SOURCE:    Vacation Tracker
TITLE:     Why did a leave request expire? (Leave Expiration Rules)
URL:       https://vacationtracker.io/knowledge-base/why-did-a-leave-request-expire-leave-expiration-rules/
LANG:      en
PUBLISHED: 2023-08-15
UPDATED:   2025-10-10
READING:   2 min
SUMMARY:   Why did a leave request expire (Leave Expiration Rules)?

# Why did a leave request expire? (Leave Expiration Rules)

# Why did a leave request expire? (Leave Expiration Rules)

An Expired status means the request was never approved or denied in time. Vacation Tracker auto-expires requests under two specific conditions — knowing which one applies makes it easy to fix.

## The Two Expiration Triggers

A leave request expires if either of these is true:

- The end date of the requested leave has passed without approval or denial.

- 7 business days have gone by since the request was sent, with no approval or denial.

Whichever happens first wins. Once expired, the request can't be re-opened — the User has to submit a fresh request.

Want to disable this?

If you'd rather Approvers have unlimited time to respond, the 7-business-day rule can be turned off workspace-wide. See How to Enable or Disable Leave Request Expiration (https://vacationtracker.io/knowledge-base/how-to-enable-or-disable-leave-request-expiration/).

## Example 1 — The Leave's End Date Has Passed

- Monday, June 5 — User submits a request for Wednesday, June 7.

- Approver gets the notification but doesn't respond.

- End of day on Wednesday, June 7 (00:00) — the request auto-expires.

## Example 2 — 7 Business Days Have Passed

Vacation Tracker also sends automatic reminders to keep Approvers in the loop before the request hits the cutoff:

- Monday, June 5 — User submits a request for July 12.

- Tuesday, June 6 — first reminder sent (next business day).

- Thursday, June 8 — second reminder (3 business days after submission).

- Monday, June 12 — third and final reminder (5 business days after submission).

- Wednesday, June 14 — request auto-expires (7 business days after submission, 2 business days after the final reminder).

## Past-Dated Requests Follow the Same Flow

If your workspace allows past-dated leave requests, those follow the same 7-business-day reminder and expiration cycle from the date they're submitted, not the leave's start date.

## What to Do When a Request Expires

- User: submit a new request for the same dates and notify your Approver directly.

- Admin or Approver: add the leave on the User's behalf instead of asking them to re-submit. See How Do I Add a Leave for a User? (https://vacationtracker.io/knowledge-base/how-do-i-add-a-leave-for-a-user/)

- To prevent it next time: turn off the 7-business-day rule, or assign a Substitute Approver so requests don't pile up while someone is away.

### What's Next?

Disable Leave Request Expiration (https://vacationtracker.io/knowledge-base/how-to-enable-or-disable-leave-request-expiration/)
Reminder Schedule Flow (https://vacationtracker.io/knowledge-base/what-is-the-schedule-flow-of-leave-reminders/)
Assign a Substitute Approver (https://vacationtracker.io/knowledge-base/how-does-an-approver-assign-a-substitute-approver/)

Need help?

Contact our Support team via email (mailto:hello@vacationtracker.io) or chat (#), Monday to Friday, 9 AM – 5 PM EST.