resubmitting look suspicious?
Will resubmitting look suspicious?
No. The activity log records every step honestly – submitted, withdrew, resubmitted – so the history explains itself.
Troubleshooting
- “That period has been submitted for approval, so it can’t be changed.” Withdraw it, or ask your approver to send it back.
- “That period is closed.” The time is locked or invoiced. Use an adjustment.
- “That day’s timesheet is locked, so time can’t be added or changed.” A period close covers that date.
- “This entry is no longer a draft, so it can’t be changed.” The entry has moved past draft. Everything already tracked is safe.
- “You can’t change someone else’s time.” You do not hold
time.editOthers.
Related guides
Submit a timesheet
Submitting, withdrawing and resubmitting.
Reject a timesheet
How a reviewer sends a period back.
Reopen an approval
Reverse an approval that has already been made.
Adjustments
Correct locked or invoiced time.
Timesheet statuses
Exactly what each state allows.
Timesheet problems
More fixes for common timesheet errors.