How to Add a Countdown Timer to Squarespace (2026): Elfsight, Will Myers and More

Disclosure: SquareLocator earns a commission if you buy through some of the links on this page, including Elfsight links. It never changes what I recommend, and every price below was checked on the vendor's own site on 23 October 2026.

A countdown timer is one of the simplest ways to make a deadline feel real. A sale that ends on Monday, a course launch, a wedding date, an event that is about to sell out: a visible clock does more than a line of text saying "ends soon". The problem is that Squarespace does not give you one. There is no countdown block in the block menu, so you need a plugin, a widget or a bit of code.

The right choice depends on two things: which Squarespace plan you are on, and whether you want a timer that is the same for everyone or one that starts when each visitor arrives. This guide walks through the options I would actually use, how to set each one up, and what they cost.

Quick answer: which countdown timer should you use?

• Elfsight Countdown Timer if you want the most flexibility without touching code: three timer types, ready-made Black Friday and Christmas templates, and a free plan to test it. See the SquareLocator listing.
• Will Myers Countdown Timer if you want a one-off payment and a timer that looks native to your Squarespace design. See the listing.
• The Square Genius Countdown Timer if you want a simple animated timer on a 7.1 site for a single fee. See the listing.

One rule applies to all three: they run on JavaScript, and Squarespace only allows JavaScript in code blocks and code injection on the Core, Plus and Advanced plans. On the Basic plan the code block accepts HTML, plain text, markdown and CSS only, according to the Squarespace pricing page. If you are on Basic, a script-based timer will not run, so check your plan first.

Option 1: Elfsight Countdown Timer

Elfsight is a widget platform with more than 90 apps, and the Countdown Timer is one of the more useful ones for Squarespace. You build the timer in Elfsight's editor, copy a short embed code, and paste it into your site. Nothing lives inside Squarespace except that snippet, so you can change the design, date or message later in Elfsight and the site updates on its own.

What it does

The Elfsight Countdown Timer has three timer types:

• Countdown to Date: counts down to a fixed date and time, with a time zone setting and an optional delayed start. This is the one for a Black Friday sale or an event.
• Personal Countdown: each visitor gets their own timer that starts when they first open the page and carries on across visits. Useful for a welcome offer, but use it honestly: if the offer does not really expire, do not pretend it does.
• Number Counter: counts up or down between two numbers, for example places left on a course.

When the timer hits zero you can hide it, show a custom message or send visitors to another page. You can add a button (link, email, phone or a form), and the date countdown can offer an "add to Google Calendar" button, which is handy for webinars and events. There are templates for sales, Black Friday, Christmas, weddings and more, and the timer can sit inline on a page or as a banner in the header or footer area. It also sends Google Analytics events when a countdown completes or a button is clicked.

How to add the Elfsight countdown timer to Squarespace

1. Open the Countdown Timer editor and pick a template. You can start free with no card.
2. Choose the timer type, set the end date and time zone, then adjust colours, labels and the finish action.
3. Click to publish the widget in Elfsight and copy the installation code.
4. In Squarespace, open the page, click Edit, add a section (or use an existing one) and click Add Block, then choose Code.
5. Paste the Elfsight code into the code block, save, resize the block to the width you want, and preview on desktop and mobile.

That matches Elfsight's own Squarespace installation guide. If you want the same banner timer on every page, you can paste the code into code injection instead of a single page, but test it first on one page so you know how it behaves on mobile.

Elfsight countdown timer pricing

These are the prices on the Countdown Timer pricing page on 23 October 2026, in US dollars per month:

Plan	Billed yearly	Billed monthly	Views a month	Widgets
Free	$0	$0	200	1
Basic	$5	$6	5,000	3
Pro	$10	$12	50,000	9
Premium	$20	$24	150,000	21

The free plan shows Elfsight branding, and if you go over 200 views in a month the widget is temporarily deactivated until the next month. For a live sale that is the main catch: a timer on your homepage can burn through 200 views quickly, and it would switch off right when traffic peaks. For anything beyond testing, Basic is the realistic starting point. Elfsight's FAQ also mentions a welcome coupon of 33% off a first yearly plan if you buy within 24 hours of signing up. I explain how views are counted and when the All Apps Pack makes sense in Elfsight Pricing Explained.

Pros and cons

• Pros: three timer types including a per-visitor timer, finish actions and buttons, holiday templates, no code to maintain, edit from Elfsight without reopening Squarespace.
• Cons: a monthly subscription rather than a one-off fee, view limits on every plan, the free plan switches off at 200 views, and the timer loads from Elfsight's servers rather than your own site.

Verdict: the best choice if you run several promotions a year or want a per-visitor timer, as long as you budget for a paid plan.

View Elfsight Countdown TimerSee it on SquareLocator

Option 2: Will Myers Countdown Timer

Will Myers is the largest plugin maker in our catalogue, and his Countdown Timer takes a different approach. It is a copy and paste plugin that lives in your Squarespace site, so it picks up your section colour themes and looks like part of the design rather than an embedded widget.

