How a countdown works in the inbox

An email can’t run a clock. So a countdown goes out as a picture. Jounce draws that picture fresh every time the email is opened, with the time left at that moment. Open it on Monday and it says three days. Open the same email on Thursday and it says a few hours.

This is how it works in every email you create. For an email that opens in the earlier editor, see the last section.

Seconds that tick

Only a timer that shows seconds ticks, for a few seconds from the moment of opening, then repeats. It’s a glimpse of motion, not a live clock. The clock ticks with Seconds on Shown, or in its last hour. The day count and the one-line timer never do.

Some mail apps play no animation and show only the first picture. That picture is still the true time left.

One moment for everyone

Every timer counts to one moment for everyone, in the timezone you set.

When the moment has passed

The picture shows the date, not zeros. Most timers add the word Ended.

The link

A tap on the picture opens the button’s address while the button shows. With the button hidden, the picture has no link.

In the editor

The editor shows the timer as it stood when the editor opened or you last made a change. It doesn’t tick. Reload the editor and it catches up.

In an email that opens in the earlier editor

There, every timer is a short animation. It ticks down for a few seconds from the moment of opening, then repeats. That’s why the seconds are exact only at the moment of opening. Once the moment has passed, the picture shows zeros and stays there.

The two types

• A Fixed countdown ends at one moment for everyone, in the timezone you set.
• A Personalized countdown gives each reader the same length of time from their own first open. Jounce remembers that first open. So opening the email again later shows the same clock, not a fresh one. The clock belongs to that reader and that email; another email’s countdown starts its own.

Test sends

A test send has no reader to remember. So a personalized countdown in a test email starts over on every open. That’s expected, and it doesn’t happen in the email your readers get.

The whole timer is a link

A tap anywhere on the picture opens the timer’s link. With the button showing, the tap opens the button’s own link when it has one. The label, the button’s words, and the link also go out as plain text for mail apps that show no pictures.