How to set an expiry date to a PDF using C# and VB.NET?
Syncfusion Essential® PDF is a .NET PDF library used to create, read, and edit PDF documents. Using this library, you can set an expiry date to a PDF document. The PDF document may contain sensitive or outdated information. Using this functionality, you can prohibit the PDF document viewed on a machine.
Steps to expire PDF programmatically:
- Create a new C# console application project.
- Install the Syncfusion.Pdf.WinForms NuGet packages as reference to your .NET Framework application from NuGet.org.
- Include the following namespaces in the Program.cs file.
C#
using Syncfusion.Pdf; using Syncfusion.Pdf.Interactive;
VB.NET
Imports Syncfusion.Pdf Imports Syncfusion.Pdf.Interactive;
- Use the following code snippet to set the expiry date for a PDF document.
C#
//Create a new document
PdfDocument document = new PdfDocument();
//Add a page
PdfPage page = document.Pages.Add();
//Create JavaScript action
//Date date=new Date(year,month,day)
PdfJavaScriptAction scriptAction = new PdfJavaScriptAction("
function Expire()
{
var currentDate = new Date();
var expireDate = new Date(2018, 9, 30);
if (currentDate > expireDate)
{
app.alert(\"This Document has Expired.\");
this.closeDoc();
}
}
Expire(); ");
//Add the JavaScript action
document.Actions.AfterOpen = scriptAction;
//Save and close the PDF document
document.Save("DocumentExpireDateAdded.pdf");
//Close the document
document.Close(true);
//This will open the PDF file so, the result will be seen in default PDF viewer
Process.Start("DocumentExpireDateAdded.pdf");
VB.NET
'Create a new document
Dim document As New PdfDocument()
'Add a page
Dim page As PdfPage = document.Pages.Add()
'Create JavaScript action
'Date date=new Date(year,month,day)
Dim scriptAction As New PdfJavaScriptAction("
function Expire()
{
var currentDate = new Date();
var expireDate = new Date(2018, 9, 30);
if (currentDate > expireDate)
{
app.alert(""This Document has Expired."");
this.closeDoc();
}
}
Expire(); ")
'Add the JavaScript action
document.Actions.AfterOpen = scriptAction
'Save and close the PDF document
document.Save("DocumentExpireDateAdded.pdf")
'Close the document
document.Close(True)
'This will open the PDF file so, the result will be seen in default PDF viewer
Process.Start("DocumentExpireDateAdded.pdf")
You can download the working sample from ExpirePDFSample.Zip
By executing the program, the resulted PDF document will add a script to compare the current date with the expiry date. If the document is expired, the following alert message will be shown. When you open the PDF, the resulted PDF document will be automatically closed when you close the alert. So, the document will not be viewed by PDF Viewer. 
Take a moment to peruse the documentation, where you will find other options like sound action, URI action, goto action, launch action, named action, submit action, reset action, adding action to form fields, and adding action to bookmarks with code examples.
Refer here to explore the rich set of Syncfusion Essential® PDF features.
An online sample link for PdfJavaScript action using interactive feature sample.
Starting with v16.2.0.x, if you reference Syncfusion® assemblies from trial setup or from the NuGet feed, include a license key in your projects. Refer to link to learn about generating and registering Syncfusion® license key in your application to use the components without trail message.
Conclusion
I hope you enjoyed learning about how to set an expiry date to a PDF using C# and VB.NET.
You can refer to our .NET PDF feature tour page to know about its other groundbreaking feature representations and documentation, and how to quickly get started for configuration specifications. You can also explore our .NET PDF example to understand how to create and manipulate data.
For current customers, you can check out our components from the License and Downloads page. If you are new to Syncfusion®, you can try our 30-day free trial to check out our other controls.
If you have any queries or require clarifications, please let us know in the comments section below. You can also contact us through our support forums, Direct-Trac, or feedback portal. We are always happy to assist you!
