Content Expiry Shortcode — Documentation

Overview

Content Expiry Shortcode automatically hides your WordPress content after a set date and time. No manual editing required — once the deadline passes, the content disappears automatically.

Requirements

• WordPress 5.0 or higher
• PHP 8.0 or higher
• Free version must be installed and active (Premium only)

Installation

Free version:

1. Go to Plugins → Add New in your WordPress dashboard
2. Search for Content Expiry Shortcode
3. Click Install Now then Activate

Premium version:

1. Make sure the Free version is installed and active
2. Download the ZIP file from your purchase confirmation email
3. Go to Plugins → Add New → Upload Plugin
4. Select the ZIP file and click Install Now
5. Click Activate

How to Use

Method 1 — Shortcode (Free)

Wrap any content with the [expire] shortcode:

[expire “30-06-2026 23:59”]
Your content here
[/expire]

Accepted date formats:

• DD-MM-YYYY — expires at midnight
• DD-MM-YYYY HH:MM — expires at exact time

Examples:

[expire “31-12-2026”]Holiday offer — ends December 31st![/expire]
[expire “15-03-2026 09:00”]Early bird tickets: $29[/expire]

Method 2 — Gutenberg Block (Premium)

1. Open the block inserter (+)
2. Search for Content Expiry
3. Add the block to your post or page
4. Write your content inside the block
5. Set the expiry date in the sidebar → Expiry Settings

Method 3 — Toolbar Button (Premium)

1. Select any text in the editor
2. Click the clock icon ⏱ in the formatting toolbar
3. Enter the expiry date in the popup
4. Click Apply

The selected text will automatically disappear after the set date — exactly like Bold or Italic formatting.

What Happens After Expiry?

Content is automatically replaced with:

This content is no longer available.

No cron jobs, no manual editing, no extra plugins needed.

FAQ

Does the Free version work without Premium? Yes — the Free version works independently with the shortcode.

Does Premium work without Free? No — Premium requires the Free version to be installed and active.

Can I use both versions at the same time? Yes — install both and activate both. Premium automatically adds the Gutenberg block and toolbar button on top of the Free version.

What timezone does the plugin use? The plugin uses your WordPress site timezone. Go to Settings → General → Timezone to check or change it.

Does it work with any theme? Yes — the plugin works with any WordPress theme.

Can I customize the expiry message? Not yet — this feature is planned for a future update.

Support

Having issues? Contact us at [email protected] or visit our Support page.