# Expired Envelopes
## Managing Expired Envelopes in S-Sign: A Complete Guide
When you send out a time-sensitive contract or agreement, you don't want that request sitting in a client's inbox indefinitely. Unsigned documents that linger for months can create legal and compliance liabilities if terms, pricing, or conditions change.
To prevent this, S-Sign allows you to configure expiration dates for your e-signature requests. When an envelope expires, the secure signing link becomes invalid, the document is locked, and the signer is notified that they can no longer sign it.
### How S-Sign Expiration Works
Expiration for E-Signature requests in S-Sign is driven by the S-Sign notifications scheduled automated job that operates that reads the settings you define at the template level. When the expiration date is reached:
1. The Link is Deactivated: If a signer attempts to click the S-Sign link in their original email, they will be blocked from accessing the document.
2. The Process Ends: The envelope status is updated to reflect that it is no longer active, and the document will not be routed to any subsequent signers.
3. Notifications are Sent: S-Sign automatically generates and sends an Expiration Notification email to the signers, letting them know the timeframe to sign has lapsed.
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### Step 1: Enable Expirations Globally (For Admins)
Before you can use expiration dates on individual templates, a Salesforce Administrator must ensure the expiration background process is running in your org.
1. Click the App Launcher (the waffle icon) in the upper left corner of Salesforce.
2. Type S-Docs into the search field and click S-Docs Setup.
3. Scroll down to the S-Sign Setup section and click Go To S-Sign Setup Page.
4. Look for the button/setting to Enable reminder and expiration emails for your e-signature requests. (These are disabled by default during initial installation). Enabling this allows the background scheduler to monitor your envelopes.
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### Step 2: Configure Expiration Settings on a Template
Once the global setting is enabled, you can define exactly how and when a specific document should expire directly from the template editor.
1. Open the S-Docs Template Editor for the S-Sign enabled template you want to modify.
2. Navigate to the S-Sign Template Settings menu on the left side of the screen.
3. Open the Expiration and Reminder Settings tab.
4. Set the Expiration Timeframe: Define how many days the signer has to complete the document after the initial email is sent (e.g., expire the document after 14 days).
5. Save your template.
*Note: In this same menu, you can also configure automated Reminder Emails to gently nudge your signers before the document officially expires!*
***
### Step 3: Customize the Expiration Email (Optional)
By default, S-Sign uses a standard notification email to inform users that their document has expired. However, you can create a custom HTML email template to ensure the messaging matches your brand's tone.
1. Create a new S-Docs HTML email template specifically for your expiration notice.
2. Navigate back to your primary document's S-Sign Template Settings.
3. Under the S-Sign Notification Settings (or the Expiration/Reminder tab), locate the option to assign an Expiration Email Template.
4. Select the custom email template you just created.
Pro-Tip on Sender Addresses: By default, automated expiration and reminder emails are sent from the email address associated with your org's "S-Sign Internal User." If you want these emails to come from a generic company address (like **), an Admin can change the Notification Email From Address to an Organization-Wide Email Address within the S-Sign Custom Settings menu.
### Best Practices
* Always use Reminders with Expirations: If you set a document to expire in 7 days, configure a reminder email to trigger on day 5. This drastically reduces the number of expired envelopes you have to manage and re-send.
* Communicate Timelines: Always ensure your initial email to the client explicitly states that the signing link is only valid for a certain number of days.
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