Documents that have been requested or saved, but not yet submitted, expire automatically. This page explains why, how the two expiry periods differ, and what happens when a document expires.
Why documents expire
Every document has a unique link containing its Document Id, a random 128-bit GUID such as 0745807e-5d2e-4cfb-9f80-85351223bd92. The link cannot be guessed or enumerated, it is only ever sent to the intended recipient, and forms in Request Only access mode return a generic 404 for anything other than a valid document. Private forms add a login on top of that.
The link itself is secure, but a link is not a credential that can be revoked. Once it has been sent it lives on in inboxes, forwarded messages, browser history, and shared or lost devices, indefinitely and outside your control. Expiry puts a limit on how long that link, and the data behind it, remain live. It also keeps FormsByAir aligned with the data minimisation principle that we only hold form data for as long as there is a genuine need.
There are two expiry periods, because a requested document and a saved document carry different risk.
Request expiry
A Requested document has been created by prefill, import, or the API, and is waiting for the recipient to open it. It contains only the data you put into it, which is data you already hold in your own systems.
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Where | Form → Settings → Document Request Expiry (Days) |
| Options | 7, 10, 20, 30, 45, 60, 90 or 150 days |
| Default | 30 days (recommended) |
| Clock | Fixed, from the date and time the request was created |
Because the data is yours and the risk is low, the period is yours to set per form. Choose it to suit the process rather than the shortest value you can live with: a one-off onboarding pack might only need a week, while an annual renewal that people are given a season to complete may need 90 or 150 days.
The expiry date for each request is shown on the Requested documents page, where you can also filter for requests expiring soon. Use the <<[DocumentExpiryDateTime]>> system tag in request emails to tell recipients when their link will stop working.
The request clock is not extended by reminder emails, which are the recommended way to chase requests before they expire. If the recipient opens the request and saves it, the document becomes Saved and the save expiry below applies from that point.
Save expiry
A Saved document has been worked on by the form user. It now contains data they entered, which may include identity documents, financial details or other personal information that you do not hold anywhere else yet, and that they have not yet chosen to submit to you.
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Where | Platform-wide |
| Period | 30 days |
| Clock | Rolling, from the most recent save |
This period is not configurable. A saved document is inherently a greater risk than a request, so we hold it for a fixed period that applies to every account and every form, and we do not offer a way to extend it. The clock is rolling, so someone actively working on a long form is never cut off: every save resets the 30 days. A document only expires when it has been left untouched for a month.
The expiry date for each saved document is shown on the Saved documents page, with the same filter for documents expiring soon. Because the period cannot be extended, a save reminder email is the right tool for bringing people back to an unfinished form.
Forms with a close date
If a form has a fixed Close Date/Time, both request and save expiry are suspended, and requested and saved documents stay active until the form closes. They expire the day after the close date.
Reminder emails
Rather than letting a document quietly expire, add reminder emails to the form so recipients are nudged while their link still works. A reminder is an Email integration with one of the reminder delivery types:
| Delivery type | Timing |
|---|---|
| After Request (Reminder) | Number of days since the request was created |
| After Save (Reminder) | Number of days since the last save |
Use the same email templates and tags as any other email integration, including <<[DocumentExpiryDateTime]>> so the reminder can say exactly when the link will stop working.
You can add as many reminders as you need with different timings, for example a gentle prompt at 7 days and a final warning a few days before expiry. Save reminders follow the rolling clock: if the recipient saves again, the count starts over and the reminder sequence repeats from the beginning.
Reminders are also available After Start, for blank forms with Auto Save that were abandoned, After Requesting, for submitted documents waiting on identity verification, and After Third Party Request.
What happens on expiry
- An Expired entry is written to the document’s version history.
- The document moves to Deleted status. If the form uses workflow, its workflow status becomes Expired and any delivery subscribed to that status is sent, so you can be notified or update an external system.
- The document is held for your account’s data retention period and can be restored by an Admin, which puts an unsubmitted document back into Saved status so its link works again.
- After the data retention period it is purged, and the data cannot be recovered.
If your account has a Max Lifetime set, it applies as a hard limit irrespective of status, including saved documents that would otherwise be kept alive by continuous saving. See Lifecycle for the full picture.
Other statuses
| Status | Expiry |
|---|---|
| Started | A blank form that was opened but never saved is purged 30 days plus the data retention period after it was started |
| Requesting | A submitted document waiting on identity verification or a third-party request is treated like a saved document. After 30 days it moves to Workflow for review if the form uses workflow, otherwise it expires |
| Workflow | Rolling expiry, configurable per form. See Workflow |