Definition
A draft entry is a saved journal entry that can still be edited or deleted and does not affect the ledger or reports. Posting finalizes it: a posted entry counts in balances and statements and should no longer change. Errors in posted entries are corrected with a reversal or adjusting entry, never by editing.
How it works
The draft state gives room for preparation and review. A bookkeeper can key a batch of supplier bills as drafts, attach the documents, and let a reviewer post them. Reports ignore drafts, so half-finished work never leaks into a trial balance sent to management.
Posting is the control point. Once posted, an entry is part of the official record that reports, tax filings and audits rely on. That is why systems like Ledgeriano make posted entries immutable and require a reversal entry to cancel one: both entries stay visible with a link between them.
Watch for drafts that sit for months. Before closing a period, list all drafts dated inside it and either post or delete them; a lock date then prevents anything new from landing in the closed period.
Example: what changes when an entry is posted
A 900 utility bill entered as a draft does not appear in the general ledger. After posting, the expense and payable balances both move by 900.
| State | Editable | In trial balance | How to fix an error |
|---|---|---|---|
| Draft | Yes | No | Edit or delete it |
| Posted | No | Yes | Post a reversal, then a correct entry |