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How to set reminder in Excel for expiry date?

Excel can highlight approaching expiry dates, but it can't truly remind you: it only 'reminds' people who open the file. The standard setup: put expiry dates in a column, then use conditional formatting with a formula like =A2-TODAY()<=30 to turn cells red inside 30 days, optionally with a helper column =A2-TODAY() showing days remaining, and =IF(A2<TODAY(),"EXPIRED",IF(A2-TODAY()<=30,"RENEW SOON","OK")) for status labels.

The honest limitation: that's passive. Nothing pings your phone; the file sits silent until someone opens it, often the day after something lapsed. Power Automate can bolt notifications onto Excel, but at that point you're maintaining a workflow more fragile than the problem it solves.

Rule of thumb: Excel for tracking dates you check weekly anyway; an actual reminder system for dates where missing one costs money.

Reminders that find you instead

Go deeper: Spreadsheet vs renewal tracker

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