---
title: "How to Add a Countdown Timer in WordPress?"
url: https://nexterwp.com/docs/add-a-countdown-timer-in-wordpress/
date: 2024-12-09
modified: 2026-09-14
lang: en
author: "Aditya Sharma"
description: "A deadline that is only written in a sentence is easy to ignore; one that is ticking is not. The Countdown block puts a live timer on the page and..."
image: https://nexterwp.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/How-to-Add-a-Countdown-Timer-in-WordPress_-1024x519.jpg
word_count: 516
---

# How to Add a Countdown Timer in WordPress?

## Key Takeaways

- Countdown block puts a live timer on the page and works in the Free edition in Nexter Blocks and with Nexter Blocks Pro.
- Countdown Setup offers Normal, Evergreen, and Fake No. options, with Normal counting down to one fixed date and time, Evergreen starting per visitor, and Fake No. showing a scarcity counter.
- Action After Countdown Ending supports None, Message, Pattern, and Redirect, and Message or Redirect run only when the countdown reaches zero while someone is on the page.

A deadline that is only written in a sentence is easy to ignore; one that is ticking is not.

The Countdown block puts a live timer on the page and decides what happens the moment it reaches zero.

[LIVE BLOCK LINK](https://nexterwp.com/nexter-blocks/blocks/wordpress-countdown-timer/)

## Before You Start

- **Edition:** Free — works in Nexter Blocks (free) and with Nexter Blocks Pro.- **Block to enable:** Countdown, switched on under **Nexter > Blocks** in your WordPress dashboard.- **Your end date and time decided.** The block reads it in your site's timezone, set under **Settings > General**, not the visitor's.

## Learn via Video Tutorial

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDRUShspxfM&t=4s

## Steps

- Add the **Countdown** block to your page and click **Design from Scratch**.

- In **Countdown Options**, leave **Countdown Setup** on **Normal** and set the end date and time.

![The Countdown Setup setting with Normal, Evergreen and Fake No.](https://nexterwp.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/countdown-setup.webp)

- Pick a **Countdown Style**: Simple, Flipdown or Progressbar.

![The Countdown Style setting with Simple, Flipdown and Progressbar](https://nexterwp.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/countdown-style.webp)

- In the **Label** panel, switch **Show Labels** on or off and rename the units if you want.

![The Label panel with Show Labels and the four unit fields](https://nexterwp.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/countdown-labels.webp)

- In **Action After Countdown Ending**, choose what happens at zero.

![The Countdown Expiry setting with None, Message, Pattern and Redirect](https://nexterwp.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/countdown-expiry.webp)

- Publish the page.

## The Three Setups

| Countdown Setup | What it counts | Guide |
| --------------- | -------------- | ----- |
| Normal | Down to one fixed date and time, the same for everyone | — |
| Evergreen | A per-visitor countdown that starts when they arrive | [Evergreen timer](https://nexterwp.com/docs/create-an-evergreen-countdown-timer-in-wordpress-loop-cookie-based-timer-per-user/) |
| Fake No. | A scarcity counter showing a number rather than a clock | [Scarcity counter](https://nexterwp.com/docs/add-a-fake-scarcity-counter-in-wordpress/) |

## What Happens at Zero

| Countdown Expiry | What happens when the timer reaches zero |
| ---------------- | ---------------------------------------- |
| None | The timer simply stops at zero |
| Message | The timer is replaced by a line of text you write |
| Pattern | The timer is replaced by a saved pattern |
| Redirect | The visitor is sent to a URL you choose |

> *The Message and Redirect actions run at the moment the countdown reaches zero, while someone is on the page. A visitor who arrives after it has already finished does not see them — use **Pattern** if the ended state has to last.*

## How It Behaves

- The end date is read in **your site's timezone**, not the visitor's, so everyone sees the same deadline reached at the same moment.- Labels are optional. With **Show Labels** off only the numbers render; with it on you can rename the units to anything, including another language.- **Inline Style** puts the units on one line instead of stacking them into blocks.- The timer counts in the visitor's browser, so it keeps ticking without reloading the page.

## Limitations

- The timer relies on the visitor's device clock, so a badly set clock shows the wrong remaining time.- Message and Redirect only run if the countdown reaches zero while someone is on the page — see the note above.- A countdown that has already finished shows zeros unless you set one of the ending actions.- Evergreen timers are remembered per browser, so the same person on two devices gets two timers.

## Troubleshooting

### The timer shows the wrong remaining time

Check your site timezone under **Settings > General**. The end date is read in that timezone, so a mismatch shifts the whole countdown.

### It just shows zeros

The end date is in the past. Set a future date, or choose an ending action so the block has something to show.

### The block is missing from the inserter

Switch **Countdown** on under **Nexter > Blocks** in your dashboard.

![Countdown switched on in the Nexter Blocks list](https://nexterwp.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/countdown-admin-enable.webp)

## Related Docs

- [Style the countdown timer](https://nexterwp.com/docs/style-wordpress-countdown-timer-in-block-or-inline-style/)- [Show a message after it ends](https://nexterwp.com/docs/show-custom-text-message-after-countdown-timer-ends-in-wordpress/)- [Create an evergreen timer](https://nexterwp.com/docs/create-an-evergreen-countdown-timer-in-wordpress-loop-cookie-based-timer-per-user/)

## Frequently Asked Questions

**Q: Why does my countdown show the wrong remaining time in WordPress?**
A: A wrong countdown usually comes from a timezone mismatch. The Countdown block reads the end date in your site’s timezone under Settings > General, not the visitor’s timezone. That means the deadline is shared by everyone, but it is interpreted from your site settings first. If the clock still looks off, the visitor’s device clock can also affect what they see because the timer counts in the browser.

**Q: What happens when a WordPress countdown timer reaches zero?**
A: At zero, the Countdown block can stop, swap to text, swap to a saved pattern, or redirect to a URL. The key detail is timing: Message and Redirect only run when the timer hits zero while someone is on the page. If they arrive after it already ended, they will not see those actions, so Pattern is the better choice when the ended state needs to stay visible.

**Q: How do I make a countdown timer stay visible after it ends?**
A: Pattern is the safest ending action when you need the finished state to remain on screen. The page notes that Message and Redirect only run at the moment the countdown reaches zero while a visitor is present. If someone lands later, they miss those actions and may just see zeros. A saved pattern avoids that problem because it replaces the timer with content that stays there.

**Q: What should I use instead of a fixed deadline if I want a per-visitor timer?**
A: The Evergreen setup is for that case. Normal counts down to one fixed date and time for everyone, while Evergreen starts when each visitor arrives. That makes it useful when you want each person to get their own countdown window instead of sharing one public deadline. The page also links an [Evergreen timer](https://nexterwp.com/docs/create-an-evergreen-countdown-timer-in-wordpress-loop-cookie-based-timer-per-user/) guide for that setup.

**Q: Why is my countdown block missing from the WordPress inserter?**
A: The block appears only after Countdown is switched on under Nexter > Blocks in your WordPress dashboard. Nexter Blocks provides the Countdown block as part of its free edition and Nexter Blocks Pro support, so if it is disabled in Blocks settings it will not show up in the inserter. That makes this more of an enablement issue than a page-builder issue.

**Q: What are the main ways to style a countdown timer in WordPress?**
A: The page gives three setups: Normal, Evergreen, and Fake No., plus three visual styles: Simple, Flipdown, and Progressbar. Labels are optional too, so you can hide them or rename units, even into another language. Inline Style keeps units on one line instead of stacking them into blocks, which matters if you want a tighter layout on narrower sections.