All about Countdown timer forms

Countdown timer forms help you create urgency around a launch, limited-time offer, or deadline—while collecting email subscribers at the same time.

This guide explains what Countdown timer forms are, how they work, and how to customize and share them in Flodesk.

A Countdown timer form is an opt-in form that includes a fixed countdown timer. You choose:

• The end date

• The end time

• The timezone

Everyone who views the form sees the same remaining time counting down to that fixed deadline.

You can:

• Add subscribers to a main segment before the deadline

• Automatically send late signups to a waitlist segment

• Display an expiration message when time runs out

Countdown timer forms are great for:

• Course launches

• Limited-time discounts

• Event registrations

• Bonus deadlines

• Early-bird pricing

• The timer can display a maximum of 99 days in the future (two digits for days).

• If double opt-in is enabled, subscribers must confirm their email to be added to your segment.

• If someone submits the form before the timer ends but confirms after it expires, they will still be added to the main form segment (not the waitlist).

1. Go to your Forms dashboard.

2. Click + New form.

3. Select the Countdown category in the template gallery.

4. Choose a template and click Customize it.

Countdown timer forms are available as:

• Full page forms

• Popup forms

• Inline forms

Below is an example using a full page form. The editing experience is similar for popup and inline forms.

When you first open the template:

• Select an existing segment

• Or create a new one

Anyone who signs up before the deadline will be added to this segment. Save your changes.

Click the countdown timer in the builder. Under the Timer tab, set:

• End date

• End time

• Timezone

Then expand “When timer ends” to decide what happens after expiration.

You can:

• Add late subscribers to a waitlist segment

• Show an expiration message on the form

When enabled:

• A text box appears below the timer

• The message will inherit your form’s body text style

• The preview appears directly in the builder

This is helpful for messaging like:

• “This offer has expired. Join the waitlist below.”

• “Registration is now closed.”

Note: if you click somewhere else, the expiration message preview will be hidden on the screen.

Click the Style tab to customize:

• Divider type between time digits

• Divider shapes (depending on template)

• Size of the countdown section

Under the Font tab, you can adjust:

• Timer font

• Font style

• Color

• Letter spacing

You can also edit:

• Headline

• Body text

• Button text

Simply click the element you want to change.

To collect more information:

1. Click Add field

2. Select or create a custom field

3. Mark it Required if needed

4. Map it to a data field

Important: If a custom field is not mapped properly, the subscriber’s input will not be saved.

Click the button to:

• Change the text (e.g., “Save my spot” or “Join before it’s gone”)

• Adjust style and font settings

Click the image placeholder to:

• Upload your own image

• Choose from Unsplash

• Add a GIF from Giphy

• Add a design from your connected Canva account

You can also adjust:

• Overlay color

• Opacity

And add alt text under Accessibility.

Click outside the form editor area to access:

• Preferences (allow subscribers to opt into multiple segments)

• Image visibility on mobile

• Background color

• Form width

To customize the preference options, click a preference option on the main screen and edit its details on the right-side panel. You will need to map each preference option to a unique segment.

Click the Thank You tab at the top of the builder.

You can:

• Redirect to a URL

• Use a pre-written success message

• Write your own custom message

• Enable form sharing

You can also style the success message font from the right-side panel.

Once your design is ready:

1. Click Settings in the top right corner.

2. Turn double opt-in on or off

3. Choose which segments subscribers are added to

4. Enable subscriber notification emails (optional)

5. Connect your Meta pixel ID (if you are running ads)

6. Add your Privacy policy link to your full page form

7. Require explicit marketing consent

Open the Link tab to:

• Edit the form URL

• Set your Flodesk handle (for a cleaner, branded link)

Under Link preview, you can control:

• Preview image

• Page title

• Description

This affects how your form appears when shared on social platforms or in messages.

Click Share, then:

• Copy the form link, or

• Share directly to Facebook, X (Twitter), Pinterest, or LinkedIn

• Grab the form's QR code

That’s it—your opt-in form is live.

When the countdown reaches zero:

• The timer stops

• Your expiration message (if enabled) appears

• Late signups can automatically be added to your waitlist segment

This allows you to clearly separate:

• Subscribers who signed up before the deadline

• Subscribers who joined after

A Countdown timer form includes a fixed deadline that all visitors see. Regular forms do not include a timer.

No. Countdown timer forms use a fixed deadline. All visitors see the same remaining time.

If you want a timer that starts when someone opens an email, that would require a personalized countdown timer inside an email—not a form.

Yes. Countdown forms are available as:

• Full page

• Popup

• Inline

The maximum is 99 days in the future due to the two-digit day display.

If they submitted the form before the timer expired, they will still be added to the main segment once they confirm—even if confirmation happens after the timer ends.

Yes. Enable the “When timer ends” option and map late subscribers to a separate waitlist segment.

Yes. In Settings under the Link tab, you can edit the slug and customize the preview information.

Yes. In the Thank You tab, toggle on Redirect to URL and enter your desired destination.

Countdown timer forms help you:

• Create urgency around a fixed deadline

• Collect subscribers

• Separate early signups from late signups

• Automatically manage waitlists

You can create one by going to:

Forms > + New form > Countdown category

From there, customize your timer, design, segments, and sharing settings—and start building excitement around your next launch.