The countdown timer is an animated visual that shows the time remaining until a deadline (a sale ending, a webinar starting, an early-bird price closing) directly inside the email. Mailpro generates the timer as an animated GIF that updates every second when the recipient opens the email. On free Mailpro accounts the animation stops after 40 seconds — on paid accounts it runs continuously until zero. This guide explains why the limit exists, how the timer works technically, and what to do when it appears static.
How the countdown timer works
1. You insert a countdown block in the Mailpro Builder and pick a target date and time. 2. When the email is sent, the timer is replaced by an <img> tag pointing to a Mailpro URL. 3. When the recipient opens the email, their mail client requests the image. 4. Mailpro’s server generates a fresh GIF showing the current time remaining and serves it back. 5. Most mail clients refresh the image every few seconds, animating the countdown live.
Why the 40-second cap on free accounts
The animation is generated frame-by-frame on demand. To keep the free tier fast and free, Mailpro caps the animated portion at 40 seconds. After that, the image becomes static, still showing «time remaining» but no longer moving. The deadline information stays correct — only the animation stops.
| Account type | Animation duration | Static after deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Free | 40 seconds | Yes — shows «Expired» |
| Paid (any plan) | Unlimited | Yes — shows «Expired» |
| Trial | 40 seconds | Same as free |
What to do if your timer appears stopped
1. Check your account type — on free, animation stops at 40s by design. 2. Refresh the email in the mail client (some clients cache the first image). 3. If you’re on a paid plan and the timer still freezes, the recipient’s mail client may be caching aggressively. See our why countdowns don’t load on Outlook for the most common case.
Best practices for countdown timers
1. Use them for genuine deadlines — fake urgency is detected and breeds distrust. 2. Place the timer near the call-to-action button to convert urgency to clicks. 3. Provide a fallback message in text («Sale ends Friday May 12 at midnight») for clients that strip images. 4. Never put the timer below the fold. Read more in our blog: countdown timers motivate people.
Add a real-time countdown to your campaigns
Mailpro’s countdown timer works in all major mail clients and runs without the 40-second cap on paid plans. Read more in newsletter countdown timer FAQ and free account behaviour.