Smartarget Countdown Popup

How to integrate Smartarget Countdown Popup with Webflow

Time-sensitive promotions need visible deadlines to drive conversions. Flash sales perform better with countdown timers, event registrations increase when deadlines are clear, and product launches generate more interest when prospects see exactly how long they have to wait.

Integrate Smartarget with Webflow by embedding provided JavaScript code in custom code areas, placing inline countdown displays using HTML Embed elements, or building custom countdown functionality with JavaScript in Webflow's custom code areas.

Use Smartarget embed code

Smartarget provides JavaScript embed codes that load countdown popup functionality. Obtain your specific embed code from your Smartarget dashboard.

Implementation steps for project-wide countdown popups follow this pattern.

1. Log into your Smartarget account at smartarget.online
2. Locate the embed code in your dashboard (check Smartarget's documentation or support for the specific location)
3. Copy the provided JavaScript snippet
4. In Webflow, open your project and go to Project Settings > Custom Code
5. Paste the embed code in the Head Code section for early loading or Footer Code section for performance optimization
6. Save and publish to your staging domain (yoursite.webflow.io)
7. Test the popup displays correctly before publishing to production

Note on custom code access

Custom code availability depends on your Webflow plan tier. Verify custom code access for your specific plan at https://webflow.com/pricing.

Custom code considerations for countdown popups

Third-party scripts add page weight and can affect Core Web Vitals scores. Test countdown popups on smartphones and tablets for mobile responsiveness. Verify that countdown code doesn't interfere with Webflow interactions or other third-party tools. Check functionality across Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge. Ensure countdown popups respect cookie consent requirements if serving European visitors for GDPR compliance.

Embed Smartarget inline countdown displays

For inline countdown displays (not popups), use Webflow's HTML Embed element.

1. Drag the HTML Embed element from the Add panel onto your canvas where you want the countdown to appear
2. Paste your Smartarget inline embed code into the HTML Embed settings (consult Smartarget documentation for inline implementation options)
3. Style the parent container using Webflow's style panel to control width, positioning, and responsive behavior
4. Set the container to width 100% and max-width constraints for responsive scaling

This method works for countdown timers embedded directly in page content rather than overlay popups. For full-screen popup overlays, use the Project Settings custom code method instead.

Build custom countdown functionality

Custom implementation architecture

Countdown popups manipulate the DOM to render fixed-position overlays with JavaScript timer loops. The core pattern uses setInterval() to recalculate remaining time and update HTML elements. This example demonstrates countdown logic for Webflow's custom code areas.

IMPORTANT: This is a generic countdown implementation example showing common JavaScript patterns. This is NOT verified Smartarget code. Smartarget may use different initialization methods, API calls, or configuration formats. Use Smartarget's official embed code documentation.

Add this example pattern to Page Settings > Custom Code > Before closing body tag.

// Add to Page Settings > Custom Code > Before closing body tag
const deadline = new Date('2026-12-31T23:59:59').getTime();

function updateCountdown() {
 const now = new Date().getTime();
 const distance = deadline - now;

 const days = Math.floor(distance / (1000 * 60 * 60 * 24));
 const hours = Math.floor((distance % (1000 * 60 * 60 * 24)) / (1000 * 60 * 60));
 const minutes = Math.floor((distance % (1000 * 60 * 60)) / (1000 * 60));
 const seconds = Math.floor((distance % (1000 * 60)) / 1000);

 document.getElementById('days').innerText = days;
 document.getElementById('hours').innerText = hours;
 document.getElementById('minutes').innerText = minutes;
 document.getElementById('seconds').innerText = seconds;

 if (distance < 0) {
   clearInterval(countdownInterval);
   // Trigger completion action
 }
}

const countdownInterval = setInterval(updateCountdown, 1000);



This example requires corresponding HTML elements with IDs days, hours, minutes, seconds which you add using Webflow's HTML Embed element on your canvas.

Development approach for custom implementation

For full control without third-party dependencies, developers can build countdown functionality using custom JavaScript within Webflow's custom code areas. This approach requires development skills and eliminates external script loading and vendor dependencies. Consult Webflow's official developer documentation at developers.webflow.com for custom code implementation best practices.

CMS-driven countdown management

Store deadline dates and configuration settings in Webflow CMS collections, then pull that data into your countdown script using Webflow's CMS API or by accessing collection item data through the DOM. Consult the latest Webflow developer documentation at developers.webflow.com for CMS integration patterns.

Advanced countdown features

Use JavaScript Intl.DateTimeFormat API to display accurate countdowns across visitor timezones. Create multiple countdown configurations with different deadline dates and messages for conversion optimization with A/B testing. Show countdowns only to specific visitor segments using Webflow interactions and conditional visibility. Check Smartarget's documentation for which of these features are supported.

Note on persistent state: User dismissal tracking requires server-side session management or authenticated user data. Browser-based storage like localStorage won't work reliably across different browsers or devices, so users may see the same popup repeatedly when switching contexts. Consider using Webflow Memberships for authenticated visitor tracking if you need to remember dismissal state.

What you can build

Integrating Smartarget with Webflow lets you create time-sensitive marketing campaigns with countdown timers that drive urgency and conversions. Note that specific Smartarget capabilities require verification through official documentation.

• Flash sale landing pages: Display countdown timers on product pages showing time remaining for limited-time discounts (verify Smartarget's e-commerce platform sync capabilities)
• Webinar registration campaigns: Show registration deadline countdowns on event landing pages with conditional messaging that replaces the registration form with "Event started" text when the countdown expires
• Product launch announcements: Create "Coming soon" countdowns before feature releases using Webflow CMS to store launch dates and dynamically populate countdown targets
• Seasonal promotion campaigns: Build holiday sale countdowns with time-based urgency messaging (verify Smartarget's multi-stage countdown capabilities for implementing sequential stages like "Early access ends in X hours" followed by "Sale ends in X days")