Add a Countdown timer in your popup

Would you like to introduce urgency for an upcoming sale or excite your users to take an action for a particular event? Then adding a Countdown timer in your popup is what you're looking for.

EngageBox provides a shortcode that allows you to add a Countdown timer, similarly to the one above, in your popup providing a plethora of settings that lets you customize the look and feel of your countdown timer to fit your theme and style. You can create both a countdown timer that ends on a specific date or an "evergreen" timer where all visitors get the same time frame, regardless of when they enter the page.

How to add a countdown timer in your popup

To add a countdown timer in your popup, you'll need to use the {ebCountdown ...} shortcode. This shortcode accepts a variety of settings that let you customize it as you desire.

Let's see a few examples:

Examples

Default style

{ebCountdown value="2025-12-31 23:59:59"}

One Line

{ebCountdown value="2025-12-31 23:59:59" digits_font_size="16" label_font_size="16" days_label=" days" hours_label=" hours" minutes_label=" minutes" seconds_label=" seconds" theme="oneline"}

Custom format

{ebCountdown value="2025-12-31 23:59:59" theme="custom" format="Countdown till our biggest sale yet: {days} days, {hours} hours, {minutes} minutes and {seconds} seconds"}

Configuring the countdown timer

The Countdown timer shortcode settings can be found below:

KeyDescription
countdown_type The type of the countdown. This can either be static or evergreen.

Static (Default): The default countdowns that require a fixed date to countdown to.

Evergreen: This countdown requires a set of days/hours/minutes/seconds to countdown to. Each user that views the countdown will see the same countdown.
value The fixed date that a static countdown will use to countdown to.

Example format: 2023-12-31 23:59:59
timezone The timezone that will be used in the countdown. This can either be server or client.

Server (Default): The given date will be transformed to UTC and then the server (site's) timezone will be applied to it.

Client: The given date will automatically be adjusted to the client's (user's) timezone.

Note: This will only work for Static countdowns.
dynamic_days The days to countdown to.

Note: This will only work for Evergreen countdowns.
dynamic_hours The hours to countdown to.

Note: This will only work for Evergreen countdowns.
dynamic_minutes The minutes to countdown to.

Note: This will only work for Evergreen countdowns.
dynamic_seconds The seconds to countdown to.

Note: This will only work for Evergreen countdowns.
theme The theme to use to display the countdown. Available themes are: default, oneline, and custom

Default: This is the default way most countdowns appear by having each countdown unit appear in a separate column.

One line: This will make the countdown display each unit in one line as in a sentence.

Custom: Allows you to customize how the countdown will appear by adding your own HTML as well as using Smart Tags to display each unit value.

Custom Theme Smart Tags
{days}: Display days
{hours}: Display hours
{minutes}: Display minutes
{seconds}: Display seconds
countdown_action What action should the countdown perform upon ending? Available values are: keep, hide, restart, message, and redirect

Keep: Let the countdown appear with zeroes upon ending.

Hide: Hide the countdown timer once it ends.

Restart: Available only for Evergreen countdowns. Restart the countdown timer once it ends.

Message: Show a message once the countdown timer ends.

Redirect: Redirect to a URL when the countdown timer ends.

finish_text Enter the text that will appear when the countdown ends and countdown_action is set to message.
redirect_url Enter the URL where the user will be redirected to when the countdown ends and countdown_action is set to redirect.
Widget Settings
gap Enter the gap between the countdown items.
background_color Enter the background color of the Countdown container.
Unit Display Settings
days Set whether to display the days. Available values: true, false.
days_label Set the days label.
hours Set whether to display the hours. Available values: true, false.
hours_label Set the hours label.
minutes Set whether to display the minutes. Available values: true, false.
minutes_label Set the minutes label.
seconds Set whether to display the seconds. Available values: true, false.
seconds_label Set the seconds label.
separator Set whether to include a separator between the countdown items. Available values: true, false.
double_zeroes_format Set whether to display numbers in 0 or 00 format. Available values: true, false.
Unit Item Settings
item_size Set width and height of each countdown item.
item_border_width Set border width of each countdown item.
item_border_style Set border style of each countdown item.
item_border_color Set border color of each countdown item.
item_border_radius Set border radius of each countdown item.
item_background_color Set background color of each countdown item.
Unit Digits Container Settings
digits_wrapper_min_width Set digits wrapper minimum width in each countdown item.
digits_wrapper_padding Set digits wrapper padding in each countdown item.
digits_wrapper_border_radius Set digits wrapper border radius in each countdown item.
digits_wrapper_background_color Set digits wrapper background color in each countdown item.
Unit Digit Settings
digits_font_size Set each digit font size.
digits_font_weight Set each digit font weight.
digit_min_width Set each digit minimum width.
digits_padding Set each digit padding.
digit_border_radius Set each digit border radius.
digits_gap Set the gap between the digits.
digit_background_color Set each digit background color.
digit_text_color Set each digit text color.
Unit Label Settings
label_font_size Set label font size.
label_font_weight Set label font weight.
unit_label_margin_top Set label margin top.
unit_label_text_color Set label text color.

FAQ

Is there an easier way to add a Countdown timer in my popups?

We know that customizing shortcodes can be tedious and for this reason, we will be introducing a button within the EngageBox popup editor that will allow you to create your Countdown timer via a User Interface.

Last updated on Nov 26th 2024 12:11