> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://upstash.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# EXPIRE

> Set a key's TTL in seconds.

Use `EXPIRE` to give a key a lifetime in seconds, after which the key is deleted automatically.

Whether the expiration survives later writes depends on the command: replacing the value with [`SET`](/docs/redis/commands/string/set) clears it, while commands that modify a value in place, such as [`INCR`](/docs/redis/commands/string/incr), [`LPUSH`](/docs/redis/commands/list/lpush) or [`HSET`](/docs/redis/commands/hash/hset), leave it untouched. A negative lifetime deletes the key immediately.

The optional condition decides when the new expiration is applied: `NX` only when the key currently has none, `XX` only when it already has one, `GT` only when the new expiration is later than the current one, and `LT` only when it is earlier. Since a key without an expiration counts as living forever, `GT` never adds one and `LT` always does. The reply is `1` when the expiration was set and `0` when the key does not exist or the condition was not met.

Read the remaining lifetime with [`TTL`](/docs/redis/commands/generic/ttl) and remove it again with [`PERSIST`](/docs/redis/commands/generic/persist).

## Syntax

```redis theme={"system"}
EXPIRE <key> <seconds> [NX | XX | GT | LT]
```

## Arguments

| Argument                 | Required | Repeatable | Description                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| ------------------------ | -------- | ---------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `<key>`                  | Yes      | No         | Redis key targeted by the command.                                                                                                                                                                        |
| `<seconds>`              | Yes      | No         | Lifetime in seconds.                                                                                                                                                                                      |
| `(NX \| XX \| GT \| LT)` | No       | No         | Choose one form: `NX` (only when the key has no expiration); `XX` (only when the key already has one); `GT` (only when the new expiration is later than the current one); `LT` (only when it is earlier). |

## Important points

* `NX` cannot be combined with `XX`, `GT`, or `LT`, and `GT` and `LT` cannot be used together.
* A key with no expiration counts as an infinite one, so `GT` never sets an expiration on such a key and `LT` always does.

## Response

The reply reports the result of the operation. Error replies have the same shape in RESP2 and RESP3 and are surfaced as exceptions by the SDKs below.

| Protocol | Reply                                              |
| -------- | -------------------------------------------------- |
| RESP2    | Integer: `1` if the timeout was set, `0` otherwise |
| RESP3    | Integer: `1` if the timeout was set, `0` otherwise |

<Note>
  Client libraries often decode bulk strings, maps, sets, and numeric strings into language-native values. The table describes the Redis wire reply.
</Note>

## Examples

TCP examples use the TLS `REDIS_URL` from the Upstash console. REST examples use `UPSTASH_REDIS_REST_URL` and `UPSTASH_REDIS_REST_TOKEN`.

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Redis CLI" icon="terminal">
    ```bash theme={"system"}
    EXPIRE my-key 1000
    ```
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="@upstash/redis" icon="node-js" iconType="brands">
    ```ts theme={"system"}
    import { Redis } from "@upstash/redis";

    const redis = Redis.fromEnv();

    await redis.set("mykey", "Hello");
    await redis.expire("mykey", 10);
    ```
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="upstash_redis" icon="python" iconType="brands">
    ```python theme={"system"}
    from upstash_redis import Redis

    redis = Redis.from_env()
    result = redis.expire("my-key", 1000)
    print(result)
    ```
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="ioredis" icon="node-js" iconType="brands">
    ```ts theme={"system"}
    import Redis from "ioredis";

    const redis = new Redis(process.env.REDIS_URL!);
    const result = await redis.expire("my-key", "1000");
    console.log(result);
    ```
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="node-redis" icon="node-js" iconType="brands">
    ```ts theme={"system"}
    import { createClient } from "redis";

    const client = await createClient({ url: process.env.REDIS_URL })
      .on("error", console.error)
      .connect();
    const result = await client.expire("my-key", 1000);
    console.log(result);
    ```
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="redis-py" icon="python" iconType="brands">
    ```python theme={"system"}
    import os
    import redis

    client = redis.from_url(os.environ["REDIS_URL"])
    result = client.expire("my-key", 1000)
    print(result)
    ```
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="go-redis" icon="golang" iconType="brands">
    ```go theme={"system"}
    package main

    import (
        "context"
        "fmt"
        "os"
        "time"

        "github.com/redis/go-redis/v9"
    )

    func main() {
        opts, err := redis.ParseURL(os.Getenv("REDIS_URL"))
        if err != nil {
            panic(err)
        }
        client := redis.NewClient(opts)
        result, err := client.Expire(context.Background(), "my-key", 1000*time.Second).Result()
        if err != nil {
            panic(err)
        }
        fmt.Println(result)
    }
    ```
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="jedis" icon="java" iconType="brands">
    ```java theme={"system"}
    import java.net.URI;

    import redis.clients.jedis.Jedis;

    try (Jedis jedis = new Jedis(new URI(System.getenv("REDIS_URL")))) {
      Object result = jedis.expire("my-key", 1000);
      System.out.println(result);
    }
    ```
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="redis-rs" icon="rust" iconType="brands">
    ```rust theme={"system"}
    use redis::TypedCommands;

    fn main() -> redis::RedisResult<()> {
        let url = std::env::var("REDIS_URL").expect("REDIS_URL is not set");
        let client = redis::Client::open(url)?;
        let mut connection = client.get_connection()?;

        let result = connection.expire("my-key", 1000)?;
        println!("{result:?}");
        Ok(())
    }
    ```
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>


## Related topics

- [EXPIRE](/docs/redis/sdks/py/commands/generic/expire.md)
- [EXPIREAT](/docs/redis/commands/generic/expireat.md)
- [EXPIRETIME](/docs/redis/commands/generic/expiretime.md)