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.


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Set an expiration date

  1. Open a form or form template to edit.

  2. Go to the Form Settings panel (gear icon).

  3. Under General settings, select an option for Expiration date and set your preferences.

  4. Save the form.

Your client will see the expiration date at the top of the form. Once the form expires, they 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. This is helpful for when a client needs extra time!


Expiration date types

Relative

Relative expiration dates can automatically adjust based on the project. By setting a relative expiration date on a form template, the form will be able to calculate a custom expiration date based on the trigger you select.

Before/after project start/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 added 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

What if my client needs more time to complete a form?

You can reset the expiration date on an individual form by editing the form inside the client’s project. Your edits will not affect the form template. Once you change the expiration date in the Form settings tab and save your changes, 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?

Once you add a form with an expiration date to a project, the expiration date will calculate and form expiration reminders will send 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 up front.

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.

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