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Countdown timers in email

A countdown is an image your ESP loads when the email opens, drawn for that moment. Here is how to add one, which kind to use, what each inbox shows, and the setup steps for 13 email platforms.

Build a countdownHow Alterable timers work

Read them in this order

  1. How to add a countdown timer to your email (complete guide)

    The whole setup, from picking a timer type to pasting the image tag.

    7 min read

  2. Evergreen vs. fixed date email countdown timers: key differences explained

    One deadline for everyone, or one per subscriber: when each fits.

    6 min read

  3. Email countdown timer compatibility with Gmail and Outlook: what to expect

    What Gmail, Apple Mail and desktop Outlook each show.

    6 min read

  4. Best free email countdown timer services in 2026 (honest review)

    The free tiers compared, including where ours falls short.

    10 min read

  5. The false urgency email just got expensive

    Why a deadline has to be real, and what fake ones now cost.

    7 min read

Set it up in your ESP

Each guide walks through where the image tag goes in that platform's editor, step by step.

Not listed? The timer is a plain image tag, so any ESP that lets you edit HTML can carry one. Thegeneral guidecovers it.

Build a countdown for your next campaign

Design it in the free generator and watch it count down. A free account gives you the embed code: 10,000 impressions a month, no watermark.

Get started freeBuild a countdown

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