> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.hoopai.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Countdown timers
> Create fixed, recurring, and dynamic countdown timers for emails, funnels, and websites to drive urgency and boost conversions.
Countdown timers create a sense of urgency by displaying a visual countdown to a specific deadline, motivating users to act before time runs out. They can boost conversion rates by up to 27% and are used in retail promotions, event reminders, subscription expirations, and limited-time offers.
Navigate to **Marketing > Countdown Timers** to get started.
## Timer types
Counts down to a set date and time. Ideal for holiday sales, product launches, or one-time events.
Resets after reaching zero. Perfect for ongoing promotions, weekly classes, or regular events.
Personalizes the countdown for each contact based on when they received or opened an email. Creates a unique, time-sensitive experience per recipient.
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## Creating a timer
Click the **+ New** button in the Countdown Timers section.
Choose a visual template that matches your branding, then click **Continue with this template**.
Give your timer a descriptive name at the top for easy identification.
Select **Fixed**, **Recurring**, or **Dynamic** based on your campaign needs.
Set the timer duration, end date/time, timezone, and active/expired redirect links (see sections below).
Go to the **Styling** tab to adjust colors, fonts, labels, corner radius, padding, and expiration image.
Click **Save** to finalize. Use **Copy Code** to embed the timer in emails, funnels, websites, or external sites.
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## Timer configuration
### Fixed timer
Set the exact **end date and time** for the countdown. Add the active link (where users go while the timer is running) and the expired link (where users go after the timer ends).
**Use cases:** Flash sales, holiday promotions, product launches, event countdowns.
### Recurring timer
Define:
* **Start date** — when the first cycle begins
* **Number of loops** — how many times the timer cycles before stopping
* **Countdown duration** — how long each cycle counts down
* **Wait time** — optional rest period between cycles (e.g., 15 days between offers)
* **Hide option** — automatically hide the timer in funnels during the wait period
**Use cases:** Weekly webinars, monthly promotions, recurring subscription reminders.
### Dynamic timer
Dynamic timers start counting down based on each contact's individual interaction with your email.
**Configuration:**
* **Timer duration** — minimum countdown length (e.g., 2 hours)
* **End time** — optional fixed end time (e.g., "No later than midnight") — creates a deadline that applies even if the contact opens the email late
* **Email trigger** — choose to start when the email is **sent** or **opened**
**Example — Black Friday offer:**
* Contact A opens at 6 PM → timer ends at 11 PM (5 hours)
* Contact B opens at 10 PM → timer ends at 11 PM the next day (minimum 2 hours respected)
A dynamic timer can only be used once per contact. Clone the timer before using it in multiple campaigns.
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## Redirect links (active and expired)
Redirect links automatically direct users to the correct page based on the timer status:
| Link | When used | Example destination |
| ---------------- | -------------------------- | -------------------------------- |
| **Active link** | While the timer is running | Offer or checkout page |
| **Expired link** | After the timer ends | "Offer expired" or waitlist page |
Add both active and expired links before saving to ensure the dynamic redirect links function correctly.
To retrieve a timer's redirect link, go to the timer editor and click **Copy Redirection Link** from the action menu, or access it from the Email Builder's Settings tab.
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## Styling options
Choose which time units to display (seconds, minutes, hours, days) and edit the label text for each.
Set the font family, size, weight, and color for the timer digits and labels.
Adjust the roundness of the timer's background container.
Set background, digit, label, and separator colors using the color picker or hex codes.
Upload a static image to replace the timer in emails after it expires — useful for displaying an "Offer Ended" graphic.
Fine-tune spacing around the timer element for placement in emails and funnels.
Apple Mail on iOS 15+ caches GIFs, causing timers to display the time from when the email was first opened — not subsequent opens. Enable the **Hide for Apple Mail** option to prevent showing an incorrect countdown to Apple Mail users.
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## Timer states
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## Using timers in emails
Build and save your countdown timer in **Marketing > Countdown Timers**.
Go to **Marketing > Emails > Templates** or **Campaigns** and open or create your email.
Drag and drop the Countdown Timer element into the email layout. Select your timer from the list.
Fine-tune alignment, background color, and padding within the email builder.
Copy the timer's redirect link and add it to any button or link in the email to direct users to the offer page.
Click **Save Template** to preserve your changes.
Countdown timers in emails work as animated GIFs. They update each time the email is opened and display the remaining time accurately — except in Apple Mail (see Apple Mail handling above).
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## Using timers in funnels and websites
Go to **Sites** and select the funnel or website where you want to add the timer.
Navigate to the specific funnel step or website page to edit.
Drag the **Countdown Timer** element from the elements panel and drop it into the page.
The timer settings panel will appear. To edit, click **Edit Timer**. Preview the timer using the eye icon in the upper right.
Publish the page to make the timer visible on the live site.
Changes made to a timer automatically update in all funnels and pages containing that timer element.
***
## Syncing timers across emails and funnels
For a consistent and authentic experience, use the **same countdown timer** in both your email and the landing page it links to.
**Steps to sync:**
1. Create redirect pages in your funnel (an active offer page and an expired page)
2. Build your timer with both active and expired links pointing to those pages
3. Add the timer to your email template and to your funnel's offer page
4. Add a CTA button in the email using the timer's redirect link
This ensures recipients see the same countdown wherever they interact with your offer.
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## Editing a timer
Click the pencil icon next to any timer to edit:
* Timer type (fixed or recurring)
* End date, time, and timezone
* Active and expired redirect links
* Styling (colors, fonts, labels, expiration image)
* Timer name
You can only edit a timer before the email campaign using it has been sent. After sending, the only available action is to archive the timer.
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## Frequently asked questions
A fixed timer counts down to a specific date and time — the same deadline for every viewer. A recurring timer resets and cycles repeatedly on a schedule. A dynamic timer personalizes the countdown for each contact based on when they received or opened your email, creating a unique experience per recipient.
Apple Mail on iOS 15 and later caches GIFs, causing the timer to display the time from when the email was first opened rather than the current time on subsequent opens. Enable the Hide for Apple Mail option in Styling settings to show a fallback image instead of an incorrect timer to Apple Mail users.
Yes, and this is recommended for a consistent experience. Create your timer with both active and expired redirect links, add it to your email template, and also drag it into your funnel or website page. Both will display the same countdown and redirect users to the correct page based on whether the timer is active or expired.
No. A dynamic timer can only be used once per contact. If you want to use the same timer concept in multiple campaigns, clone the timer first — each campaign should use a separate timer instance.
When a timer expires, any click on the timer or its redirect link sends the user to the expired link URL you configured (such as an "Offer Ended" page). You can also configure an expiration image to replace the timer display in emails.
No. Once an email campaign using the timer has been sent, the timer can only be archived. Make all styling, timing, and redirect link changes before sending the campaign.
Countdown timers are designed for email and website/funnel placements where HTML rendering is supported. They are not supported directly in SMS messages, since SMS does not render HTML. You can include a link in an SMS that sends contacts to a landing page containing a timer.