---
title: "Object Lock With the Wasabi S3 API"
slug: "object-lock-with-the-wasabi-s3-api"
updated: 2026-02-03T15:15:26Z
published: 2026-02-03T15:15:26Z
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.wasabi.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Object Lock With the Wasabi S3 API

You can add or update the object lock settings for an object using the tags described below.

| Tag | Description |
| --- | --- |
| Mode | This tag should be either COMPLIANCE or GOVERNANCE, which are not case-sensitive. |
| RetainUntilDate | This defines the retention time for an object. The object cannot be deleted before this time. Note that the retention time must be in the future. |
| LegalHold | This should be either ON or OFF, which is not case-sensitive. |

The following is an example of setting the object locking configuration on an object:

```actionscript
PUT https://s3.wasabisys.com/qa.objectlock.002/beta_vpn.png?retention&versionId= 001617181245457483475-4ylsTbqqvP

        <Retention>
        <Mode>compliance</Mode>
        <RetainUntilDate>2021-04-06T09:00:45Z</RetainUntilDate></Retention>
```

The following is an example of setting legal hold for an object:

```actionscript
PUT https://s3.wasabisys.com/qa.objectlock.002/beta_vpn.png?legal-hold&versionId=001617181245457483475-4ylsTbqqvP

        <LegalHold>
        <Status>ON</Status></LegalHold>
```

The following is an example of setting governance mode for an object:

```actionscript
PUT https://s3.wasabisys.com/qa.objectlock.002/public/ACL.PNG?retention

        <Retention>
        <Mode>governance</Mode>
        <RetainUntilDate>2021-05-20T09:00:45Z</RetainUntilDate></Retention>
```

> The “x-amz-bypass-governance-retention =true” header must be included whenever you want to override governance settings for an object.