Add a Countdown Timer to an Email

A timer inside an email shows recipients exactly how long an offer lasts. It appears as an animated image that is generated when the message is opened, which means it reflects the time remaining at that moment.

How It Behaves

• The image updates briefly while the email stays open, then stops.
• Reopening the email later generates a fresh image with the current time left.
• Some email apps store images and may not refresh them. Apple Mail is the best-known example (see the article on hiding timers in Apple Mail).
• A dynamic timer gives each contact a personal window based on when the email was sent or opened.

Add the Timer

1. Create your timer first under Marketing, then Countdown Timers.
2. Go to Marketing, then Emails, then Templates.
3. Create a new template or open an existing one, and make sure you are in the design editor.
4. Drag the Countdown Timer element into your layout.
5. Browse your saved timers and select the one you want.
6. Tick Adapt to Contact Time Zone if each reader should see their local deadline.
7. Open the element's settings to set alignment, background color, and padding.
8. Copy the timer's redirection link and paste it into your main button or call to action.
9. Save and send a test to yourself.

When a Dynamic Timer Makes Sense

Choose it when each contact should get their own deadline, when the offer is evergreen, or when you want the email clock to line up with a clock on the landing page.

Good to know: If you copy an email template that contains a timer into another workspace, the timer turns into a placeholder, so pick a timer there before sending.