How to add a countdown timer to a Mailchimp email

Published September 26, 2026 · Mailchimp steps checked against its help center on September 26, 2026

Mailchimp has no countdown block of its own; its own marketing article points to third-party timers. The reliable way to add one is a Code block holding a single image tag, because Mailchimp’s image block only takes files from its content studio.

Countdown timer rendered by DynaMail: cards showing days, hours, minutes and seconds remaining — An example render from DynaMail’s image pipeline. Your design, dates and values will differ.

Why a Code block

A live timer has to stay a link to DynaMail, so the image can be drawn when the email is opened. In Mailchimp’s new builder, the Image block adds pictures by uploading them or browsing the content studio; it has no option to link a remote image. A Code block holding one <img> tag keeps the link, and Mailchimp’s Code block article says to use absolute paths for images you host yourself, which is what a DynaMail URL is.

Add the timer, step by step

1
Build the timer and copy its image tag
Set the end date and timezone in the free countdown generator (or the DynaMail dashboard) and copy the snippet. Your widget id replaces YOUR-WIDGET-ID:
Countdown timer for a Mailchimp Code block
```
<img src="https://img.dynamail.io/widgets/YOUR-WIDGET-ID/render.gif" alt="Time left in the sale" width="600" height="196" style="display:block;border:0;" />
```
Open the email in Mailchimp's builder
Mailchimp’s help center says new emails open in the new builder unless you have used the legacy builder before. The steps below cover both.
New builder: add a Code block and paste the tag
Click a Code block, or drag one into your layout from the side panel. In the Code menu, paste the tag. Mailchimp cleans up HTML it does not allow; for images it keeps class, id, src, alt, title, style, width and height, which covers everything in the snippet.
Legacy builder: the same, with Save & Close
Drag the Code block into your layout, paste the tag in the editing window, and click Save & Close.
Preview, then send a test
Click Preview to check desktop and mobile, then Send a Test Email, enter your address and click Send Test. Mailchimp counts test emails toward your monthly send limit, the same as live ones.

Optional: count unique opens

Add r=*|UNIQID|* and DynaMail can count unique opens. *|UNIQID|* is Mailchimp’s unique contact id merge tag, so no email address goes into the URL, and DynaMail stores only a salted hash of it.

The same timer with open tracking

<img src="https://img.dynamail.io/widgets/YOUR-WIDGET-ID/render.gif?r=*|UNIQID|*" alt="Time left in the sale" width="600" height="196" style="display:block;border:0;" />

Mailchimp does not fill contact merge tags in test emails. To see the merged URL, use Preview with Enable live merge tag info turned on.

What subscribers will see

The time remaining when the image was requested, animated as a GIF.
In classic Outlook for Windows, possibly only the first frame, which is still the correct time. More on Outlook.
In Apple Mail, an image that may have been fetched before the email was opened. More on Apple Mail.

Mailchimp has no countdown block of its own; its article on countdown timers (opens in a new tab) points readers to third-party timer builders.

Sources

Every Mailchimp step above comes from these pages, read on September 26, 2026. Apps rename menus often; if a step no longer matches what you see, the source page is the place to check.

Frequently asked questions

Why not use a Mailchimp Image block?

In the new builder, the Image block adds files by uploading or browsing the content studio; it has no option to link a remote image. A timer has to stay a link to DynaMail so it can be rendered when the email is opened, so use a Code block.

Does the Code block work on every Mailchimp plan?

We could not confirm this. Mailchimp’s Code block article lists no plan limit, but custom-coded templates need a Standard plan or higher. If you do not see a Code block on your plan, check with Mailchimp.

Will a test email show the timer?

Yes, the timer itself needs no merge tags. If you add the optional *|UNIQID|* tracking tag, note that Mailchimp does not fill contact merge tags in test emails; use Preview with live merge tag info instead.

Will the timer tick in Outlook?

The timer is an animated GIF. Classic Outlook for Windows can show only the first frame, which still shows the time remaining when the image was fetched; it just does not tick. Every other part of the email is unaffected.