Setting Proposal Expiration Dates

Expiration dates create urgency and help you manage your pipeline by indicating when a proposal offer is no longer valid. Setting an expiration date encourages clients to make timely decisions and protects you from outdated pricing or availability.

What Is an Expiration Date?

[Screenshot: Proposal settings showing expiration date field with calendar picker]

An expiration date is the deadline by which a client must accept your proposal. After this date, the proposal offer may no longer be valid—though the system doesn’t automatically change the proposal status.

Think of it like a coupon expiration: “This offer is valid until March 15, 2026.”

Setting the Expiration Date

[Screenshot: Proposal settings with expiration date calendar picker highlighted]

Open your proposal in the editor
Click Settings in the toolbar
Find the Expiration Date field
Click the calendar picker
Select a date
The expiration date is saved automatically

The date appears in the proposal document so clients know their deadline.

When to Set the Expiration Date

During Creation:
Some businesses set expiration dates when creating proposals. The system may suggest a default (like 30 days from today).

Before Sending:
It’s common to finalize the expiration date just before sending, once you know the client’s decision timeline.

After Client Discussions:
If the client asks for more time, you can edit the expiration date (if the proposal is still in Draft).

How Long Should You Give Clients?

Common expiration periods:

7-14 days:
For urgent projects or when you’ve already had extensive discussions.

30 days:
Standard for most proposals. Gives clients time without letting it drag on.

60-90 days:
For complex projects requiring internal approval or budget cycles.

Custom:
Match your expiration to the client’s stated decision timeline.

No expiration:
Some proposals don’t have expiration dates, especially when working with ongoing clients or non-time-sensitive

offerings.

What Appears on the Proposal

[Screenshot: Client-facing proposal showing expiration date prominently displayed]

Clients see the expiration date in the proposal, typically near the top or in the signature area. It might say:

“This proposal expires on March 15, 2026”
“Offer valid until March 15, 2026”
“Please respond by March 15, 2026”

This creates a gentle deadline without being pushy.

What Happens After Expiration

System behavior:
The proposal status doesn’t automatically change. A Pending proposal remains Pending even after the expiration date passes.

Your responsibility:
Review expired proposals and decide whether to:

Extend the expiration date
Recall and update the proposal
Cancel it if the opportunity has passed
Follow up with the client

Client experience:
Clients may see a notice that the proposal has expired, but they can often still view it. Check your specific system behavior.

Changing the Expiration Date

[Screenshot: Editing expiration date in settings for an existing proposal]

For Draft proposals:
Edit settings and change the date anytime.

For Pending proposals:
You can usually update the expiration date without recalling to Draft. This is helpful if clients request more time:

Open the proposal
Click Actions → Edit Expiration Date (or similar option)
Select the new date
Clients see the updated deadline

For Accepted proposals:
Expiration dates don’t matter anymore—the client accepted. The date just becomes part of the historical record.

Expiration vs. Contract Period

Don’t confuse these:

Expiration Date:
Deadline for client to accept the proposal offer.

Contract Period:
Duration of the actual work or services after acceptance.

Example:

Expiration: “Accept by March 15”
Contract Period: “12-month service agreement starting upon acceptance”

Best Practices

✅ Give reasonable time: Don’t pressure clients with 2-day expirations unless truly urgent.

✅ Align with their process: Ask about their decision timeline and set expiration accordingly.

✅ Factor in holidays: Don’t set expiration during major holidays when decision-makers might be away.

✅ Build in buffer: If you need an answer by March 10, set expiration for March 12 to allow extra time.

✅ Follow up before expiration: Contact clients a few days before expiration to prompt a decision.

✅ Be willing to extend: If a client asks for more time and it’s reasonable, extend the date.

Using Expiration for Urgency

Expiration dates can motivate decisions:

“Special pricing valid through month-end”
“Book by [date] to start before busy season”
“Limited availability—accept by [date] to secure your spot”

Use ethically—create real urgency, not artificial pressure.

Reminders and Expiration

[Screenshot: Proposal reminder settings]

Nizam may support automatic reminders for pending proposals. These can:

Remind clients before expiration
Nudge clients approaching the deadline
Alert you to expired proposals

Check your reminder settings to configure automatic follow-ups tied to expiration dates.

Common Questions

What if I don’t set an expiration date?
The proposal remains open indefinitely. This might be fine for flexible situations but can lead to stale proposals lingering.

Can clients still sign after expiration?
This depends on your system configuration. Some allow it with a warning; others block acceptance of expired proposals.

Should every proposal have an expiration?
Not necessarily. Ongoing relationships or non-time-sensitive proposals might not need expiration dates.

How do I handle expired proposals?
Review them weekly. Either extend the deadline, follow up with the client, or cancel if the opportunity is gone.

Can I set different expiration dates for different packages?
No. The expiration date applies to the entire proposal. All packages share the same deadline.

What if the client accepts on the expiration date?
They made the deadline! Acceptance counts as long as it’s before midnight (or end of day in your timezone).