Updated Aug 23, 2023
By default, your client can fill out and submit a Dubsado form at any time. An expiration date will prevent your clients from completing the form past a certain date.
Set an expiration date
Open a form in a project or go to Templates >> Forms.
Click on Form settings (gear icon).
Under General settings, select an option for Expiration date and complete the settings that appear. See below for expiration date types.
Save the form.
Your client will see the expiration date at the top of the form. After the form expires, clients will no longer be able to submit the form.
👋 Here’s a tip... Set an expiration date on a form template if you want it to apply to all clients who receive that form. You can also adjust the expiration settings on any form already added to a project.
Expiration date types
There are two types of expiration date types: Relative and Fixed.
All forms have the ability to add a Fixed expiration, but lead capture forms do not have the ability to add a Relative expiration. This is because relative expiration dates are based on a project.
Relative
Relative expiration dates can automatically adjust based on the project. By setting a relative expiration date on a form template, the form calculates a custom expiration date based on the trigger you select. The trigger options are:
After project start, before project start, after project end, and before project end
These triggers calculate an expiration date based on the project date. If your project date is a single date, it will be treated as both the start and end date. If there's no project date, the expiration date will not be set.
For example, if the relative expiration date is 3 days before project start date, the client will no longer be able to submit the form within the three-day window before the project start date.
After applied to project
The expiration date will be calculated based on the date the form was added to the project.
For example, if the relative expiration date is 7 days after applied to project, the client will have seven days to complete the form after you add it to their project in Dubsado.
⛔ Heads up! The date the form was added to the project and the date you sent the form to the client via email might be two different dates. This expiration date is based on when the form was added to the project, not sent to the client.
Fixed
A fixed expiration date is an exact calendar date such as 05/25/2022. Each time you send the form, no matter when you send it or what the project date is, the expiration date will stay the same.
If you need to adjust the expiration date on an individual form already added to a project, a fixed date works best.
It's not common to use a fixed expiration date in a form template. The only reason to do so is if you're setting up a template for a specific holiday offer or event.
Add a form expiration reminder
When you set an expiration date, you’ll have an option to add one or more automated reminders. Form expiration reminders can be sent any number of hours, days, or weeks before the form expires. Click Add to add a new reminder.
All form expiration reminders use the same email template. You can customize this email template under Templates >> Canned Emails >> Edit Templates >> Form Reminder. Be sure to leave the {{form | formLink}} smart field in the email so that the reminder includes a link to the form.
FAQ
If a form that I sent a client has expired, can I reset the expiration date so the client can submit the form?
If a form that I sent a client has expired, can I reset the expiration date so the client can submit the form?
Yes! You can reset the expiration date on an individual form by going into the client’s project, going to the Forms tab, and clicking Edit on the form.
If the form is a contract, you can click on the down arrow next to Contract in the sidebar inside the project, and then click Edit to edit it.
If the form is a proposal-contract-invoice, It would be considered one proposal with one separate contract, so you'd want to check the settings on both of those forms separately.
Your edits will not affect the base template in Templates >> Forms. You can change the expiration date in the Form settings tab so your client will be able to complete and submit the form again.
Why did my form expire or send my client a reminder before I sent them the form?
Why did my form expire or send my client a reminder before I sent them the form?
When you add a form with an expiration date to a project, the expiration date will be calculated and form expiration reminders will be sent whether you have officially sent the form to your client or not.
This is especially common when the form is sent through a workflow and you have the relative expiration date after applied to project. Applying a workflow to a project automatically adds any forms it will send to the project upfront.
If you have an after applied to project expiration date on a form being sent through a workflow, it is essentially calculating the expiration date from the day you applied the workflow to the project. Keep this in mind when structuring your workflows and setting form expiration dates.