Every binary options trader has encountered a situation where the system suddenly blocks a trade and issues a cryptic message: “The specified expiration is unavailable.” For beginners, such notification often becomes a source of confusion and even panic. As statistics show Trading Academy, this message is included in the top 3 questions of the technical support of the platform Pocket Option, outstripping even the withdrawal issues.
In 2025, more than 65% of active traders use mobile devices for trading, which means they face the technical limitations of the platforms much more often. Understanding the reasons for the appearance of such messages and how to circumvent them becomes a critical skill for successful trading. Let’s figure out what lies behind this technical formulation and how to act correctly when it appears.
What is expiration in binary options
The term “expiration” often causes difficulties for novice traders. In the context of binary options, this is the expiration time of the contract, the moment when the final result of the transaction is fixed. In fact, expiration is a point on the timeline where it is determined whether a trader will make a profit or incur losses.
Expiration types on the Pocket Option platform:
- Short—term (turbo) – from 30 seconds to 5 minutes.
- Medium—term – from 5 to 30 minutes.
- Long—term – from 1 hour to several days.
- Custom — manually configured by the trader.
Different time intervals are available for different types of assets. For example, currency pairs usually trade with an expiration of 30 seconds to 24 hours, while some short-term options are not available for stocks.
Choosing the optimal expiration time is an essential element of any trading strategy. According to research, about 72% of successful traders adapt the expiration time to the current market volatility, increasing it when activity decreases and shortening it during periods of sharp price fluctuations.
Reasons for the message “The specified expiration is unavailable”
Notification of unavailability of a specified expiration is not a sign of a malfunction of the platform or a limitation of a specific account. This is a system message that occurs for completely objective reasons.
The main factors of the appearance of this message:
- Closing a trading session is an attempt to open a deal close to the end of trading.
- High volatility — sharp fluctuations in the price of an asset exceeding the established limits.
- Low liquidity is an insufficient trading volume for a particular asset.
- Technical work — scheduled updates or unscheduled technical activities.
- Entering the period of publication of important economic news.
The most common reason (47% of cases) is an attempt to place an order just before the close of the trading session. For example, if the market closes at 23:00 and the trader tries to open a 15-minute option at 22:50, the system blocks such an operation, since the expiration time is beyond the trading day.
The second most common cause (31% of cases) is abnormal volatility. The platform automatically limits certain types of expirations in case of sudden price movements in order to protect traders from increased risks and themselves from potential losses.
Strategies for actions when expiration is unavailable
When faced with a message about the unavailability of a given expiration, experienced traders do not panic, but follow a proven algorithm of actions to minimize losses and quickly return to trading.
Recommended actions when a message appears:
- Check the current time relative to the market closing.
- Choose a shorter expiration if the reason is to close the session.
- Temporarily switch to other assets with available expiration dates.
- Check the economic calendar for important news.
- To wait for the market to stabilize with high volatility.
Practical example: a trader planned to open a position on EUR/USD with an expiration date of 15 minutes at 22:45, but received a message about unavailability. After analyzing the situation, he shortened the expiration to 5 minutes and successfully placed an order, which closed profitably before the end of the trading session.
It is important to remember that some expiration restrictions are temporary. For example, during the release of key economic data, the platform may limit short-term options on affected assets. 10-15 minutes after the news is published, these restrictions are usually lifted.
Technical features of Pocket Option expirations
The Pocket Option platform has a number of expiration-related technical features that are important to consider when planning a trade. Understanding these nuances will help you avoid unpleasant surprises and optimize your strategy.
Key technical aspects:
- Automatic closing of options 5 minutes before the end of the trading session.
- Temporary unavailability of some expiration dates 10 minutes before the publication of important news.
- Limit the maximum expiration to 1 hour with volatility above 200% of the average.
- Adaptive system of available expirations depending on the liquidity of the asset.
- Standby time (30-60 seconds) between closing one expiration and opening the next one.
An interesting feature: on Pocket Option, expiration is calculated from the moment the order is confirmed, and not from the beginning of the current minute or candle, as with some other brokers. This gives the trader more precision when planning the entry and exit of the market.
Traders using automated trading systems should take these technical nuances into account when configuring their algorithms. Ignoring expiration features often leads to robot failures and unexpected losses.
Conclusion: adaptation to expiration features
The message “The specified expiration is unavailable” on Pocket Option is not an obstacle to successful trading, but rather an informative signal about current market conditions. Flexibility and the ability to adapt quickly to such technical constraints distinguish professional traders from beginners.
The Academy of Trading recommends that you take such messages as part of market information and include them in your trading strategy. Understanding the reasons for expiration restrictions and the ability to adjust plans based on these restrictions is an important element of successful trading in 2025.
Just as the navigator of a ship is always ready to adjust course when weather conditions change, an experienced trader adapts his strategy to the technical features of the platform, turning potential limitations into additional opportunities for market analysis and making more accurate trading decisions.
