# Fishbowl: "PO cannot be deleted"

> A purchase order in a protected status cannot be removed from Fishbowl.

## What it means
You're trying to delete a purchase order, but Fishbowl is blocking the deletion because it's in a protected status. Once a PO moves into certain statuses—usually after receipt, invoice matching, or closure—it can't be deleted to maintain audit and financial integrity.

## What to check
- Look at the PO's current status in its detail view
- Check whether goods have been received against this PO
- Verify if the PO has been matched to an invoice or payment
- Consider whether you need to void or archive the PO instead of deleting it

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*From Israel Lopez Consulting (ILC). Custom Fishbowl Inventory integrations and software, and Fishbowl experts since 2015. Written by Israel Lopez. Questions about this topic, or want to reach the people who wrote it? Visit https://israellopezconsulting.com/contact*