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Challenges: Understanding the Grace Period

How extra time works after a challenge ends, and what to expect when syncing steps or sleep data.

What is the grace period?

When your company sets up a challenge, they may add a grace period, extra days after the challenge ends during which you can still go back and submit your progress. Grace periods are set by your company administrator and can range from 0 to 14 days.

Not every task type works the same way with the grace period. Read on to understand what applies to your situation.

How the grace period works by task type

Report progress tasks

The grace period applies fully. While the challenge is active, you can go back up to the number of grace period days to submit progress. After the challenge ends, you can still submit, but each day that passes uses up one of your grace period days.

Example: 7-day grace period, challenge ended 3 days ago → you have 4 days remaining to submit.

Steps & sleep tasks: mixed challenge (with report progress)

When a challenge includes both report progress tasks and steps or sleep tasks, the grace period applies to steps and sleep entry as well. You can manually enter up to 14 days back, and your connected device will sync up to 7 days back, both within the grace period window.

Steps & sleep tasks: steps/sleep only challenge

The grace period setting does not apply to challenges that only include steps or sleep tasks. These challenges end on their end date. After that:

  • Manual entry: up to 14 days back (if enabled by your company)
  • Connected device sync: automatically syncs up to the last 7 days

Both limits only apply while the challenge is still active. Once the challenge ends, data can no longer be updated.

'Registration' or 'attendance' -based tasks

These types of challenge tasks typically require that you register or attend a scheduled event. The registration and event time date are usually within the start and end date of the challenge. This means that the grace period does not apply. You must register while the challenge is active.

Syncing steps from a fitness device

If you use Apple Health, Google Fit, or another connected device, here's what to know about how your step data syncs during and after a challenge. Learn more about how to connect your device in this article.

Device sync only goes back 7 days

This is a limitation of Apple Health and Google Fit, not Espresa. Your device will automatically send up to 7 days of step data when it syncs.

Sync only works while the challenge is active

Once a challenge ends and closes, device sync stops, even if the grace period hasn't expired yet. If you're in a steps-only challenge, make sure your device is synced before the challenge end date.

Manual step entry has its own limit

If your company has enabled manual step entry, you can go back up to 14 days to log steps. This also only works while the challenge is active.

💡 Tip: sync before the challenge ends

To make sure your steps are counted, open the Espresa app and sync your fitness device before the challenge end date, especially if the challenge ends on or around a holiday weekend.

Quick reference

Situation What to expect
Report progress task Grace period applies (0–14 days, set by your company)
Steps/sleep in a mixed challenge Grace period applies; manual entry up to 14 days back, device sync up to 7 days back
Steps/sleep only challenge Grace period does not apply; challenge ends on end date
Device sync (Apple Health / Google Fit) Last 7 days only; stops when challenge ends
Manual step entry Up to 14 days back; only while challenge is active
Order a program task No grace period; must order before challenge end date

Still need help?

If you believe you should still be within a grace period window but can't submit your progress, reach out to our support team here.

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