Countdown

Configure countdown date sources, time units, live updates, conditional layers, and edge cases

Use the Countdown connector to display time remaining until a launch, event, deadline, sale, renewal, or other important date. A countdown can use a viewer-specific date from data or a fixed date configured in Studio.

Options

Option	What it controls	Notes
Date source	The target date for the countdown.	Use Dynamic Data for viewer-specific dates or Edit for a fixed project date.
Time units	Which layers show days, hours, minutes, or seconds.	Each unit can be assigned to a different text layer.
Unit checkbox	Whether a unit participates in the countdown calculation.	Enable only the units the design should display and roll over.
Live seconds	Whether the countdown visibly updates every second.	Use when urgency matters and the experience can support live updates.
Time-zone behavior	How the selected date aligns with the viewer's current time zone.	Validate event deadlines that have strict regional timing.
Conditional layers	Layers that appear or disappear based on remaining time.	Use for messages such as time is up, event started, or final-hours urgency.
Fallback date or state	What appears when the date is missing or invalid.	Avoid showing misleading time remaining when the source is unavailable.

Date Source Choices

Source	Use it when	Example
Dynamic Data date	Each viewer or record has a different deadline.	Renewal date, appointment date, trial end date, or personal event date.
Fixed date	Every viewer counts down to the same moment.	Product launch, sale end, webinar start, or seasonal event.

Configure a Countdown

1

Choose the Date Source

Select the Dynamic Data date field or configure the fixed date in the connector.

2

Assign Time Unit Layers

Connect text layers for the units you want to show, such as days, hours, minutes, and seconds.

3

Choose Unit Behavior

Enable the units that should participate in the calculation. For example, include hours when minutes should roll into hours instead of continuing beyond 59.

4

Configure Conditional Layers

Add layers for states such as expired, event started, final hours, or coming soon when the design needs them.

5

Test Date Edge Cases

Preview future dates, near-zero dates, past dates, missing dates, and dates in the expected time zones.

Success Checks

Before publishing a Countdown connector, confirm:

• The date field exists and uses the expected date or time format.

• Fixed dates are correct for the campaign or event.

• Days, hours, minutes, and seconds roll over as intended.

• Expired or missing dates show an intentional fallback state.

• Conditional layers do not conflict with the countdown text.

Data in Studio