---
title: "Signing and locking Experiments"
description: "Step-by-step guide on how to witness, sign and lock experiments to protect the audit trail or review collaborators' work"
url: https://help.labstep.com/en/articles/5502079-signing-and-locking-experiments
collection: "Experiments"
updated: 2026-09-02
language: en
---

# Signing and locking Experiments

Step-by-step guide on how to witness, sign and lock experiments to protect the audit trail or review collaborators' work

_Signed, sealed, witnessed! On Labstep, you can witness and sign experiment entries or request a signature from a collaborator. To prevent any further changes after an experiment has been completed, you can lock it. No one will be able to unlock it apart from the workspace owner._

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# **Editing Request Message/Signature Statement:**

_This isn't available if you have Status Workflows enabled for your workspace._

1.  Click on the gear icon in the left-hand sidebar menu
    
2.  Click on 'Experiments'
    
3.  Click on 'Specify Default Signature Request Message'
    
4.  Enter your personalised request message that will be sent by default
    
5.  Click on 'Save'
    
6.  Click on 'Specify Default Signature Statement'
    
7.  Enter your personalised signature statement that will be used by default
    
8.  Click on 'Save'
    

**_Labstep team tip:_** _Although you have set up a default request message and a signature statement, you will still be able to edit them each time before sending out a request or signing an experiment._

![](https://staticfiles.gleap.io/helpcenter/699dc51d2188da0fb351700e/20260224154005_0943.gif)

# **Adding a signature:**

1.  Navigate to your chosen experiment
    
2.  Click on 'Signatures' in the right-hand side menu
    
3.  Click on 'Add Signatures'
    
4.  Click on 'Sign' or 'Sign and Lock' _(if you have all the signatures you need)_
    

**_Labstep team tip:_** _Before signing an experiment, you can add a statement. This statement informs other collaborators why you have signed the experiment and what part you played in the review process._

![](https://staticfiles.gleap.io/helpcenter/699dc51d2188da0fb351700e/20260224154007_2150.gif)

This is what it'll look like if you have Status Workflows enabled and need to sign off something:

![](https://staticfiles.gleap.io/helpcenter/699dc51d2188da0fb351700e/20260224154002_3997.png)

# 2FA for Signing Experiments:

You can enforce 2FA before users can sign experiments. 2FA signatures are important for 21 CFR Part 11 compliance. For more information on how to enable this, please click [here](https://help.labstep.com/en/articles/9279518-how-to-set-up-2fa-for-signing-experiments.md).

![](https://staticfiles.gleap.io/helpcenter/699dc51d2188da0fb351700e/20260224154002_7969.png)

# **Requesting a signature:**

1.  Navigate to the experiment of your choice
    
2.  Click on 'Signatures' in the right-hand side menu
    
3.  Click on 'Request Signature'
    
4.  Search for members
    
5.  Select a member
    
6.  Change the message if necessary
    
7.  Click on 'Request'
    

**_Labstep team tip:_** _If you click on 'View pending requests' in Signatures, you can check the requests sent that have not yet been accepted._

![](https://staticfiles.gleap.io/helpcenter/699dc51d2188da0fb351700e/20260224154005_8993.gif)

If you have Status Workflows enabled, you can just assign someone and the click "Request"

![](https://staticfiles.gleap.io/helpcenter/699dc51d2188da0fb351700e/20260224154002_2925.png)

# **Revoking signatures:**

1.  Navigate to the chosen experiment
    
2.  Click on 'Signatures' in the right-hand side menu
    
3.  Click on the vertical ellipsis **⋮** next to a signature
    
4.  Click on 'Revoke'
    
5.  The signature will be marked as revoked _(with the date)_
    

**_Labstep team tip:_** _Use the 'Revoke' option if you think a signature is no longer valid or was added by mistake. Only the signee or the experiment owner can revoke signatures. If you believe a signature needs to be revoked, let your collaborators know._

_After the signature has been revoked, it will not be removed for_ [_compliance reasons_](https://help.labstep.com/en/articles/3975005-labstep-and-fda-21-cfr-part-11-compliance.md) _and will still appear within the 'Signatures' tab._

![](https://staticfiles.gleap.io/helpcenter/699dc51d2188da0fb351700e/20260224154004_4231.gif)

# **Requesting signatures in bulk:**

1.  Navigate to the 'Experiments' tab
    
2.  Use filters to narrow down your search
    
3.  Check the boxes next to the experiments of your choice
    
4.  Click on 'Request Signature'
    
5.  Select a member
    
6.  Click on 'Request'
    

**_Labstep team tip:_** _Combine the 'Unsigned' filter with the 'Created by me' and 'Complete' filters to give you a list of experiments that you might want to request signatures for as they are completed._

![](https://staticfiles.gleap.io/helpcenter/699dc51d2188da0fb351700e/20260224154006_9839.gif)

# **Locking an experiment:**

## To lock

1.  Navigate to the 'Experiments' tab (or experiment of your choice)
    
2.  Click on the vertical ellipsis **⋮** next to the chosen experiment
    
3.  Click on 'Lock'
    
4.  Click on 'Yes' to confirm you want to lock this experiment
    
5.  Experiment is now locked!
    

![](https://staticfiles.gleap.io/helpcenter/699dc51d2188da0fb351700e/20260224154005_1886.gif)

## **To unlock**

1.  Navigate to the 'Experiments' tab (or experiment of your choice)
    
2.  Click on the vertical ellipsis **⋮** next to the chosen experiment
    
3.  Click on 'Unlock'
    
4.  Click on 'Yes' to confirm you want to unlock this experiment
    
5.  Experiment is now unlocked!
    

**_Labstep team tip:_** _Please note_ **_only an Admin_** _or the_ **_workspace Owner_** _can unlock experiments. If you need to unlock an experiment and do not have the required permission, ask the workspace owner to unlock it for you or change your workspace permission to 'Owner'._

![](https://staticfiles.gleap.io/helpcenter/699dc51d2188da0fb351700e/20260224154006_1900.gif)

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**_Still need help?_**

_Contact us_ [_here_](mailto:info@labstep.com) _or start a conversation with a member of our team using our in-app chat._