How to Set Expiry Dates for Sparkforge Certificates

By Sparkforge Support Team ·Last reviewed May 3, 2026

Set certificate expiry at the template level for everyone, or per-issued certificate for one-offs. Issued-level expiry overrides the template, and reminder email frequency is configurable.

Certificates that never expire are great for diplomas. They're a problem for compliance training, licenses, and time-bound credentials. Sparkforge lets admins set expiry at the template level, the issued-certificate level, or both.

How to set expiry

At the template level

Open the certificate template and pick from the available expiry options. Every certificate issued from that template inherits the expiry rule.

At the issued-certificate level

Open a specific issued certificate. Choose Never, Immediately, or select a date manually. Issued-level expiry takes priority over the template setting.

Reminder emails

You can customize how many days before expiry the reminder email goes out. This replaces the old default of 2-day and 7-day reminders, so you can match your audience's renewal cycle.

What happens at expiry

Once a certificate expires, the user can no longer preview it. Treat expiry as a hard cutoff, not a soft warning.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does template-level expiry override issued-level expiry?

No, the other way around. Issued-certificate expiry takes priority over the template setting. Use issued-level when you need to handle a specific person differently.

Can I customize how many days before expiry reminders go out?

Yes. Reminder frequency is configurable, replacing the old 2-day and 7-day defaults. Match the cadence to your renewal process.

What does the recipient see after their certificate expires?

Preview is no longer available for an expired certificate. The user can't pull it up to share or display.