diff --git a/api/main_endpoints/models/Advertisement.js b/api/main_endpoints/models/Advertisement.js
index b35e047f6..509e58ed3 100644
--- a/api/main_endpoints/models/Advertisement.js
+++ b/api/main_endpoints/models/Advertisement.js
@@ -10,6 +10,11 @@ const AdvertisementSchema = new Schema(
     },
     expireDate: {
       type: Date,
+    },
+    expireAt: {
+      type: Date,
+      default: undefined,
+      index: {expireAfterSeconds: 0}, // TTL only kicks in when expireAt is set 
     }
   },
   { collection: 'Advertisements' }
diff --git a/api/main_endpoints/routes/Advertisement.js b/api/main_endpoints/routes/Advertisement.js
index 93a199e4a..2fe2ee023 100644
--- a/api/main_endpoints/routes/Advertisement.js
+++ b/api/main_endpoints/routes/Advertisement.js
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ router.get('/', async (req, res) => {
     });
 });
 
+
 router.get('/getAllAdvertisements', async (req, res) => {
   if (!checkIfTokenSent(req)) {
     return res.sendStatus(FORBIDDEN);
@@ -39,9 +40,16 @@ router.post('/createAdvertisement', async (req, res) => {
   } else if (!await decodeToken(req)) {
     return res.sendStatus(UNAUTHORIZED);
   }
+  const now = new Date();
+  // const expireInOneMinute = new Date(now.getTime() + 60 * 1000);
+
   const newAd = new Advertisement({
+    // message: req.body.message,
+    // expireDate: expireInOneMinute, // testing and it doesn't work
+    // expireAt: expireInOneMinute 
     message: req.body.message,
-    expireDate: req.body.expireDate
+    expireDate: req.body.expireDate,
+    expireAt: req.body.expireDate
   });
 
   Advertisement.create(newAd)
@@ -59,9 +67,11 @@ router.post('/deleteAdvertisement', async (req, res) => {
   } else if (!await decodeToken(req)) {
     return res.sendStatus(UNAUTHORIZED);
   }
+  console.log("expire date in delete " + expireDate);
+
   Advertisement.deleteOne({ _id: req.body._id })
     .then(result => {
-      if (result.n < 1) {
+      if (result.deletedCount < 1) { // used to be result.n
         res.sendStatus(NOT_FOUND);
       } else {
         res.sendStatus(OK);
diff --git a/src/APIFunctions/Advertisement.js b/src/APIFunctions/Advertisement.js
index e539be9e5..2e7c3540a 100644
--- a/src/APIFunctions/Advertisement.js
+++ b/src/APIFunctions/Advertisement.js
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ export async function createAd(newAd, token) {
     status.responseData = err;
     status.error = true;
   }
+  console.log("STATUS " + JSON.stringify(status.responseData));
   return status;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/Enums.js b/src/Enums.js
index 71ba63922..f9961fba3 100644
--- a/src/Enums.js
+++ b/src/Enums.js
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ function membershipStateToString(accessLevel) {
   return membershipStatusArray[accessLevel + 2];
 }
 
-const BASE_API_URL = process.env.REACT_APP_BASE_API_URL || 'http://localhost:8080/';
+const BASE_API_URL = process.env.REACT_APP_BASE_API_URL || 'http://localhost:8080';
 
 module.exports = {
   memberApplicationState,
diff --git a/src/Pages/Advertisement/AdvertisementAdmin.js b/src/Pages/Advertisement/AdvertisementAdmin.js
index 854c5b4d8..ea4461e85 100644
--- a/src/Pages/Advertisement/AdvertisementAdmin.js
+++ b/src/Pages/Advertisement/AdvertisementAdmin.js
@@ -3,14 +3,18 @@ import { createAd, getAds, deleteAd } from '../../APIFunctions/Advertisement.js'
 import { useState, useEffect } from 'react';
 import { useUser } from '../../Components/context/UserContext';
 
