Understanding Note States in Canvas
Last updated: December 29, 2025
Understanding Note States helps you track your clinical documentation from start to finish. Think of note states as checkpoints that show where a note is in its journey—from the moment you start documenting to when it becomes a final, official record.
What Are Note States?
Note states are status markers that track where your documentation is in the workflow. Every note you create moves through specific states that control:
Whether edits can still be made
When the system creates your PDF snapshot
What appears in the note footer and printouts
Whether a formal signature is required
The Three Note States
State | What It Means |
Open | You're actively working on the note. Edits are allowed. |
Locked | The note is finalized. No more edits unless you unlock. |
Signed | Your formal provider signature has been recorded. No additional modifications possible unless the note is amended. Only applies to note types that require signatures. |
How Notes Move Through States
Your notes follow one of two paths, depending on whether the note type requires a signature.
Path 1: Notes that require a signature
Open → Locked → Signed
When you click Sign, the note locks and records your signature in one step. The PDF is created at the moment you sign.
Path 2: Notes that don't require a signature
Open → Locked
When you click Lock, the note is finalized and the PDF is created. No signature is recorded.
How do you know which path your note follows? Look at the button at the bottom of your note. A Sign button means a signature is required. A Lock button means it isn't. Your administrators configure this for each note type.
Locking vs. Signing: What's the Difference?
Locking | Signing | |
What it does | Prevents further edits | Prevents further edits AND records your formal signature |
When it's used | Note types that don't need formal signatures | Note types that require provider signatures |
Button you'll see | Lock | Sign |
To make changes after | Click Unlock | Click Amend |
PDF section header | LOCK HISTORY | SIGNATURES |
Both actions finalize the note and generate a PDF—signing just adds the extra layer of a formal signature record.
Modifying Note Content After Finalizing
Need to update a note after you've locked or signed it? You can.
For signed notes: Click Amend, make your changes, then click Sign again. Your amendment is tracked in the note history.
For locked notes: Click Unlock, make your changes, then click Lock again.
Every change is recorded with who made it and when, so you always have a complete audit trail.
Ready to walk through the steps? See [How to Sign Notes in Canvas] for detailed instructions on signing, amending, and viewing your signature history.
Where Note History Lives
You can see what's happened with your note in two places:
In the note footer — Shows activity in your personal timezone, with the most recent event first. Each finalized version includes a View PDF link.
In PDF printouts — Shows activity in your instance timezone, listed chronologically (oldest first). Signed notes show a SIGNATURES section; locked notes show a LOCK HISTORY section.
Who Can Sign or Lock Notes?
Your practice controls this through a system-level setting –
If signature restriction is enabled: Only the provider who created the note can sign, lock, amend, or unlock it.
If signature restriction is disabled: Multiple authorized team members can sign or lock the same note.
If you're unsure what applies to your practice, check with your administrator.
Need to change these settings? See [Configuring Note Signing Requirements] for administrator setup instructions.
What Will Happen to Older Notes?
Notes created before the signature feature was implemented still work perfectly. They were automatically assigned appropriate states and their PDFs use the original template format. Your historical documentation stays accurate and unchanged.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do some of my notes show "Sign" and others show "Lock"?
It depends on how your note type is configured. Your administrators decide which note types require formal signatures. Canvas shows you the right button based on the note type—you don't have to remember which is which.
Why does the note footer show different times than my PDF?
The note footer uses your personal timezone since that's what makes sense when you're looking at it. PDF printouts use your instance timezone to keep all official records consistent across the organization. Same events, just formatted for different purposes.
Can I see who made amendments and when?
Yes. Everything is tracked. In your note footer, you'll see who amended the note and when. The PDF signature section shows the same information. Complete transparency for audit purposes.
Does signing affect billing?
Not directly, but some billable note types may be configured to require signatures as part of your documentation workflow. Check with your practice administrator about what's required for billing compliance.
Keywords: note states, signed notes, locked notes, note locking, note signing, clinical documentation, note workflow
Category: Clinical Documentation & Commands, Charting & Documentation, Clinical Configurations