How to add a countdown timer to WordPress

The usual answer to “countdown timer in WordPress” is a plugin, which means one more thing to update and one more thing that can break your site. The block editor already has everything needed: a Custom HTML block takes the iframe as-is.

  1. Design your countdown in tikio

    Build the timer once in the editor — colors, fonts, labels and languages. The same published design serves your website and your email campaigns, so the page and the inbox never drift apart.

  2. Publish and copy the embed code

    Hit Publish, switch the snippet type to the website embed and copy the iframe. The width and height come from your design, so the timer lands on the page at exactly the size you drew it.

    <iframe src="https://tikio.io/e/a1b2.html?target=2026-08-01T20:00" title="Offer ends soon" width="480" height="140" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="border:0;"></iframe>

  3. Add a Custom HTML block

    In the block editor, add a Custom HTML block where the countdown should appear and paste the iframe. Use the block’s Preview tab to confirm it renders before publishing. In the classic editor, paste it in the Text tab rather than Visual.

    <iframe src="https://tikio.io/e/a1b2.html?target=2026-08-01T20:00" title="Offer ends soon" width="480" height="140" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="border:0;"></iframe>

The same countdown in your emails

If you also send a newsletter from this site, the same design works there as an image — swap .html for .gif. The post and the email then count down to the same moment.

<img src="https://tikio.io/e/a1b2.gif?target=2026-08-01T20:00" alt="Offer ends soon" style="border:0;" />

Setting up the campaign too? See the guide for your email platform.

FAQ

Do I need a countdown plugin?

No. The Custom HTML block is part of WordPress core, so there is no plugin to install, update or audit.

Why does my iframe disappear when I save?

Almost always a permissions or security-plugin issue: authors without the unfiltered_html capability have iframes stripped from their content, and some security plugins do the same. Publish as an administrator, or add the timer through a block pattern or template.

Does it work in WooCommerce product pages?

Yes — add the block to the product description, or place it in a template through the site editor if you want the countdown on every product in a sale.

Will caching plugins break the countdown?

No, and this is the advantage of an iframe: your page can be cached aggressively while the timer inside it is fetched separately and always shows the real remaining time.

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