How to Use Dynamic Expiration Dates

What it is and when to use it

An expiration date tells recipients how long they have to use an offer. Use it when you want to:

• Create urgency by showing a specific deadline
• Ensure all recipients for a mail date have the same action window (e.g., all recipients mailed on March 1 see March 31 as the expiration)

Placeholder syntax

Use the following placeholder in your creative:

<expiration_date>

How to set it up in the creative template

1. Insert the <expiration_date> placeholder in your design where the deadline should appear
2. Ensure adequate space for your chosen date format (longer formats like "March 31, 2026" require more space than "3/31")
3. Test different date formats in proofing to confirm visual fit (see Configuration section below)

Design guidance

Space and sizing:

• Allocate 0.75–1.25 inches of horizontal space depending on your date format
• Shorter formats (e.g., "3/31") need ~0.6 inches; longer formats (e.g., "March 31, 2026") need ~1.25 inches
• Test your longest expected format (e.g., month names with 4-digit years)

Background and contrast:

• Use a solid, contrasting background
• Avoid placing dates over images or patterns

Typography:

• Font size: 10pt–14pt depending on emphasis
• Font weight: Regular (400) to Medium (500)
• Alignment: Centered or right-aligned in offer callouts; left-aligned in body text

Platform configuration

When uploading a PDF with a dynamic expiration date to the platform, you will see the following formatting fields: 

• Date = Mail Date + N days
• Date Format
• Leading Zeros 

Formatting fields are editable while the creative is in draft (before submitting for proofing). After creatives are sent for proofing, formatting fields are locked. Any changes to formatting require a new upload.

Field: Date = Mail Date + N days

This setting defines the expiration by adding a number of days to the mail date.

• What it does: Automatically calculates the expiration date by adding N days to the mail date for each recipient
• Example: If mail date is March 1, 2026, and you set "+30 days," the expiration is March 31, 2026
• What to expect: All recipients on the same mail date see the same expiration date, creating a uniform action window

Field: Date Format

Controls how the date itself prints on the mailer. The dropdown shows examples using today's date so you can preview the exact pattern.

Field: Leading Zeros

Controls whether dates print with or without leading zeros.

• Yes: 03/01/2026, March 01, 2026 (for designs that prioritize alignment and formality)
• No: 3/1/2026, March 1, 2026 (for natural, conversational tone)

Important: The date format and leading zeros settings are purely visual. They do not change the underlying expiration window logic (Mail Date + N days).

Proofing behavior

• Digital proofs: Display the formatted date based on today's date, showing you the exact format and spacing
• Physical proofs: Print the formatted date so you can verify color fidelity, print quality, and alignment
• Live mail: The date updates automatically for each mail date, always calculating Mail Date + N days

Common errors and fixes