Use case

Countdown timer for welcome and trial offers

Welcome series and trial onboarding run on each person’s own clock: someone who signs up today and someone who signed up last week are at different points. A welcome discount or trial offer needs a deadline that starts with them, not with your calendar.

The timer to use

Personal timer

Every subscriber gets the full window from their first open — 72 hours for a welcome code, 7 days for a trial upgrade offer.

Set it up

Click Get code, choose In an email, pick Personal timer and set the window. Choose your platform so the code carries its subscriber ID tag, and paste the code into the welcome or onboarding email that carries the offer. Use the same link in later emails of the series: the countdown continues from the first open instead of starting again.

HTML
<img src="https://t.tikio.io/e/a1b2.gif?uid=*|UNIQID|*" alt="Your welcome code expires in 72 hours" width="480" style="border:0;max-width:100%;height:auto;" />

Trial ends on a real date? Use it

If your product knows the exact trial end for each user, the deadline can come from a merge tag instead of a fixed window. That setup is available through the REST API: create the link with a deadline taken from the recipient and pass the date — with a time zone — as target in the image URL.

URL
https://t.tikio.io/e/a1b2.gif?target={{ person.trial_end }}

After the offer ends

Swap the timer for an image like “This offer has ended” and point the smart link to your regular pricing page. Changes apply to emails already delivered, so late readers never land on a dead discount.

Last updated: 2026-09-30.

FAQ

Questions, answered

Will the timer reset in the second email of the series?

Not if both emails use the same link and the same subscriber tag — the window is tied to the subscriber, not to the email.

Can two offers run for the same subscriber?

Yes. Use one link per offer; each keeps its own window.

Is a personal timer honest?

It is when the offer really expires for that person at that time. Make sure the discount code or trial offer is actually limited to the same window.

Set it up in your email platform

Using something else? See all email platform guides.

More use cases

Pick the timer, paste the code

Free during early access — no watermark, no credit card. Your first countdown is live in a couple of minutes.

Create your free countdown