Countdown Timer Popup: How to Make + Templates & Examples

If done right, countdown timer popups are an effective way to drive urgency on your ecommerce website, whether for flash sales, product launches, or limited-time offers.

They help capture leads and boost ecommerce revenue and conversions by showing visitors exactly how much time they have to act.

This guide will show you how to create effective countdown timer popups that increase online sales and visitor engagement.

In this post:

• What is a countdown timer popup?

• Are countdown popups effective?

• Countdown timer popup templates

• How to create countdown timer popups

• Countdown timer popup examples

What's a countdown timer popup?

A countdown timer popup is a type of website popup campaign that includes a live countdown clock to create urgency and encourage visitors to take action. Ecommerce stores often use countdown timer popups for limited-time offers, flash sales, product launches, exit offers, or seasonal promotions like Black Friday sales.

With the right design, placement, incentive, and targeting, countdown timer popups can increase ecommerce conversions by up to 58%. The top 10% best-performing campaigns convert over 21% of visitors on average.

The most common countdown timer types in popups include:

Are countdown popups effective?

Countdown timers are popular on ecommerce sites, and for a good reason:

Adding a countdown to a popup boosts the average conversion rate by 41% compared to the traditional format: 7.34% vs 4.63%.

That's why countdowns in popups are a proven way to increase conversion during limited-time sales, Black Friday promos, and other time-sensitive offers.

Countdown timer popup templates

This playbook breaks down the highest-performing popup campaigns with countdowns we see ecommerce brands using today. Click them to see how they work.

How to create a countdown timer popup

Follow these seven steps to create a cart abandonment countdown timer popup with a limited-time discount as an incentive:

1. Start a new campaign

2. Pick a template with a countdown timer

3. Include the cart block to display shopper’s cart

4. Customize the design

5. Add the discount code

6. Choose how to display

7. Publish

The final campaign will look like something like this (I took this campaign from a Shopify store Mungo & Maud for inspiration):

In this tutorial, we'll use Wisepops (4.7 stars on Shopify), a highly-rated popup tool with ecommerce-focused templates with countdown timers, native Shopify display options, Klaviyo segment targeting, and other advanced features.

Begin by getting a free account:

Use for free for 14 days, no cc needed to sign up. Learn more about Wisepops popup maker

Step 1: Start a new campaign

In Wisepops, go to Campaigns > Popups and choose New popup campaign:

Step 2: Choose a template with a countdown timer

Select a countdown timer template from the gallery—use the search button to look for "countdown to see only the ones with built-in timers. Or choose the "Shopify" category for dedicated templates for cart recovery and sales promotions.

For this tutorial, I want to create a countdown timer campaign with a cart recovery incentive, so I'll pick this one from the Shopify category:

Step 3: Include the cart block to display shopper’s cart

Our campaign can show the items a visitor added to their shopping cart, serving as a reminder of what they’re leaving behind. This way, we can boost urgency and encourage them to complete their purchase.

Simply go to Blocks > Cart and drag it onto your template:

Now, our campaign looks like this:

Step 4: Customize the design

Now, our job is to make our timer popup look like a natural part of your website. To do that, change the colors of the template and add your brand logo.

Customizing is easy: just click the element you'd like to change to see the options you need. Or, use CSS code for quick personalization if you prefer.

For example—

If you click the timer section, you'll be able to modify the time zone, the end date, and the countdown type in the menu that will appear on the left:

Step 5: Add the discount code

When you're done customizing the template, we need to add the discount code we're giving away.

Since it will appear in the next popup window when the visitor clicks Take my 10% off, go to Step 2 in the editor to see it.

You can access unique discounts from your Shopify account here and decide whether to allow the visitor to apply the code to the cart in one click or just copy it:

Step 6: Confirm display settings

Go to Display Rules to set up where your countdown timer popup appears and to what visitors.

