Auto-renewal traps

Some contracts renew on their own unless you cancel in time. If you miss the last day to give notice, you are usually locked into another full term. Renewly calls this an auto-renewal trap and warns you before it closes.

What is an auto-renewal trap?

Many contracts say they renew automatically unless you give written notice a set number of days before the renewal date. That number of days is the notice period. The last day you can give notice is the notice deadline:

Notice deadline = renewal date minus the notice period.

For example, a contract that renews on 1 June with a 90-day notice period has a notice deadline of 3 March. If you miss 3 March, the contract usually renews for another term, whether you wanted it or not.

How detection works

Renewly checks every contract that is marked as renewing automatically:

1. When you upload a contract, Renewly reads it and records the renewal date and the notice period.
2. If the contract states its own notice deadline, Renewly uses that date. Otherwise it subtracts the notice period from the renewal date.
3. If no notice period is found, Renewly does not pretend to know one. For these warnings only, it assumes 30 days and marks the deadline as estimated on the dashboard and in the email, so you know to check the contract.
4. Every day, Renewly compares each notice deadline with today's date.

A contract is not treated as a trap when:

• you have marked its renewal as handled;
• it has been archived;
• it rolls over month to month with no planned exit date, because you can leave it at any time;
• it seems to have renewed already, past every date on file, and shows as Renewed (estimated), please confirm. Save the new dates on the contract page and the checks start again.

How urgent each trap is

On your dashboard, each trap carries a short status word:

• Notice passed - the notice deadline has gone.
• Due today - today is the last day to give notice.
• Due soon - 7 days or fewer to go.
• Verify notice - the notice period was estimated, or Renewly is not sure it read it correctly, and the deadline is within 90 days. Check the contract.
• Later notice - more time to go.

Dashboard alerts

Traps that need a decision soon appear in the Needs you list at the top of your dashboard. Any others appear in the Auto-renewal traps card below it, which shows up to 5, with the most urgent first. Each row shows:

• The supplier and contract name
• How many days until the notice deadline, or how many days ago it passed
• The notice deadline date
• The status word described above
• The yearly value of the contract, when it is known

Click any row to open the contract. Click View all to see every contract that renews automatically.

Email notifications

Renewly also sends warning emails as the notice deadline gets closer. Renewly checks once a day, at 09:00 UTC, and sends an email when a contract first comes within each of these points:

• 90 days before the notice deadline
• 60 days before
• 30 days before
• 14 days before
• 7 days before
• Once the deadline has passed, one email to tell you

If a contract is added late, you get the email for the point it is already in, not one for every point it has missed. The email goes to the contract's contact person, or to the person who uploaded it if no contact person is set.

Each email shows the contract name, the notice deadline, the days left, the renewal date, the notice period, the value you would be locked into (when known) and a Review the contract button.

These warnings come on top of the normal renewal alerts. There is no separate switch for them: the Email Notifications switch in Settings, Notifications turns them off along with all other Renewly emails.

How to respond to a trap alert

1. Check the contract. Open it in Renewly and confirm the renewal date and notice period. Correct them on the contract page if they are wrong.
2. Decide. Do you want to cancel, renegotiate or let it renew?
3. If cancelling: send written notice to the supplier before the notice deadline, in the way the contract asks for. Keep a copy.
4. If renegotiating: contact the supplier before the deadline to discuss new terms.
5. If renewing: you do not need to do anything. The contract renews on its renewal date.
6. Mark it as handled. In the Renewals card on your dashboard, click the tick button next to the contract (I've handled this renewal). This only updates your records in Renewly. It does not cancel anything or contact the supplier.

Frequently asked questions

What if no notice period is found in the contract?

Renewly never shows a guessed notice period as if it came from the contract. For trap warnings it assumes 30 days and marks the deadline as estimated, on the dashboard and in the email. If the contract actually needs more notice, the real deadline is earlier. Check the notice clause and add the correct notice period on the contract page. That replaces the estimate.

Is trap detection available on all plans?

Yes. Trap detection and trap emails are included on every plan, including Free.

What if the notice deadline already passed?

The contract shows as Notice passed. You probably cannot cancel for this term, but the warning helps you update your records and plan for the next renewal.

Can I customise the alert timing?

No. The trap warning schedule (90, 60, 30, 14 and 7 days, and once after the deadline) is fixed so a deadline is not missed. For the normal renewal reminders, you can choose which ones you get. See Renewal alerts.