> ## Knowledge Base Index > Fetch the complete knowledge base index at: https://support.contracthero.com/sitemap.xml > Use this file to discover available pages before exploring further. > Pure-Markdown content can be obtained by appending a '.md' suffix to the content URLs listed in the sitemap (without the trailing slash). # How do I track current terms on auto-renewing contracts? A contract that renews automatically has no fixed end — and that creates a reporting problem: the "Contract end" field either holds a date that passed long ago, or one that moves on with every renewal. For accounting (IFRS 16) and for notice periods, though, you need the **current** contract term. A formula field can calculate it from the data you already have. *The screenshots in the linked articles show the German interface. German labels are given in square brackets.* ## Your benefit If you have to measure leases under IFRS 16, you need the running term per contract — not the original end date from six years ago. Instead of recalculating the term by hand for each contract and typing it into a notes field, ContractHero works it out once per category and keeps it current. The result is filterable, sortable, and carries through to the Excel export — so it also feeds whatever you hand to your auditors. ## Prerequisites You need two fields, both of which exist as standard in most accounts: * **Contract end [Vertragsende]** as a **Date** field. * **Automatic renewal [Automatische Verlängerung]** as an **Interval [Intervall]** field — "12 months", "1 year", "3 months". Both types can be used in the formula editor, so the calculation can be built straight from the standard fields. > **Worth a quick check first:** open **Settings → Field builder → Contract field builder [Einstellungen → Feldbaukasten → Vertragsfeldbaukasten]** and look at the **field type** of your "Automatic renewal" in the **"Your fields" [„Ihre Felder"]** list. As standard it is **Interval**. If it was set up in your account as a **checkbox** at some point, it only records *whether* the contract renews, not *for how long* — in that case add a separate **Interval** field for the renewal duration. A newly created field can be filled by the AI: store a prompt such as "Extract the period by which the contract renews automatically" and run an AI retrigger across your existing contracts. ## How it works ### 1. Create the formula field Open **Settings → Field builder → Contract field builder**, click the **+** icon in **"Your fields"** and choose **"Formula" [„Formel"]** as the **field type**. For the field name we recommend **"End of previous term (calculated)"**. Why not "Start of current term" is covered in step 3. ### 2. Build the formula In the **"Define formula" [„Formel definieren"]** field, assemble this calculation: **Contract end − Automatic renewal** Example: contract end 31/12/2026, renewal 12 months → result **31/12/2025**. ### 3. Read the result correctly Here is the subtlety that usually gets missed: **the result is the last day of the previous term, not the first day of the current one.** In the example above, the previous term ran until 31/12/2025. The **current term begins the following day** — 01/01/2026 — and runs to 31/12/2026. That is why the field is called "End of previous term" and not "Start of current term": the field then says exactly what the formula calculates, and nobody shifts the term by a day later on. If you specifically need the start of the term, record it in the field description as "the day after the calculated date". ### 4. Test against real contracts Once the formula is valid, the **"Select contract" [„Vertrag auswählen"]** picker appears. Test with at least two contracts: one with an annual renewal and one with a multi-month renewal. If a contract has no renewal duration, the test shows **"n/a" [„k. A."]** and names the empty field. ### 5. Add the notice date The companion field is worth having too: **"Last possible termination date"** = **Contract end − Notice period**. In newly created organisations this is already pre-configured as a standard formula and visible in the "Term" section; in existing organisations you create it yourself with the same formula. ## Frequently asked questions ### Why doesn't the formula calculate the start of the current term directly? Because **Contract end − Automatic renewal** lands arithmetically on the last day of the previous term, not the first day of the current one. There is exactly one day between them. Rather than hide that day inside the formula, we name the field after what it actually contains — which is easier to explain in an audit. ### Which field types can the formula use? Among others: **Number**, **Monetary amount**, **Date**, **Interval** and **Time period [Zeitspanne]**. The dropdown in the formula editor shows the field type next to each field and only offers the ones that fit at that point. ### What if "Automatic renewal" is a checkbox in our account? Then the field only tells you *that* the contract renews. For the calculation you need the **duration** in an **Interval** field. Add that field; you can keep the checkbox so you can still filter on "renews automatically". ### Does the field update when the contract end moves on? Yes. Formula fields calculate live from the current field values. As soon as somebody sets the contract end to the new term, the calculated date moves with it. ### Do I need an add-on? No. Formula fields are included in every plan. To create one you need **owner status** or a role with the **Field builder** permission. ### Does this work for contracts with an indefinite term? Only to a limited extent. With no end date the formula has no starting point. For open-ended contracts with a notice period, work with the termination date as your control value instead. ## Good to know * **Maintain the renewal duration properly.** The formula is only as good as that one field. An AI prompt on it plus a retrigger across the portfolio saves the manual work. * **Name the field "(calculated)".** Then nobody tries to type into it — formula fields do not accept input. * **Export it for the audit.** The export carries the result, not the formula. That gives you the terms per contract in one column with no manual preparation. * **Two fields, one picture.** "End of previous term" and "Last possible termination date" side by side in the contract view give you the term and the deadline at a glance. * **Roll it out in one category first.** Test the formula in a category with a manageable number of contracts before creating it everywhere. ## Related articles * [Formula fields: calculate values from your contract data automatically](https://support.contracthero.com/en-us/article/formula-fields-calculate-values-from-your-contract-data-automatically-17kmwp7/) * [How can I manage Custom Fields?](https://support.contracthero.com/en-us/article/how-can-i-manage-custom-fields-191v2ti/) * [AI Retrigger: Re-analyze contracts and fill in missing fields](https://support.contracthero.com/en-us/article/ai-retrigger-re-analyze-contracts-and-fill-in-missing-fields-1jjc7t6/) * [How to write a prompt in ContractHero](https://support.contracthero.com/en-us/article/how-to-write-a-prompt-in-contracthero-yssq3c/) * [How can data or contracts be exported?](https://support.contracthero.com/en-us/article/how-can-data-or-contracts-be-exported-lp6ypc/)