• Price: $25 for a single site licence, or $60 for a business licence covering unlimited sites (including templates you sell).
• What you get: three style presets, the option to place the timer in an announcement bar, an installation video and over 20 extra copy and paste style tweaks.
• Requirements: Squarespace 7.1 and a Core plan or higher. Will notes that it switches section colour classes, so it may clash with some custom CSS.

Pros: one payment, no view limits, native look, easy to hand over to a client. Cons: no per-visitor timer or finish actions are listed, and support is best effort for the first 60 days.

Verdict: the one I would pick for a single launch or annual sale on a 7.1 site where design matters most.

View Will Myers Countdown TimerSee it on SquareLocator

Option 3: The Square Genius Countdown Timer

The Square Genius Countdown Timer costs $20 and works on Squarespace 7.1 sites only. It is a responsive, animated timer with fade-in effects that you style to match your brand, installed by copying the supplied code and following the instructions.

Pros: the cheapest paid option, one payment, works with any 7.1 template. Cons: fewer options than Elfsight, no 7.0 support, and like the others it needs JavaScript, so a Core plan or higher.

Verdict: fine for a simple date countdown if budget is the main concern.

View The Square Genius Countdown TimerSee it on SquareLocator

Elfsight vs a copy and paste plugin: how to choose

	Elfsight	Will Myers	The Square Genius
Cost	Free tier, then from $5 a month (yearly)	$25 one-off	$20 one-off
Per-visitor timer	Yes	No	No
Finish actions	Hide, message or redirect	Not listed	Not listed
Squarespace version	Any site that accepts a code block with JavaScript	7.1	7.1
View limits	Yes, by plan	No	No

My rule of thumb: if the timer is for one event a year, a one-off plugin is cheaper over time. If you run sales every month, want a Personal Countdown, or already pay for other Elfsight widgets such as reviews or a live chat, Elfsight is the better fit. My Elfsight for Squarespace review covers which of its other widgets earn their place.

There are more timers in the marketing and popup plugins collection, including the Common Ninja Countdown Bar if you specifically want a slim bar across the top of the page.

Using a countdown timer for Black Friday

Black Friday falls on 27 November 2026 and Cyber Monday on 30 November. If you are planning a sale, set the timer up a week early and test it, because time zones are the easiest thing to get wrong. A few practical tips:

• Set the time zone to the one your customers are in, not the one you are in, and say it on the page ("ends midnight GMT").
• Decide what happens at zero. Hiding the timer and leaving a "sale ended" message is better than a clock stuck on 00:00:00.
• Put the timer near the offer and the buy button, not floating on its own at the top of the page.
• Only use a real deadline. Fake urgency that resets every visit damages trust, and can fall foul of consumer protection rules.

If you are also looking for deals on Squarespace itself or on templates and plugins, I keep a list in Squarespace Promo Codes, Discounts and Black Friday Deals. For shop owners, pair your timer with a template built to sell: see the best Squarespace ecommerce templates, the store and commerce plugins and the full template collection.

Common problems

• The timer does not show in the editor: scripts often do not run while you are editing. Save and preview, or view the live page in a private window.
• Nothing appears on the live site: check your plan. On Basic, JavaScript in code blocks is not supported.
• Wrong end time: check the time zone setting in the widget or plugin, not just the date.
• It looks cramped on mobile: widen the code block, or choose a compact layout, and always check the mobile preview.
• Styling clashes: if you use custom CSS, test after install. My guide to custom CSS in Squarespace explains how to target a single block.

Frequently asked questions

Does Squarespace have a built-in countdown timer?

No. There is no countdown block in Squarespace, so you need a widget such as Elfsight or a copy and paste plugin such as Will Myers' Countdown Timer.

Can I add a countdown timer on the Squarespace Basic plan?

Not with a script-based timer. Squarespace's pricing page lists JavaScript in code blocks and code injection on Core, Plus and Advanced only. On Basic the code block supports HTML, plain text, markdown and CSS.

Is the Elfsight countdown timer free?

There is a free plan with one widget and 200 views a month, with Elfsight branding. Over the limit, the widget is temporarily deactivated. Paid plans start at $5 a month billed yearly or $6 billed monthly.

Can a countdown timer restart for each visitor?

Yes, Elfsight's Personal Countdown starts when a visitor first opens the page and continues across visits. Use it only for offers that genuinely expire for that visitor.

What happens when the countdown reaches zero?

With Elfsight you can hide the timer, show a custom message or redirect to another page. Simpler plugins usually just stop at zero, so plan your page copy around that.

Which is the best countdown timer for Squarespace?

For flexibility and regular promotions, Elfsight. For a one-off payment and a native look on 7.1, Will Myers. For the lowest one-off price, The Square Genius.

Want to compare more widgets first? Browse every Elfsight app in the SquareLocator Elfsight guide, or try Elfsight free.

Disclosure: some links in this article are affiliate links, including Elfsight. If you buy through them SquareLocator may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices were checked on 23 October 2026 and can change, so always confirm on the vendor's site before you buy.