How to Set an Expiry Date in PDF Documents?

Salena GraceSeptember 10, 2022

0 194 3 minutes read

Here we cover how to set an expiry date in PDF with dual techniques. Manual and automatic solutions to set an expiry date after a number of days, open and print.

We all know PDF is a versatile file format that can be easily protected with a password to prevent any modification, like copying and printing text. If you want to better protect your PDF file, then set an expiry date in the PDF document.

Sometimes users need to share crucial information with others or they want to add an extra layer of security. User permissions, such as the ability to print, copy, or modify documents, are easily controlled by the user. It is also not common to set an expiry date on PDFs so that they cannot be opened after a certain date has passed.

This is a very useful feature if you are sending documents that contain intellectual property, such as training and course materials.

Let’s take a look at a user’s query which I received from forum sites.

Users Query

“Hello, I want to set an expiration date on a PDF document so that the PDF expires after a certain amount of time and can no longer be opened.” How is it possible? “Please recommend it to me.”

“I want to be able to send PDF files to someone outside my organization and have them expire after a specified amount of time (regardless of where they are filed). Can anyone tell me how to do it in very simple, plain English, as I don’t know anything about computers and have tried to figure out how to do it on the web, only to be amazed by the jargon. ”

A Method to Set an Expiry Date in PDF

In All-About-PDF, there are two ways to establish PDF expiration: using JavaScript or Node JS

Let’s be clear: putting an expiration date on a PDF file with JavaScript shouldn’t be seen as a security feature, since it’s easy to get around and not all PDF readers support it. For example, Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge only recently added support for JavaScript in PDF files.

Please note that PDF Expiration using the JavaScript method is only supported in readers that support JavaScript, including (but not limited to):

Adobe Acrobat Reader (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android)
FoxIt PDF Reader (Windows, Mac)
Nitro PDF (Windows)
PDF Expert (iOS)
Xodo PDF Reader (Android)
qPDF Notes (Android)

A Direct Solution to Set the Expiration Date on a PDF File

Download BitRecover PDF Manager is the best and simplest solution to set an expiry date on PDF files and many more advanced features. This tool is very simple and user-friendly because it was developed with a user-friendly interface. This tool gives you a free demo version to understand the working process, but it comes with limitations.

Attractive Features in Software

The most prominent feature is that this tool is compatible with all Windows operating systems (32 & 64 bit).
You can set an expiry date on single and multiple PDF files. It gives you the option to choose files or folders accordingly.
You can see the live adding process on the software panel.
It gives you separate option to make flatten fillable PDF files for security.

How to Add an Expiry Date to a PDF

Firstly, download and install the software and read the instructions carefully.
Secondly, upload the PDF file by using the Select Files or Select Folders option.
After that, the software will fetch the data after uploading the PDF file. Choose the document that you want to set an expiry date for.
Now click on the browse option to choose the destination path.
And next, click the Add Expiry Date option to set the date.
Finally, this solution automatically sets the expiry date with just a few simple steps.

Conclusion

On the internet, there are two solutions available to set an expiry date: first, DRM (data right management) and Node JS. DRM is a paid service to protect your PDF file. But the cost is too high and it is complicated to operate it. So, use a simple solution as we recommended above. This tool is perfect for adding expiry dates in bulk.