Unlocking a Locked Channel in Publlish
Learn why a social media channel gets locked in Publlish, what happens to your scheduled posts when a channel is locked, and how to unlock it by upgrading or freeing up channel slots.
If a channel in Publlish is showing as "Locked", it means the channel is connected but inactive — Publlish knows about it, but it can't publish to it until the lock is resolved. This almost always happens after a plan downgrade or when your account has more channels connected than your current plan allows.
Why Does a Channel Get Locked?
Channels get locked in two main scenarios:
1. You downgraded to a lower plan If your previous plan allowed 10 channels and you downgraded to a plan that allows 5, the extra 5 channels get locked. Publlish doesn't choose which ones to lock — the most recently connected channels are typically locked first, but this can vary. You can control which ones get unlocked by managing your channel slots.
2. Your free trial ended If you were on a trial of a paid plan and your trial expired without subscribing, your account reverts to the free plan's channel limit. Any channels over that limit are locked.
What Happens to a Locked Channel
When a channel is locked:
- Posts will not publish — any posts scheduled to a locked channel will fail or be held until the channel is unlocked
- The channel is visible in your Channels list but marked with a lock icon
- Your content and settings are preserved — nothing is deleted; the channel just can't publish
- Analytics data for the locked period won't be collected
How to Unlock a Channel
You have two options:
Option A — Upgrade your plan
Upgrading to a plan that supports more channels will automatically unlock all locked channels. Go to Settings → Billing and choose a plan with a higher channel limit.
Option B — Disconnect another channel to free up a slot
If you don't want to upgrade, you can unlock a locked channel by disconnecting a different channel to free up a slot.
- Go to Channels
- Decide which currently active channel you want to remove
- Click the settings menu next to that channel and select Disconnect
- Once disconnected, the locked channel should automatically unlock within a few minutes
- If it doesn't unlock automatically, go to the locked channel and click Unlock or Reactivate
Reschedule Posts That Failed During the Lock
After unlocking a channel, check your Queue for any posts that failed to publish while the channel was locked. These will be flagged as failed. Reschedule them manually for a new time.
How to Avoid Channels Getting Locked
- Before downgrading your plan, review how many channels you're actively using and decide which to disconnect first
- If you're approaching your plan's channel limit, either upgrade or disconnect unused channels before connecting new ones
- Set a calendar reminder to review your Publlish channel usage periodically — especially before billing cycles
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my channel locked in Publlish? A locked channel means you have more channels connected than your current plan allows — usually because of a plan downgrade or a free trial ending. Plans and pricing →
Will my scheduled posts still go out if a channel is locked? No. Posts scheduled to locked channels will not publish until the channel is unlocked.
How do I unlock a channel without upgrading? Disconnect a different active channel to free up a slot. The locked channel will then be able to reactivate. Disconnecting a channel →
Can I choose which channels get locked when I downgrade? The system automatically locks channels when you go over your plan limit. To control which channels stay active, manually disconnect the ones you don't need before the downgrade takes effect.
My channel is unlocked but posts are still failing — what do I do? If the channel is unlocked but posts still fail, the issue may be a connection error rather than a lock. Try refreshing the channel. Refreshing a channel →