Scenarios are considered children of your default forecast (the parent).
This means that when a manual or automatic pull request is initiated and new financial data updates the default forecast, all unlocked scenarios update as well — because they are linked to the parent.
Locking a scenario breaks that automatic link for updates. A locked scenario preserves its data exactly as it was at the moment you locked it, no matter how many times the parent default forecast is refreshed.
Here's what happens:
When a scenario is locked:
It will not update when you refresh or pull new data into your default forecast.
The data inside the locked scenario will stay exactly as it was when you locked it — unless you manually edit it yourself.
You can still rename the scenario and make manual modifications.
When a scenario is unlocked:
It will update automatically whenever a pull request from QuickBooks is initiated for the default forecast.
Important:
The default forecast itself is always locked. It can never be unlocked or changed, other than when a new pull request is initiated.
How to Lock or Unlock a Scenario
You can lock or unlock scenarios from two places:
1. From the Dashboard
On the dashboard, there is a checkbox to the left of the scenario name.
To lock a scenario: Simply check the box.
To unlock a scenario: Uncheck the box.
2. From the Projects Page
On the projects page, scenarios display a lock icon.
A locked icon means the scenario is locked.
An unlocked icon means the scenario will update with pulls.
Click the icon to toggle between locked and unlocked.
Additional Notes
Locking a scenario does not affect how many scenarios you can have.
Your plan’s scenario limit remains the same, regardless of how many scenarios are locked or unlocked.