Skip to main content

Basic Concepts

On this page, you will learn about the fundamental concept of the system: lots, why they are important, and how your data is stored securely.

What is a Lot?​

A lot is a group of identical products that share the same expiration date.

In practice, this helps to better organize your products when you have the same item purchased at different times, each with a different expiration date.

Simple Example​

Imagine you bought milk of the same brand twice:

  • 🥛 Milk purchased in January — expires on March 10
  • 🥛 Milk purchased in February — expires on March 25

Even though they are exactly the same product (same brand and type of milk), they have different expiration dates. Each expiration date represents a different lot in the application.

Why use lots?​

Organizing your products in lots allows you to:

  • Properly track different expiration dates for the same product.
  • Avoid losing products due to expiration.
  • Know exactly which item expires first (FIFO rule - First In, First Out).
  • Have a more accurate control of what you actually have in physical stock.
Summary
  • Product: The item itself (ex: Condensed Milk).
  • Lot: A version of that product with a specific expiration date (ex: Condensed Milk that expires on Dec 15).

Whenever a product has another expiration date, it must be registered as a new lot.

Workspaces​

Workspaces are replacing the concept of "Teams" and serve as the central location where all your data — products, lots, brands, stores, and categories — are stored and organized.

Types of Workspaces​

There are 2 types of Workspaces in the system:

  1. Individual Workspace:
    • Used by Expiry Traker (Individual).
    • Belongs exclusively to your personal account.
    • Web Access: Can be accessed via web browser on Validades.com, exclusive to PRO subscribers of individual Expiry Traker.
  2. Shared Workspace:
    • Used by Expiry Traker for Teams.
    • Allows multiple team/organization members to collaboratively register and manage data.
    • Can be accessed via mobile app or the Validades.com website.

Important Workspace Rules​

  • Selection on Validades.com: When logging in to Validades.com, the system will ask which Workspace you want to work in.
  • Data Isolation: Each Workspace is completely isolated. Registering or updating a product in one Workspace does NOT make it available in another, even if both are linked to the same user account.
  • Ownership: All records (products, lots, brands, stores, and categories) belong strictly to a specific Workspace.

Data Storage​

How your data is stored depends on the version of the application you use:

1. Free Version (Expiry Traker)​

In the free version, your products are stored only on your mobile phone.

Warning

If the device is lost, stolen, formatted, damaged, or if the application is uninstalled without you having made a manual backup export, all data will be lost and there will be no way to recover it through support.

We recommend keeping your device protected and exporting your data periodically for backup.

2. PRO Users (Expiry Traker)​

When subscribing to Expiry Traker PRO, your Individual Workspace data is automatically synchronized with the cloud under your account. This allows you to:

  • Synchronize your products between multiple compatible devices;
  • Access your data via web browser on Validades.com;
  • Restore all data when changing phones or reinstalling the application;
  • Regain access after restoring your subscription.

3. Expiry Traker for Teams Users​

In Expiry Traker for Teams, all data from the Shared Workspace is saved in the cloud under the organization's account. You can reinstall the app, change phones, or access directly from a computer via Validades.com without losing anything at all, just by logging in with your credentials.

Products Approaching Expiration​

The app allows you to define how many days in advance a product is considered "approaching expiration".

  • Default setting: By default, the app considers 30 days in advance.
  • Global configuration: Changing this option in the app settings updates the default value for all products.
  • Individual customization: You can also configure this threshold individually on the creation or edit screen of each product, allowing specific items to have custom alert timelines.
  • Visual highlights and notifications: If you change this value to 40 days, for example, products with 40 days or fewer until expiration will begin triggering notifications and displaying distinct highlight colors in the list.

In the app settings, this field is identified as "Days until approaching".