You can set an expiry date on any simple product directly from the Product data panel. Follow the steps below, then use the option reference to set up exactly what should happen when the date passes.
- Go to Products and select Add New, or open an existing product to edit.
- Scroll down to the Product data panel.
- Open the Product Expiry tab on the left side of that panel.
- Set the Expiry Date, then choose what should happen on that date under Action.
- Fill in any other options you need, then click Update or Publish.
Options in the Product Expiry tab
Here is what each field does, so you can decide how a product should behave once it expires.
Expiry Date
The calendar date the product should expire on. The action runs at the end of that day in your store timezone, so a product set to June 30 stays available until 23:59:59 on June 30 before anything changes. Leave this field empty if you do not want the product to expire.
Expiry Time (Pro)
Add an exact hour and minute on top of the date for precise expiry, for example ending a flash sale at 08:00 PM rather than at the end of the day. This field is part of Product Expiry Pro. It is visible in the free version but stays locked until you upgrade.
Expiry Note
Optional text shown on the storefront in place of the date, such as “Sold out for the season”. Use it when a short message reads better than a calendar date.
Action
What happens to the product when the expiry date passes. Pick one of the following:
- Nothing: the product is left as is and simply recorded as expired.
- Make it Draft: the product is unpublished and drops out of your store.
- Out of stock: the product page stays live, but new orders are blocked.
- Reduce stock by amount: managed stock is lowered by the quantity you set in Reduce Stock By. This runs through WooCommerce, so HPOS and product lookup tables stay in sync.
- Mark as Expired: the product stays visible with an Expired badge, and add to cart is switched off.
Reduce Stock By
The quantity to subtract from stock when the action is set to Reduce stock by amount. It is ignored for the other actions.
Where the date appears: showing the expiry date on product and shop pages is controlled globally under Product Expiry → Settings, not per product. You set the date and action here, and control how and where it displays there.
After you save, the plugin schedules the action automatically. You can edit the product at any time to change the date, switch the action, or clear the expiry.