The default display settings help you reach visitors at the right moment, so I suggest you try them first for a while to see how they perform:

• Exit intent: catches shoppers just before they leave, reminding them what’s in their cart

• After three page views: targets visitors who’ve already shown interest in your products

• After three seconds on page: gives them a moment to browse before showing your offer

• All visitors (new, returning, optimized for both desktop and mobile)

• Every session but stop after a visitor clicked the popup or seen it five times

Learn about about all the ways to display popups.

Step 7: Save and publish

Hey, your countdown timer popup is good to go!

See how it'll look on your site (just hit Preview in the top right corner).

To display the campaign on your site, simply pop in the Wisepops code snippet with a few clicks: add Wisepops to your website (you can skip this if you already connected your Shopify account).

Also, connect your tech stack to track performance and sync leads: Integrations.

Examples of countdown timer popups from ecommerce

Here are some of the most high-converting examples of countdown timer popups from online stores.

1. Cart abandonment countdown popup

This cart abandonment countdown popup example from Mungo & Maud shows how to combine urgency, clarity, and relevance to recover abandoned carts on Shopify.

Best features:

• Live cart items: shows saved products with images and prices, making the offer tangible

• Visible countdown: a compact two-hour timer that’s small but easy to read, creating relevant urgency

• Clear discount highlight: 10% savings are emphasized, drawing attention and motivating action

• Copiable discount code. If visitors choose to redeem the discount they can copy it in the second popup window

2. Limited-time discount timer popup

This playful countdown timer popup shows how humor and urgency can drive action in ecommerce. It combines entertainment, scarcity, and immediate reward to motivate hesitant visitors toward to buy.

Best features:

• Countdown timer: Shows hours/minutes/seconds with a 24-hour validity, creating immediate pressure to act

• Humorous copy: “DON’T LEAVE YOUR BALLS HANGING!” and “RESCUE MY BALLS” keeps the brand voice fun and memorable

• Clear value proposition: 10% discount highlighted alongside a unique coupon code (that allows OddBalls to track code applications)

3. Newsletter signup countdown timer popup

This timer popup design is particularly useful if you need to boost newsletter signups with a time-sensitive offer, balancing urgency without overwhelming users.

Best features:

• Clear discount: The “15% OFF” grabs attention immediately

• Simple email capture: A single field and straightforward CTA (to the second phone number signup field) reduce friction

• Playful copy: “Don’t go without getting…” keeps tone light and engaging

4. Special offer countdown timer popup

This example of a timer popup uses elegant, minimal design with clear hierarchy to highlight a VIP bundle offer, driving conversions.

Best features:

• Eelegant design: Clear visual hierarchy and clear background highlight the VIP bundle offer effectively

• Countdown timer: “Limited Time Left!” under one hour creates urgency

• Strong incentives: Discounted price ($24.95 from $49.95) plus perks like free shipping

• Prominent CTA button: “Unlock My Offer” in a contrasting color drives immediate action

5. Free shipping deadline countdown timer popup

The goal of this Le Creuset's timer popup is to get more orders from new visitors by promoting a limited-time free shipping offer. Notice how the brand clearly describes out the deal terms upfront (under No, Thank you)—this is very professional and prevents frustration for shoppers who might otherwise discover the free shipping threshold only at the checkout page.

Best features:

• Clear value: highlights free shipping without the minimum order size requirement

• Concise copy: simple copy communicates the benefit without overwhelming visitors

• Prominent CTA: Encourages immediate action to qualify for free shipping

• Explanation of the terms: the popup clearly explains how a visitor can take advantage of the offer as well as lists US states where free shipping is unavailable

Next steps

Using countdown timer popups can boost ecommerce conversions, aiding in cart recovery and sales spikes during limited-time offers. By applying the steps and best practices from this post, you can create campaigns that boost conversions and build excitement for your products.

Check out more guides to know how to convert visitors:

• Popup design guide [examples and how to create]

• 50+ website popup examples [from top ecommerce businesses]

• How to increase your Shopify store conversion rate [strategies and examples]