How to Configure the Relative Date Trigger in Automation Workflows

Summary

The relative date trigger runs an automation rule on a date associated with your assets. You can anchor rules to an asset's archive date or to a custom date metaproperty, such as a license expiration date, campaign end date, or contract review date. This lets teams act before key dates, without relying on manual tracking.

Who?

  • Users with the Manage automation workflow permission can create and publish automation rules.
  • Users with the Manage Metaproperties permission can select and configure a custom date metaproperty as the automation rule trigger.

Why?

Many content, compliance, and rights management workflows depend on dates stored in custom metaproperties rather than standard system dates. Anchoring rules to custom date metaproperties helps teams:

  • Act on license expirations, usage rights, and campaign end dates before they lapse.

  • Eliminate manual date tracking, external spreadsheets, and calendar reminders.

  • Reduce legal and brand risk by running automated compliance checks or moving expiring assets into review collections automatically.

How?

How to Configure a Relative Date Trigger

  1. Navigate to your user profile dropdown and select Workspace. 
  2. On the left-side menu, Go to Automation > Rules.
  3. Click Create rule, or select an existing rule to open the rule builder.
  4. Select Relative date as the trigger.
  5. Open the Date field dropdown menu:
    1. Select Archived to anchor the rule to the asset's archive date.
    2. Scroll to Custom date fields or type to filter by name to select a date metaproperty.
  6. The Operator is set to “Starts in…” by default, and you can select the Value (days, weeks, or months) you want to offset relative to the selected date.
  7. Add conditions to define which assets the rule applies to.
  8. Add the action to execute when the trigger conditions are met (for example, adding assets to a review collection or running an agent).
  9. Click Save, then select Publish.

Considerations and Limitations

  • Evaluation schedule: Relative date rules evaluate once per day at 07:00 UTC only.

  • Single date anchor: A rule uses one date anchor at a time (either the archive date or a single custom date metaproperty).

  • Supported field types: Only date-type metaproperties appear in the Custom date fields dropdown. Single-select and multi-select metaproperties are not supported.

  • Deleted metaproperties: If a selected metaproperty is removed from your portal, the trigger enters an Unspecified state and the rule pauses automatically until a valid date field is selected.

  • Unpopulated date fields: Assets without a value populated in the selected date metaproperty are skipped by the rule.

  • Existing rules: Existing rules configured to use the archive date remain unchanged.

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