Widgets
Email countdown timers, accurate at every open.
Count down to a launch, a sale's end, or a deadline. The timer is an image rendered at the moment each reader opens, so it shows the real time remaining — hours after you hit send, and in the recipient's own timezone if you want. Design it once, paste one URL, done.
A real render produced by DynaMail’s image pipeline.
Free while in beta · No credit card required
How it works
Every DynaMail widget is a plain image URL. Design it in the dashboard, then paste the URL into an <img> tag — or your email editor’s image block — like this:
Example embed snippet
<img src="https://img.dynamail.io/widgets/YOUR-WIDGET-ID/render.gif" width="720" height="200" alt="" />YOUR-WIDGET-ID is a placeholder — every widget you create gets its own id. The file extension requests the output format — gif, apng, webp, or png. Depending on the design, an animated widget may be served in an animated format even when a static extension is requested.
Because the image is rendered when the email is opened — not when it’s sent — each open shows the current state (renders are cached for at most a minute). No script, no custom HTML, nothing for your email platform to strip out.
What it’s for
- Sales and offers — urgency that is honest, because the timer is actually live
- Product launches and events — the same email counts down correctly all week
- Webinar reminders — render the start time in each registrant's timezone
- Trial and renewal deadlines — a per-recipient date from a merge tag
Personalize it in the URL
The data behind the widget — its values, chart points, and text placeholders — can come from the URL. Append query parameters, or your email platform’s merge tags, and each recipient’s open renders from their own data.
?referenceDate=…Per-recipient deadline — a trial end or renewal date from a merge tag?timezone=…Count down in the recipient's timezone?mode=…countdown to a date, or countup since one?v_name=…Override any {v_name} text placeholder in your designFrequently asked questions
How do I add a countdown timer to an email?
Create the timer in the DynaMail dashboard, then paste its image URL into an <img> tag in your template. It works in any email service provider that can display images — no script, no plugin.
Is the timer actually live?
The animation itself is a rendered image, but it is rendered at the moment of open — so every open shows the true time remaining at that moment. Open the same email tomorrow and the timer is a day shorter.
Do countdown timers work in Outlook?
Yes — the widget is a standard image, so it displays wherever images do. The URL extension requests the format (render.gif, render.png, render.webp, render.apng); depending on the design, an animated widget may be served in a compatible animated format even when a static extension is requested. Animated GIF displays in effectively every client. A few, like classic Outlook for Windows, show only the first frame — and because rendering happens at open time, that frame is still an accurate snapshot of the countdown at that moment.
What happens when the timer reaches zero?
The timer stops at zero — it never counts into negative time. You can also switch the widget to count-up mode to show time elapsed since a moment instead.
More widgets for email
Try the free countdown generator
Build a countdown timer now — no signup, no code. Get a permanent image URL in seconds.
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Gauge charts in email, live at every open.
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Sparklines in email, drawn fresh at every open.
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Every widget type is included on the free beta plan — see pricing.