Evergreen Timers
Evergreen timers create a personalized countdown for each recipient. Perfect for "Your offer expires in 24 hours" campaigns where everyone gets the same urgency, regardless of when they open the email.
Two Evergreen Modes
SnapTimers offers two types of evergreen timers depending on your plan:
Basic Evergreen
FreeThe timer shows the full countdown duration on every view. Each time someone opens the email, the timer calculates: now + duration.
Note: The countdown resets on each view. If someone opens your email twice, they'll see the full 24 hours both times. Good for basic urgency, but can be "gamed" by refreshing.
Smart Evergreen
Starter+The timer remembers each subscriber using your email provider's unique ID. The first view creates a session, and all future views show the same countdown.
Persistent: If John opens your email at 10 AM and again at 2 PM, he'll see 20 hours remaining (not 24). The deadline is locked to his first view.
Comparison
| Feature | Basic (Free) | Smart (Paid) |
|---|---|---|
| Countdown starts | On each view | On first view only |
| Same person reopens | Resets to full time | Continues countdown |
| Cross-device tracking | No | Yes (via email ID) |
| Requires email provider setup | No | Yes (select in Export) |
| Best for | Simple urgency | Real scarcity offers |
How Smart Evergreen Works
Personalized & Persistent Countdown
When you export a Smart Evergreen timer, you select your email provider. SnapTimers automatically adds their unique subscriber ID to the timer URL. This ID creates a session that persists across all views and devices.
John opens email
Session created: 24h left
John opens again
Same session: 20h left
Jane opens email
Her own session: 24h left
When to Use Evergreen Timers
- Limited-time offers (e.g., "48 hours to claim your discount")
- Abandoned cart emails with urgency
- Welcome sequences with signup bonuses
- Re-engagement campaigns
- Drip campaigns where each email has its own deadline
Creating an Evergreen Timer
1. Select Timer Type
In the Config tab, select "Evergreen" from the Timer Type dropdown.
2. Set Duration
Configure how long each recipient's countdown lasts:
Days
1-30 days
Hours
0-23 hours
Minutes
0-59 minutes
Example
24 hours, 0 minutes
3. Export & Select Provider (Paid Plans)
When you click Export, you'll be prompted to select your email provider. This enables Smart Evergreen by adding the provider's unique subscriber ID to your timer URL.
Without selecting a provider, the timer will use Basic Evergreen mode (resets on each view).
How Smart Evergreen Sessions Work
When you select an email provider during export, SnapTimers adds their unique identifier tag (like {{ person.KlaviyoID }} for Klaviyo) to the timer URL:
- First view: Creates a session linked to that subscriber ID
- Return view: Looks up the existing session, shows remaining time
- Different device: Same countdown (because it's tied to subscriber ID, not device)
Important: Smart Evergreen requires a paid plan (Starter+). Free tier users will get Basic Evergreen behavior. See Email Provider Setup for details.
Supported Email Providers
SnapTimers automatically handles personalization for these providers when you export:
Don't see your provider? Select "Custom" and we'll show you how to add the subscriber ID manually.
Best Practices
- Keep durations realistic (24-72 hours works best)
- Use merge tags for consistent cross-device experience
- Match the timer duration to your actual offer deadline
- Be transparent—don't abuse urgency tactics