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# Re-activate Expired Documents

A sender needs to re-activate a document when one or more invitees fail to sign the document before it expires. Once a document has expired, the unsigned invitees cannot access and complete the signing process unless the sender re-activates the document.

By re-activating the document, the sender extends the deadline, allowing invitees another opportunity to sign it.

## When Does a Document Expire?

A document expires when the set time limit for its invitees to sign has passed. Once expired, the document becomes inaccessible for signing, and invitees are unable to view or interact with it.

Expiry timelines can vary based on the sender's configuration, such as 45 minutes, end of day, or up to a specified number of days (e.g., 1–365 days). After this time, the document is considered expired until re-activated by the sender.

Learn more about [**default document expiry configuration**](https://knowledge.leegality.com/settings/account-level/document-setting/Invitation-expiry-for-sent-documents-account-defaults).

### Exception cases

| Scenario | Condition | Outcome | Location |
| :---- | :---- | :---- | :---- |
| **Scenario 1: Partial Signing** | The first invitee signs, but the second fails to sign within the set time frame. | Document/invitation expires but does not appear in the Expired folder. It shows in the *Waiting for Others* and *Failed* sections. | *Waiting for Others* and *Failed* sections. |
| **Scenario 2: Rejection by Invitee** | The first invitee rejects signing, preventing activation for subsequent signers. | Document expires after the set time limit but appears in the *Waiting for Others* and *Failed* sections, not the Expired folder. | *Waiting for Others* and *Failed* sections. |

> **Warning**
>
> **Expired Document:** Unsigned invitees will receive an error message when trying to access expired documents.

> **Tip**
>
> Monitor the Expiring Soon section for documents set to expire in the next 5 days or less. Note that documents with a 45-minute expiry do not appear here.

## How to Access Expired Documents

Expired documents are found in the **Expired** section and include those that expired:

- 45 minutes after being sent  
- at the end of the day (EOD) after being sent  
- 1-365 days after being sent

> **Info — Note**
>
> Documents in the expired folder for 30 days will be automatically deleted.

## Reactivate an Expired Document

Re-activating a document allows you to extend the expiration time and re-enable signing for the invitees. The steps for reactivation are:

1. Go to the **Documents** section in the top navigation bar.  
2. Select **Expired** from the left-side panel.  
3. Find the expired document you want to reactivate (use the filter or search options if necessary).  
4. Open the document details and click on the **Re-Activate** button.  
5. In the **Extend Document Expiry** modal, choose how long you want to extend the document’s expiration:  
   * Extend by 45 minutes  
   * Extend until 11:59 PM today  
   * Extend by 1-365 days  
6. Click **Confirm**.

Once reactivated, the invitee will receive a re-invitation to eSign the document.