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The Countdown widget displays a live countdown to a specific date and time, with emoji customization and optional reminder notifications.

Features

  • Live Countdown: Real-time countdown in days, hours, and minutes
  • Custom Events: Name your countdown anything you like
  • Emoji Icons: Personalize with custom emoji
  • Date & Time Picker: Precise deadline selection
  • Reminder Notifications: Get notified when countdown reaches zero
  • Future Events Only: Validates that events are in the future

Setup

1

Add Widget

Add the Countdown widget to your dashboard
2

Click Plus Icon

Click the + button to create a countdown
3

Configure Event

Enter title, date, time, and choose an emoji
4

Save

Click “Add countdown” to start the timer

Creating a Countdown

Event Details

1

Choose Emoji

Click the emoji button to open the picker and select an icon
2

Enter Title

Give your countdown a descriptive name (e.g., “Product Launch”, “Birthday”, “Vacation”)
3

Select Date

Use the date picker to choose the target date
4

Set Time

Use the time picker to set the exact hour and minute
5

Submit

Click “Add countdown” to create it

Validation

The widget ensures:
  • Date and time are in the future
  • Title is not empty
  • All required fields are filled
If validation fails, you’ll see an error message explaining what needs to be fixed.
You cannot create a countdown for a date/time that has already passed. The form will show an error: “Date and time must be in the future”.

Display Format

Active Countdown

When a countdown is active, you’ll see:
  • Emoji Icon: Large emoji in a bordered box
  • Time Remaining: “Xd Xh Xm” format (days, hours, minutes)
  • Custom Title: In the widget header

Time Format

  • Days: Full days remaining
  • Hours: Hours beyond full days (0-23)
  • Minutes: Minutes beyond full hours (0-59)
  • Example: “15d 7h 42m”

When Countdown Ends

When the countdown reaches zero:
  • Display shows “Ended”
  • Timer stops updating
  • Reminder notification triggers (if enabled)
  • You can reset or delete the countdown

Managing Countdowns

Single Countdown

The widget supports one active countdown at a time. To change:
  1. Click the reset icon to delete the current countdown
  2. Create a new countdown

Resetting

Click the reset icon (circular arrow) in the widget header to:
  • Delete the current countdown
  • Return to empty state
  • Allow creating a new countdown
Deleting a countdown is permanent and cannot be undone. The timer stops immediately.

Emoji Picker

Features:
  • 6 emojis per row: Compact grid layout
  • Categories: Grouped by type (smileys, objects, symbols, etc.)
  • Search: Find specific emojis quickly
  • Recent: Shows recently used emojis
  • Default: 🎉 (party popper) is the default emoji

Countdown Reminders

Enable countdown reminders in your user settings to:
  • Get notified when countdown reaches zero
  • See the countdown title in the notification
  • Get reminded about important events
Notification Message: Your countdown "[title]" ended! Timing: Notification triggers at the exact date/time you set
Reminders only work if:
  1. Countdown reminders are enabled in settings
  2. Browser notifications are allowed
  3. The dashboard is open when countdown ends

Configuration Details

The widget stores:
  • Title: Event name
  • Emoji: Selected emoji character
  • Date: Target date and time (ISO format)
Only one countdown can be configured per widget instance.

Use Cases

Project Deadlines: Track time until project milestones Product Launches: Count down to release dates Events: Track upcoming conferences, meetings, or celebrations Personal Goals: Monitor time until vacations, birthdays, or special dates Sprints: Track agile sprint end dates

Time Calculation

The countdown:
  • Updates every second
  • Calculates difference between now and target time
  • Rounds down to nearest minute
  • Shows only future time (never negative)

Visual Design

Emoji Display

  • Size: 4xl-7xl depending on screen size
  • Container: Bordered box with subtle shadow
  • Background: Translucent black/white
  • Responsive: Adjusts for different screen sizes

Timer Display

  • Font: Large (2xl-3xl) monospaced
  • Color: Primary theme color
  • Weight: Semibold
  • Truncation: Prevents overflow on small screens

Responsive Behavior

The widget layout adjusts:
  • Desktop/Tablet: Side-by-side emoji and timer
  • Mobile: Stacked vertically (emoji on top)
  • Text Size: Scales appropriately for each breakpoint

Troubleshooting

Common issues and solutions:Can’t create countdown: Make sure date/time is in the futureTimer not updating: Refresh the pageNo notification: Check browser notification permissions and settingsWrong time showing: Verify your timezone setting

Date Picker Issues

If the date picker won’t open:
  • Click directly on the date field
  • Ensure JavaScript is enabled
  • Try refreshing the page

Time Picker Issues

Time picker uses 24-hour format:
  • 8:00 AM = 08:00
  • 2:30 PM = 14:30
  • Midnight = 00:00

Widget Sizes

  • Desktop: 1 column × 1 row
  • Tablet: 1 column × 1 row
  • Mobile: 1 column × 2 rows (vertical layout)
The Countdown widget is perfect for tracking important deadlines, creating urgency for goals, or simply counting down to exciting events!

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