How to Create Automated Document Expiry Tracking

This automated document expiry tracking and alerts system watches every contract, license, and certification. Reminders start 90 days before expiry.

What You Need Before Starting

• Python 3.8+
• Claude or GPT API key
• python-docx or PyPDF2 installed
• Storage system (local or S3)

Step 1: Set Up Document Processing

Build the foundation for expiry tracking.

import os
import json
from datetime import datetime

def init_doc_system(base_dir):
    os.makedirs(os.path.join(base_dir, "inbox"), exist_ok=True)
    os.makedirs(os.path.join(base_dir, "processed"), exist_ok=True)
    os.makedirs(os.path.join(base_dir, "archive"), exist_ok=True)

    import sqlite3
    conn = sqlite3.connect(os.path.join(base_dir, "documents.db"))
    conn.execute("""CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS documents (
        id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY AUTOINCREMENT,
        filename TEXT, doc_type TEXT, status TEXT,
        metadata TEXT, processed_at TEXT
    )""")
    conn.commit()
    return conn

Step 2: Process Documents

Extract content and metadata from incoming documents.

def process_document(file_path):
    ext = os.path.splitext(file_path)[1].lower()
    if ext == ".pdf":
        import PyPDF2
        with open(file_path, "rb") as f:
            reader = PyPDF2.PdfReader(f)
            text = "\n".join(page.extract_text() for page in reader.pages)
    elif ext == ".docx":
        import docx
        doc = docx.Document(file_path)
        text = "\n".join(p.text for p in doc.paragraphs)
    else:
        with open(file_path) as f:
            text = f.read()
    return {"filename": os.path.basename(file_path), "text": text, "ext": ext}

Step 3: Analyze with AI

Use Claude to classify, tag, or review the document.

import anthropic

def analyze_document(doc_data):
    client = anthropic.Anthropic()
    message = client.messages.create(
        model="claude-sonnet-4-20250514", max_tokens=1500,
        messages=[{"role": "user",
            "content": f"Analyze this document and provide: 1) Document type 2) Key data points 3) Summary\n\n{doc_data['text'][:3000]}"}])
    return message.content[0].text

Step 4: Route and Store

Move processed documents to the right location.

import shutil

def route_document(doc_data, analysis, base_dir, conn):
    doc_type = extract_type(analysis)
    dest_dir = os.path.join(base_dir, "processed", doc_type)
    os.makedirs(dest_dir, exist_ok=True)

    dest_path = os.path.join(dest_dir, doc_data["filename"])
    shutil.move(doc_data["original_path"], dest_path)

    conn.execute(
        "INSERT INTO documents (filename, doc_type, status, metadata, processed_at) VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?, ?)",
        (doc_data["filename"], doc_type, "processed", analysis, datetime.now().isoformat()))
    conn.commit()

Step 5: Monitor and Report

Track processing stats and flag issues.

def daily_report(conn):
    stats = conn.execute("""
        SELECT doc_type, COUNT(*), MAX(processed_at)
        FROM documents WHERE processed_at >= date('now', '-1 day')
        GROUP BY doc_type
    """).fetchall()

    report = "Daily Document Processing:\n"
    for doc_type, count, last in stats:
        report += f"  {doc_type}: {count} documents (last: {last})\n"
    return report

What to Build Next

Add automatic renewal generation. When documents expire, draft the renewal.

Related Reading

• How to Build Automated Alerts That Actually Help - automated alerts that help
• Setting Up Automated Inventory Alerts - automated inventory alerts setup
• Building an Automated Referral Tracking System - automated referral tracking guide