Timer types and deadlines

Standard

Use Standard when everyone should count down to the same event.

• End date: the calendar date on which the offer ends.
• End time: the clock time on that date.
• Timezone: the fixed UTC offset used to interpret both fields.

For example, 18:00 at UTC+2 is 16:00 UTC. The selector contains fixed offsets, not location-aware daylight-saving rules. Check the offset that will apply on the event date; do not assume that an EST/PST label automatically switches for summer time.

The deadline is the same for all recipients. It is not based on each recipient's local clock.

Transaction

Use Transaction for a duration associated with an individual identifier. Duration is entered in Days, Hours, Min and Sec.

The image service can remember a start time for a timer and a stable id supplied in the image URL. Reusing that identifier continues the same countdown; changing it creates a different personal countdown. First request is not necessarily a human open: email proxies and automated fetches may request the image.

Current editor limitation: the information page shows Email Service Provider and Start Timer, but those selectors do not yet insert personalization tags or a start timestamp into the copied URL/HTML. Selecting a provider alone does not create a working per-recipient integration.

The plain copied URL is therefore not sufficient for a persistent personal deadline. Before using this mode in a campaign, arrange and test the URL personalization with your integration developer. Use opaque identifiers rather than recipient email addresses or other sensitive data in image URLs.

For a normal campaign without an integration, use Standard.

Perpetual

Cycle duration sets the countdown length in days, hours, minutes and seconds. The service maintains a shared cycle for the timer; it is not a separate cycle for every recipient.

Refresh every currently acts as a remaining-time threshold, despite its label. When remaining time is at or below that value, the service can start a fresh full cycle on the next processing/request opportunity.

For example, with a 24-hour cycle:

• Refresh values all set to 0: restart once the countdown reaches its end.
• Refresh set to 1 hour: restart when an hour or less remains.

Keep the threshold smaller than the cycle duration. A threshold as large as the cycle can cause repeated resets and make the timer appear not to progress. It is not a scheduled job that starts every N hours from midnight.

After the deadline

Event Expired provides zeros or an expiration message. The editor also lists Hide timer, but that mode is not implemented in the current renderer. For Perpetual timers, a cycle reset can replace the expired state.

Hiding a time segment only changes its presentation. It does not alter the actual deadline or duration.