+   // createAd returns a value - what is it?
+    // how do we know if createAd() works or not?
+    // is there a field we can check?^
+    
+    // if createAd worked, how can we update the array without calling the backend again?
+    
 export default function AdvertisementAdmin() {
   const { user } = useUser();
-
+  const [errorMesssage, setErrorMessage] = useState('');
   const [ads, setAds] = useState([]);
   const [message, setMessage] = useState('');
-  const [year, setYear] = useState();
-  const [month, setMonth] = useState();
-  const [day, setDay] = useState();
+  const [expireDate, setExpireDate] = useState();
 
   async function getAdsFromDB() {
     const adsFromDB = await getAds(user.token);
@@ -20,53 +24,35 @@ export default function AdvertisementAdmin() {
   }
 
   async function createAdHandler() {
-    // make sure empty inputs are properly set as undefined if empty
-    if (year === '') {
-      setYear(undefined);
-    }
-    if (month === '') {
-      setMonth(undefined);
+    if(expireDate === null){
+      setExpireDate(undefined);
     }
-    if (day === '') {
-      setDay(undefined);
+    // expireDate is a string so we need to turn into date object
+  
+    if(isExpired(expireDate)){
+      setErrorMessage("Date is in the past or the present, unable to create ad!!!");
+      return;
+    }else{
+      setErrorMessage("");
     }
-
-    let expireDate = new Date(year, month - 1, day);
-    if (isNaN(expireDate.getTime())) {
-      expireDate = undefined;
-    }
-
     await createAd({
       message,
       expireDate,
     }, user.token);
 
     await getAdsFromDB();
+    
   }
 
-  async function deleteExpiredAds() {
-    const adsFromDB = await getAds(user.token);
-    if (!adsFromDB.error) {
-      const currentDate = new Date();
-      const expiredAds = adsFromDB.responseData.filter(ad => {
-        if (ad.expireDate === undefined) return false;
-        return new Date(ad.expireDate) < currentDate;
-      });
-
-      for (const ad of expiredAds) {
-        await deleteAd(ad, user.token);
-      }
-    }
+  function isExpired(expireDate){
+    const currDate = new Date();
+    console.log("current date" + currDate);
+    const expireDateObject = new Date(expireDate);
+    return expireDateObject < currDate;
   }
 
   useEffect(() => {
     getAdsFromDB();
-
-    const intervalId = setInterval(async () => {
-      await deleteExpiredAds();
-      await getAdsFromDB();
-    }, 20);
-
   }, []);
 
   return (
@@ -74,6 +60,7 @@ export default function AdvertisementAdmin() {
       <h1 className="text-4xl font-extrabold leading-none tracking-tight text-gray-900 md:text-5xl lg:text-6xl dark:text-white">
         Welcome to the Advertisement Admin Page!!
       </h1>
+      <h2 style={{fontWeight: 'bold', color: 'red'}} >{errorMesssage}</h2>
       <div className="relative overflow-x-auto">
         <div className='py-6'>
           <label className="w-full form-control">
@@ -102,27 +89,10 @@ export default function AdvertisementAdmin() {
         </div>
         <div className="flex items-center space-x-4 mb-6">
           <input
-            className="flex-1 text-sm input input-bordered sm:text-base"
-            type="text"
-            placeholder="Year"
-            onChange={event => {
-              setYear(event.target.value);
-            }}
-          />
-          <input
-            className="flex-1 text-sm input input-bordered sm:text-base"
-            type="text"
-            placeholder="Month"
-            onChange={event => {
-              setMonth(event.target.value);
-            }}
-          />
-          <input
-            className="flex-1 text-sm input input-bordered sm:text-base"
-            type="text"
-            placeholder="Day"
-            onChange={event => {
-              setDay(event.target.value);
+            className='flex-1 text-sm input input-bordered sm:text-base'
+            type='datetime-local'
+            onChange={ event => {
+              setExpireDate(event.target.value);
             }}
           />
           <button
@@ -141,7 +111,7 @@ export default function AdvertisementAdmin() {
                 Advertisement Message
               </th>
               <th scope="col" className="px-6 py-3">
-                Expiriation Date
+                Expiration Date
               </th>
               <th scope="col" className="px-6 py-3">
                 Delete