Expiry Date Alerts in SharePoint: Automated Document Lifecycle Management

SharePoint is a popular content management system used by organizations worldwide to store and manage their digital assets, including documents, images, videos, and more. With the increasing volume of content being created and stored, it has become essential for businesses to ensure that their documents are managed properly and are disposed of when they are no longer needed.

One crucial aspect of document management is managing the expiry dates of documents in SharePoint. This video explains how to set up expiry date alerts in SharePoint to automate document lifecycle management and ensure that documents are deleted when they are no longer required.

Document Expiration in SharePoint:

Document expiration in SharePoint refers to the process of setting a date after which a document will no longer be available or accessible in the SharePoint system. The document expiry date can be set manually or automatically based on specific business rules or legal requirements.

The expiry date is essential because it helps organizations maintain compliance with data protection and privacy regulations. It also ensures that the documents are not retained longer than necessary, thus reducing storage costs and clutter.

Document Lifecycle Management in SharePoint:

Document lifecycle management in SharePoint refers to the process of managing documents throughout their lifecycle, from creation to disposal. It includes various activities such as document creation, version control, approval workflows, and document archiving and deletion.

Effective document lifecycle management requires a well-defined process that is easy to follow and enforce. SharePoint provides several features and tools to manage the document lifecycle, including retention policies, workflows, and alerts.

Automatic Deletion of Expired Documents in SharePoint:

Automatic deletion of expired documents is an essential aspect of document lifecycle management in SharePoint. When a document reaches its expiry date, it should be deleted automatically to ensure compliance and reduce storage costs.

SharePoint provides several ways to set up automatic deletion of expired documents. One approach is to use retention policies that automatically delete documents based on specific criteria such as document type, creation date, and expiry date.

Another approach is to use workflows that automatically delete documents based on specific conditions or triggers. For example, a workflow can be set up to delete all documents that have not been accessed in the past six months or documents that have reached their expiry date.

Expiry Dates of Documents in SharePoint:

Expiry dates of documents in SharePoint can be set at the individual document level or the library level. When a document is created or uploaded, the expiry date can be specified, and SharePoint will automatically track the document's lifecycle.

SharePoint also provides the ability to set up expiry date alerts that notify users when a document is about to expire. These alerts can be set up to send automated emails to specific users or groups based on the expiry date.

Automated Emails Based on Document Expiry Date:

Automated emails based on document expiry date are an essential feature of SharePoint that can help organizations manage their document lifecycle effectively. When a document is about to expire, SharePoint can send automated emails to specific users or groups to remind them to take action.

The automated emails can be customized to include specific information such as the document name, expiry date, and action required. For example, the email can ask the user to renew the document, review the document for deletion, or take other actions.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, expiry date alerts in SharePoint are an essential feature that can help organizations automate their document lifecycle management. By setting up automatic deletion of expired documents and sending automated emails based on document expiry date, organizations can ensure compliance with regulations, reduce storage costs, and maintain an organized and clutter-free SharePoint environment.

Managing the document lifecycle in SharePoint requires a well-defined process and a thorough understanding of the various features and tools available. By following the best practices and guidelines outlined in this video, organizations can achieve effective document lifecycle management and realize the benefits of a well-managed SharePoint environment.

00:00 Automated Document Lifecycle Management
00:17 Policy Management in SharePoint
01:05 Add column to Document Library
04:41 Create expiry reminder workflow
07:14 Document expired email example
08:21 Extend the notification Power Automate

[chh]

You have piqued my curiosity (once again).

I understand the value of email alerts for certain documents, i.e. expiration dates of insurance policies, leases, loans etc. Do you have a suggestion for email alerts for other important items throughout the entire SPoint Home/Hub site? i.e. submission deadlines, follow-up items, delivery dates, task deadlines, pending meeting dates?, etc. Or are such items best left to "To Do", or "Tasks" in Outlook? Also, is there a way to mark an item completed?

Well done ... and quite timely ... thank you ...

[julielee]

Another great video. Is this flow built per site? Is there a way to build it at a higher level and apply to multiple sites or to the entire hub?

[howado]

10:50 it took me way longer than expected to get these reminders working.. the reason is not only you need to Rename this Step, but you need to EDIT formula in "x Days + 1" section. Click on this section, then click on Inputs formula "addDays(...)".
If the name of the step has 1 day in it, then the formula will have 1 day too:
addDays(outputs('Today_+_x_days'), 1, 'MM/dd/yyyy')
You need to edit it here accoring to your desired reminder days, for instance for 60 days
addDays(outputs('Today_+_x_days'), 60, 'MM/dd/yyyy')
Anyways, thanks a lot for the vid. I wouln't even know where to start.

[dssmtm]

Subbed today. Concise videos for a learner like me that go into sufficient detail to be immediately effective at work.

[shuhratm]

Thank you for a great video. I got answers to my questions in the video and in the comments. This is going to help us keep up with our compliance. I have one unanswered question though: Who gets the email and is there a way to change the recepients? The PowerAutomate flow doesn't have a clear way to see or change it. Thank you.

[antoniocastillo]

Hi… i want to send this reminders to my suppliers based on their email located in a column in the Sharepoint list. Of course this email should be individual for each supplier with expired document. How can I do that? Thank you

[PhilipWood-gw]

Hi Dougie, thanks for this video. Do you know if it's possible to use this to re-submit a document for approval?

[anntolaini]

hi. How do I send the reminder email to a colleague for them to action? thanks

[MilenaHirkala]

Thank you, but will it work if expiry dates if they vary and what if I keep adding items including dates, do I have to create reminders over and over again? Thank you again

[_technomensch]

Did you create the "Set a reminder" flow or is that out-of-the-box? When I clieck on Automate in our environment, that option is not available and I cannot find it in the templates. Is the template available anywhere?

[MCVang]

Hello Dougie, how do you set your expiry date to be the approved date of a document that went through an approval process?

[markARdimmick]

How do you create the useful link buttons?

[BrandeePittman]

When the notification is set up, does it notify everyone that has access to that library, or does it only notify the user that set up the notification?

[timothymacdonald]

Is it possible to have 2 custom email alerts for each document or file?

[fabioalmeida]

hello Dougie. Could u help me? My item after "Expiry date for the following items" is blank.