[This is preliminary documentation and subject to change]

Enabling Content Expiration

If you have time-sensitive information on your Web site, you can configure settings that will ensure that obsolete information isn't published. You can configure your Web site content to automatically expire at any point in time by using the HTTP Headers Property Sheet. When content expiration is enabled, the Web browser compares the current date to the expiration date to determine whether to display a cached page or request an updated page from the server.

To set the expiration of Web site content

In the IIS snap-in, select the Web site, virtual directory, directory, or file that you want to set content expiration for.
Right-click the Web site, virtual directory, directory, or file and select Properties.
Select the HTTP Headers property sheet.
Select the Enable Content Expiration check box.
Select the Expire Immediately, Expire after, or Expire on radio button and enter the appropriate expiration information in the corresponding box.

note Note Typically, time-sensitive information is limited to individual files, directories, or Web sites; however, you can also set content expiration for all Web sites on a computer through the configuration of WWW Master Properties. See Changing the Inherited Defaults for more information.