By default, your client can fill out and submit a form at any time. Setting an expiration date prevents clients from completing the form past a certain date and lets you send automated reminders before the deadline.
Set an expiration date
You can set an expiration date on a form template or on a form that has already been added to a project.
Set an expiration date on a form template to apply it to every client who receives that form. You can also adjust the expiration date on any individual form already added to a project.
Open a form template by navigating to Forms ➔ Form Templates and clicking the template, or open a project form by going to the project, selecting the Forms tab, and clicking the form.
In the form builder, click Settings in the top bar.
Under General settings, find the Expiration date field.
Select an expiration type: None, Relative, or Fixed.
Lead capture forms show only None and Fixed.
Configure the settings that appear for your chosen type.
Save the form.
Your client sees the expiration date at the top of the form. After the form expires, they can no longer submit it.
Expiration date types
There are two types of expiration dates: Relative and Fixed. All forms support Fixed expiration. Lead capture forms cannot use Relative expiration because relative dates are calculated from a project, and lead capture forms create a new project rather than being added to an existing one. See the create-a-lead-capture-form article for more on how lead capture forms work.
Relative expiration
A relative expiration date adjusts automatically based on the project. Instead of picking a specific calendar date, you choose a trigger and a time offset, and Dubsado calculates the expiration date for each project the form is attached to.
Project-date triggers
These triggers calculate the expiration date from the project's start or end date:
after project start
before project start
after project end
before project end
For each trigger, you set a number and a multiplier: hour(s), day(s), or week(s).
For example, if you set the expiration to 3 day(s) before project start, the form expires three days before the project's start date. After that point, your client can no longer submit it.
If your project has a single date (rather than a start and end date), that date acts as both the start and end. If there is no project date on the project, the expiration date is not set.
After applied to project
This trigger calculates the expiration date from the date the form was added to the project, regardless of the project date.
For example, if you set the expiration to 7 day(s) after applied to project, your client has seven days from the moment the form was added to the project to complete it.
The date a form is added to a project and the date you send the form to your client may be different. The "after applied to project" expiration is calculated from when the form was added, not when it was sent.
Fixed expiration
A fixed expiration date is an exact calendar date. It stays the same regardless of when you send the form or what the project date is.
Fixed expiration works well when you need to adjust the deadline on a single form already in a project. It is less common on templates, since the same calendar date applies to every client who receives it. A fixed date on a template makes sense mainly for limited-time offers or event-specific forms where every recipient faces the same deadline.
Add a form expiration reminder
When you set an expiration date (either Relative or Fixed), a Reminder section appears below the expiration settings. You can add one or more automated email reminders to prompt your client before the form expires.
In the Reminder section, click Add.
Enter a number and select a multiplier (hours, days, or weeks) to set how far in advance the reminder sends before the form expires.
Repeat to add additional reminders. To remove a reminder, click the x next to it.
Save the form.
All form expiration reminders use the same email template: Form Reminder. To customize that template, go to Messages ➔ Default templates and open Form Reminder. Keep the {{form | formLink}} smart field in the template so each reminder includes a direct link to the form.
Reminders are not available on lead capture forms.
FAQ
Can I reset the expiration date on a form that has already expired?
Yes. Open the project, go to the Forms tab, and click the expired form to open it in the form builder. Update the expiration date under Settings ➔ General settings and save. If the form is part of a proposal with a connected contract, check the expiration settings on both forms separately. Editing a project form does not change the base template.
Why did my form expire or send a reminder before I sent the form to my client?
When a form with an expiration date is added to a project, the expiration date is calculated and reminders begin sending immediately — whether or not you have officially sent the form to your client. This is especially common when a form is added through a flow: applying a flow to a project adds forms upfront, so an "after applied to project" expiration starts calculating from the day the flow was applied. Keep this in mind when structuring your flows and setting form expiration dates.