Shopify Email is the native email marketing tool built into every Shopify store. If you're already using it for campaigns and automations, adding a countdown timer is one of the simplest ways to boost conversions on your promotional emails — flash sales, product launches, holiday campaigns, and cart recovery.
This guide shows you how to embed a Tickvio countdown timer in Shopify Email templates using Custom Liquid, plus how to use the same timer on your Shopify store for a consistent cross-channel urgency experience.
A free Tickvio account (no credit card required) and a Shopify store with Shopify Email enabled. No apps to install, no coding skills required.
Log in to Tickvio and click Create Timer. Choose your timer type:
Fixed date — everyone counts down to the same deadline. Best for flash sales, holiday promotions, and product launches.
Evergreen — each customer gets a personal deadline. Best for cart abandonment and welcome offer emails.
Recurring — auto-resets on a schedule. Best for weekly deals or recurring promotions.
Customise the design (28+ styles, your brand colours and fonts), set your expiry state, and save. Copy the HTML embed code.
In your Shopify admin, go to Marketing → Campaigns → Create campaign → Shopify Email. Choose a template or start from scratch.
In the Shopify Email editor, click the Add section button (the green "+" button). From the section menu, select Custom Liquid. This is where you'll paste the timer code.
Paste the Tickvio HTML embed code into the Custom Liquid code box. The timer will render as a live animated countdown in the email preview.
Position the Custom Liquid section where you want the timer — typically below the header or hero image, above your main CTA. Drag it to reorder if needed.
Click Preview to check the timer on desktop and mobile. Send a test email to yourself before launching. The timer will show a live countdown every time someone opens the email.
Here's something unique about Tickvio: the same timer URL works in both email and on your website. This means you can embed the countdown timer in your Shopify Email campaign and add it to your Shopify store — product pages, collection pages, announcement bars, or landing pages.
For website embedding, use Tickvio's JavaScript web widget for a richer, interactive countdown. For email, the animated GIF version renders perfectly. Both count down to the same deadline, giving customers a consistent urgency experience whether they're reading the email or browsing your store.
Flash sale: "24-hour sale — ends tonight at midnight" with a fixed-date timer. See our flash sale playbook for the complete 7-email sequence.
Product launch: "Launching in:" with a fixed-date timer counting down to the launch moment. Build anticipation across multiple pre-launch emails.
Cart abandonment: "Your cart is reserved for:" with an evergreen timer. Each customer gets a personal 2-hour or 24-hour deadline. See our cart abandonment guide for strategy and guardrails.
Holiday campaigns: "Order by Friday for Christmas delivery" with a shipping deadline countdown. Pair with free shipping thresholds for maximum impact.
Seasonal clearance: "Summer sale ends in:" with a fixed-date timer. Add product recommendations below the timer.
Custom Liquid is the key: Shopify Email doesn't have a generic HTML block — Custom Liquid is how you insert custom code. It works seamlessly with Tickvio's embed code.
Don't confuse email timers with store timer apps: Shopify App Store has 350+ countdown timer apps — but those are for your store pages (product timers, cart timers). Tickvio is for your emails. They're complementary: use a store timer app on your product pages and Tickvio in your emails for full-funnel urgency.
Shopify Email limitations: Shopify Email has a simpler editor than platforms like Klaviyo or Omnisend. Custom Liquid gives you the flexibility to embed anything, including Tickvio timers, without being constrained by the built-in block types.
Create your free Tickvio timer — 20,000 views/month, all timer types, 28+ styles, no branding, no credit card. Paste it into Shopify Email via Custom Liquid in under two minutes.
For the full countdown timer playbook, see our complete guide to email countdown timers. For more ESP walkthroughs, visit our integrations page.
