Configure your countdown timer
Pick one of the three types below, set the deadline, then match the colours, fonts and labels to your brand.
Email countdown timers that are right at every open
A ticking timer drawn fresh each time the email is opened, so the time left is the time left. Works in any ESP as one image tag. Set a deadline, paste one snippet, done.
Free to start · No credit card · Evergreen timers on Pro
Need one timer right now? Use the free generator
Buy MoreTo: jane@example.com
Deal of the Day: 40% off ends tonight
TVs Computers & Tablets Cell Phones
Hi Jane, today's deal is our lowest price yet on 4K TVs.
Deal of the Day
40% off 4K TVs, ends in
--Hours--Mins--Secs
Shop the dealPrices hold until the clock hits zero. After that, the deal is gone.
A recreation. The real timer is an image drawn at each open.
From deadline to live countdown in three steps
Set the deadline, style it, paste one image tag into your ESP. Alterable draws the timer fresh every time the email is opened.
Copy your embed code
Alterable generates a short snippet: an image tag in a link. No JavaScript, no SDK. Works as a plain image URL in any ESP: Klaviyo, Mailchimp, HubSpot, or anything else that sends HTML email.
<a href="https://next.alterable.com/countdown-timers/click/2af9a2de-c3db-46ff-9188-c5cbc4d38204">
<img src="https://next.alterable.com/countdown-timers/2af9a2de-c3db-46ff-9188-c5cbc4d38204.png?d=%TODAY%&uid=%SUBSCRIBERID%" />
</a>Send and watch it tick
The timer is drawn fresh at every open, so each recipient sees the time actually left. Track impressions in the dashboard, with country and device where your ESP or the mail client provides them.
Three ways to set the deadline
One date for your whole list, a window that starts when each subscriber’s email is sent, or a deadline your ESP passes in for each recipient. Same embed either way.
Black Friday · Ends at midnight
Doorbusters end in
--Hours--Mins--Secs
Shop doorbustersOne hard deadline for your whole list. When it hits zero, the sale is over.
Your cart is waiting
We saved your items for the next
--Hours--Mins--Secs
Complete my orderThe clock starts when your email reaches each subscriber. Everyone gets their own window.
Room held for you
Your hold at Harbour View ends in
--Days--Hours--Mins--Secs
Confirm my bookingEach guest’s hold ends at a different time. The deadline comes from your ESP: ?date={{ hold_expires }}.
Ten styles, same timer
Pick the ring or the digits, then set the colours to match the email it sits in. Every style renders as an image at open-time, so it looks the same in every client.
54seconds
54seconds
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54seconds
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54seconds
Also included
- Localized in 21 languages
- Deadlines in any timezone
- Stops at 00:00, with an optional expiry message or image after
- Impressions, with country and device when known
- A click-through link on every timer
One image tag, still ticking in any ESP
A countdown timer is just an image tag. Paste it into Klaviyo, Mailchimp, HubSpot, Brevo, or any ESP that accepts an image tag with merge tags. If it can show an image, it can show your countdown.
Setup guide for your platform
- ActiveCampaign countdown timers guide
- AWeber countdown timers guide
- Brevo countdown timers guide
- Campaigner countdown timers guide
- Constant Contact countdown timers guide
- Drip countdown timers guide
- GetResponse countdown timers guide
- HubSpot countdown timers guide
- Kit countdown timers guide
- Klaviyo countdown timers guide
- Mailchimp countdown timers guide
- MailerLite countdown timers guide
- Omnisend countdown timers guide
Building for several clients? Create and update any service through the REST API or the MCP server, on Pro.
The embed code
<a href="https://next.alterable.com/countdown-timers/click/TIMER_ID">
<img src="https://next.alterable.com/countdown-timers/TIMER_ID.png" />
</a>Comparing countdown timer tools?
Honest comparisons against the tools built only for countdowns, including where they are the better buy.
Questions about countdown timers
Do I need a fixed end date?
No. A deadline timer counts down to one moment for your whole list, an evergreen timer (Pro and up) starts when each recipient’s email is sent, and a merge-tag timer takes the expiry straight from your ESP for genuinely per-recipient deadlines.
Which email clients does it work in?
Any client that shows images. Alterable generates a standard image tag with no JavaScript, so it works from Klaviyo, Mailchimp, HubSpot, GetResponse, Omnisend, Brevo, Constant Contact or anything else that sends HTML email. The timer is an animated image: classic Outlook on Windows shows only its first frame, so the time is right at open but does not tick.
What happens when the timer hits zero?
The timer stops at zero rather than counting into negative numbers, so an offer that has closed never advertises itself as still open. If you like, set an expiry message or an image of your own to take its place after the deadline.
How does it handle time zones?
You set the deadline in whichever timezone you choose, and every reader counts down to that same moment. For a deadline that is different per reader, pass it in from your ESP with a merge-tag timer.
Still have questions? Contact us →
Add a countdown timer to your next campaign
Free on Engage with fixed-date and merge-tag timers. Evergreen timers, the API and the MCP server come with Pro at $49/mo.
No trial, no time limit, no credit card.