Overview
Sometimes a recipient will click a link to a statement, letter, or notification long after it's been archived, deactivated, or hit its retention expiry. When that happens, the last thing you want is a generic error page. The Archived / expired page is what they'll see instead, so it's worth making sure it reflects your brand and gives them somewhere helpful to go next.
This page is set globally at the platform level, which means it acts as the default across all your Applications. If a specific Application needs something different, you can override it later, but most teams find a single, well-written global page does the job.
Global vs. per-Application
Anything you set up here flows through to every Application unless that Application has its own version configured. Start with the global page and only customise individual Applications if you genuinely need a different message or look.
What triggers the Archived / expired page
Before you build the page, it's helpful to understand when recipients will actually land on it. There are two main triggers, and both are controlled in Security / data retention under Edit settings.
Data retention expiry. When the Archive/purge data? option is enabled, you can set a Purge after period in days. Once a document hits that age, the platform handles it like this:
- Recipients can no longer access the document, and any link they click through will land on your Archived / expired page.
- All attachment data is deleted.
Application archiving. When you archive an Application (see Archive an Application), the documents associated with that Application stop appearing in reporting and data lists, and recipients clicking through to that content will be sent to your Archived / expired page in the same way.
In short, this page is your safety net. Anything that puts a document out of reach, whether that's a planned retention rule or an Application being taken offline, points back to the same landing page, which is why it's worth getting right.
Retention settings are global, with Application-level overrides
The Purge after value you set in Security / data retention applies across the platform, but the actual fields that get purged are controlled per Application. If you're not sure what's happening to your data, check both the global settings and the field configuration on each Application.
Before you start
Have a quick think about what you want the page to say. A good expired content page usually covers three things: a clear explanation of why the content isn't available, what the recipient can do next (call a number, log into a portal, contact support), and your branding so it's recognisable as coming from you.
Open the Default pages settings
The global landing pages live in the Send module settings, alongside the login and unsubscribe pages.
- In the secondary navigation menu, click Edit settings under Send settings.
- In the settings tabs, click Default pages.
- Click Archived / expired page to open the editor.
Choose your editor
You've got two options for building the page, the Visual Editor or the Advanced Editor. Both produce the same end result, so it really comes down to how comfortable you are with code and how much control you need. By default when you open the Archived/Expired page for editing, it will open in the Visual Editor.
Not sure which to pick?
Start with the Visual Editor. It covers most use cases and you can always switch to the Advanced Editor later if you need finer control.
Build your page in the Visual Editor
The Visual Editor opens with a blank canvas on the right and a panel of content blocks on the left. You build the page by dragging blocks onto the canvas in the order you want them to appear.
- Drag a content block (text, image, button, divider, or spacer) from the left-hand panel onto the canvas.
- Click any block on the canvas to open its settings. This is where you'll edit the content, change fonts and colours, adjust padding, and align things.
- Use the General Settings panel to set page-wide options like message width, background colour, default font, and responsive design.
- Preview the page on desktop and mobile to check it looks right on both before saving.
- Click Save when you're happy with how it looks.
Build your page in the Advanced Editor
The Advanced Editor gives you a code window where you can write or paste your HTML directly. You'll see your changes reflected in the preview pane as you work.
- Switch to the Advanced Editor from the editor toggle at the top of the page.
- Write or paste your HTML into the code editor. Inline CSS works best for consistent rendering across browsers and devices. Alternatively you can point to an external hosted CSS reference file, or upload one into the Asset Libary by creating a new Application.
- Use the preview pane to check your layout as you go.
- Click Save when you're done.
Heads up on switching editors
If you've built your page in the Visual Editor and then switch to the Advanced Editor to tweak the code, you won't be able to switch back without losing your custom code. Pick your editor early and stick with it.
Test your page
Before you call it done, it's worth checking the page actually appears the way you'd expect when someone hits an expired link. The easiest way is to set up a test send with a very short retention period, let it expire, and then click through to see your page in action.
That's it, your global landing page is now live. Any recipient who clicks through to expired or archived content will see this page across every Application that doesn't have its own version configured.