When managing your publishing statuses in ZoomSphere, you may come across the following message:
Publishing Status Locked
You can’t change this publishing status because it’s currently used in scheduled posts.
To update or delete it, please first change the status in all affected scheduled posts.
This message means the publishing status you're trying to edit or remove is currently applied to one or more scheduled posts in your Scheduler.
Why This Happens
To protect your publishing workflow and avoid accidental changes to active content, ZoomSphere locks publishing statuses that are in use by scheduled posts. This ensures the consistency and stability of your content planning.
How to Fix It
If you need to edit or delete a publishing status, follow these steps:
Open your Scheduler
Use the Filter to find posts using the publishing status in question
Change the status on all affected scheduled posts (i.e., from "Approved" to other)
Once the status is no longer in use, return to Settings to edit or delete it
💡 Tip
If you’re unsure which posts are using the status:
Use the Filter in the Scheduler to view only posts assigned to a specific publishing status
By default, the publishing status is often set to Approved
This allows you to quickly identify and update the posts before making changes to the status itself
What is the Publishing Status?
The publishing status is the most important status in ZoomSphere. It determines which posts are automatically published to your social media channels at the scheduled time.
By default, the publishing status is called “Approved”, and it has the publish function enabled. Any post assigned to this status will be published at the scheduled time.
However, you can customize your publishing workflow:
Change which status has the publishing function enabled
Rename it or create a new one
All done easily via Status Settings, accessible from an Administrator account
This flexibility allows you to tailor your approval and publishing process to fit your team’s needs.
Summary
You cannot edit or delete a publishing status while it is still assigned to scheduled posts.
To unlock it:
Update the publishing status of all affected posts
Then return to your status settings to make the change
This safeguard helps you manage content approvals and publishing without accidentally affecting scheduled content.
Still need help? Reach out via in-app chat — we’re happy to assist!