Finalize or Reverse a Class Attendance Sheet
Finalize locks a saved sheet; Reverse deletes the sheet's records and the lock so the register can be retaken. Both need the “edit attendance” permission.
For School administrators, Teachers. Updated 2026-10-09.
Overview
Finalize needs the “edit attendance” permission and a saved sheet: if no records exist for that class and date you get 'Save attendance before finalizing this sheet'. It creates an attendance sheet lock recording who finalized it and when, with optional notes (up to 500 characters).
While locked, Save attendance and QR check-in for that class and date are refused with 'This attendance sheet has been finalized. Reverse it before making changes' (status 423), and the drawer shows 'Sheet is finalized - read-only.
Reverse to make changes.' Finalize is available both inside the drawer and from the History tab (Finalize on a draft row, or Finalize now in the detail drawer, with a confirmation 'Finalize attendance log?').
Reverse is the only way to correct a finalized sheet: it confirms first, then deletes every attendance record for that class and date and removes the lock, so the whole register must be retaken. Reverse also works on an unlocked sheet with saved records.
Finalize and Reverse are written to the audit log (attendance.finalize, attendance.reverse; reverse stores the number of deleted records). Teachers can finalize and reverse only classes they teach.
Before you start
- Saved draft register for the class and date
- The “edit attendance” permission permission
Steps
- Open Attendance > Overview & Logs > Log Attendance and load the class and date
- Confirm all students are marked and Save attendance
- Select Finalize and confirm Finalize attendance
- To correct a locked sheet, load the same class and date and select Reverse
- Confirm the Reverse attendance sheet dialog, then retake and save the register
- Finalize again when correct
Common problems
Finalize says 'Save attendance before finalizing this sheet'
No records are saved for that class and date. Save the register first.
Save fails with 'This attendance sheet has been finalized'
Reverse the sheet first. Note that reversing deletes all of that day's records for the class.
Reverse is disabled
It is disabled when no sheet exists for the class and date. Check the class and date selection.