> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.samita.io/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.samita.io/samita-countdown-timer-bar/help/faq.md). # FAQ Answers to the questions merchants ask most about countdowns, placement, timing, and popups. ## Why isn't my countdown showing on the storefront? Nine times out of ten the app embed is off for the theme you're actually looking at. The embed is per theme, so enabling it on your live theme does nothing for a draft you're previewing. Check the app embed status on the dashboard or the [Theme integration](https://github.com/samita-baoan/doc-timer/tree/restructure/docs-v2/settings/theme-integration.md) page. The full checklist is on [Countdown not showing](/samita-countdown-timer-bar/help/countdown-not-showing.md). ## Where exactly does a countdown appear on a product page? Immediately below the Add to cart area. That's the only automatic placement the app offers, and it's chosen because it's the one region every theme has in roughly the same place. For anywhere else — above the title, on your home page, across the header — use the [shortcode](/samita-countdown-timer-bar/where-countdowns-appear/shortcode.md). ## Can I put a countdown on my home page? Yes, with a shortcode. Copy it from the countdown's **Display** tab, then add a **Samita Countdown** block to your home page in the theme editor and paste it in. See [Place a countdown with a shortcode](/samita-countdown-timer-bar/where-countdowns-appear/shortcode.md). ## Can the same countdown appear in several places? Yes. Paste its shortcode into as many app blocks as you like, and tick **Product page** as well if you want automatic placement too. It's still one countdown — change the end date once and every copy follows. ## Is there a timezone setting? No. A **Countdown to a date** timer counts towards the end date you set, and the remaining time is worked out in each shopper's own browser. Shoppers in other timezones see the same moment expressed as their own remaining time. A **Daily recurring timer** is different: its window is evaluated against the shopper's local clock, so "9 am to 11 am" means 9 am where they are. If your promotion is tied to a specific moment in your timezone, use a date countdown instead. ## Why does each visitor see a different number on my Fixed minutes timer? That's what the mode does. **Fixed minutes** gives every shopper their own countdown, starting when they first see it, remembered in a cookie in their browser. Two people looking at the same product see different numbers. If you want one shared deadline, use [Count down to a date](/samita-countdown-timer-bar/countdown-timer/count-down-to-a-date.md). ## I changed the Minutes on a Fixed minutes timer and everyone's clock restarted Expected. Changing the configured number of minutes resets every visitor's timer the next time they load a page. Settle on a length before a campaign rather than adjusting it mid-flight. ## My timer keeps showing as expired while I test it A Fixed minutes timer remembers your own expired window in a cookie. Use a private or incognito window for each fresh test. ## What happens when a timer reaches zero? Whatever you chose in **When countdown timer end**: it stays at zero (**Do nothing**), disappears (**Hide countdown block**), or restarts (**Repeat the timer**). Nothing else on the page changes — the app draws the countdown, it doesn't change prices or availability. See [When the timer ends](/samita-countdown-timer-bar/countdown-timer/when-the-timer-ends.md). ## Does the app hide a product or stop sales when a timer ends? No. The countdown removes itself if you've set it to, and that's all. Prices, inventory, and the Add to cart button are untouched. ## Does a cart countdown reserve stock? No. The timer is a prompt, not a hold on inventory — another shopper can still buy the last unit while it runs. Word the message so it doesn't promise otherwise. See [When the cart timer expires](/samita-countdown-timer-bar/cart-countdown/when-time-expires.md). ## Will a cart countdown delete my customer's cart? Only if you choose **Clear the cart and redirect to** as the expiry action. The default, **Go to the homepage without clearing cart**, leaves the cart intact, and **Hide the message and do nothing** changes nothing at all. See [When the cart timer expires](/samita-countdown-timer-bar/cart-countdown/when-time-expires.md). ## Why doesn't my Collections condition match anything? The Collections condition needs one extra template file in your theme before the app can tell which collections a product belongs to on the storefront. The builder shows a warning banner when it's missing. See [Enable the Collection condition](/samita-countdown-timer-bar/where-countdowns-appear/collection-search-file.md). ## I added two collections as conditions and nothing shows Change **Products must match** from **All conditions** to **Any condition**. With **All**, a product would have to be in both collections at once. See [Display conditions](/samita-countdown-timer-bar/where-countdowns-appear/conditions.md). ## Where does the stock number come from? From Shopify — either the selected variant's quantity or the product's total, depending on the **Inventory tracking method** you chose. There's also an **Estimated Quantity** mode for stores that don't track inventory in Shopify, which generates a number in a range you set. See [Inventory tracking and the stock slider](/samita-countdown-timer-bar/stock-countdown/inventory.md). ## My stock countdown isn't showing on a product Most likely the product's stock is above the **Only show if stock qty is equal or less than** threshold — which is the setting working as intended. Test on a genuinely low-stock product. ## Are the delivery dates based on real shipping data? No. They're calculated from the dispatch and delivery day ranges, working days, holidays, and cut-off time you configure. Set them to match what your store can actually do. See [Date range settings](/samita-countdown-timer-bar/estimated-delivery-date/date-range.md). ## How is the shopper's country detected for {country\_name}? From their IP address at the time they browse, not from an address on their account. A shopper on a VPN is detected as wherever their VPN exits. See [Delivery variables](/samita-countdown-timer-bar/estimated-delivery-date/variables.md). ## Can I show different text per language? Yes. Use the language switcher in the builder's top bar to write a version of the text for each of your store's published languages. Timing, conditions, and design stay shared. See [Translate countdown text](/samita-countdown-timer-bar/design-and-translation/translate.md). ## Changing the app's language didn't change my storefront Those are two different settings. The footer picker changes the app's admin interface only; storefront wording is per countdown. See [App language](/samita-countdown-timer-bar/settings/app-language.md). ## Can I pause a campaign without losing it? Set the countdown to **Draft** from the [Countdowns list](/samita-countdown-timer-bar/countdowns/manage.md). It keeps every setting and stops rendering immediately. Setting it back to Active is one click. ## How many countdowns can I create? It depends on your plan. When your store reaches its limit, the app shows an error banner saying so. The current limits are listed on the app's [Shopify App Store listing](https://apps.shopify.com/countdown-timer-bar-samita). ## Do I need to do anything after changing theme? Yes — turn the app embed on for the new theme. A brand-new theme starts with it off. A duplicate of a theme that already had it on keeps it. See [Theme integration](https://github.com/samita-baoan/doc-timer/tree/restructure/docs-v2/settings/theme-integration.md). ## Are sale popups the same as countdowns? No. Sale popups are a separate feature with their own list, editor, and settings, reached from **Sale Popups** in the app's menu. They're small promotional notifications rather than timers. See [Sale popups overview](/samita-countdown-timer-bar/sale-popups/overview.md). ## Still stuck? * [Countdown not showing](/samita-countdown-timer-bar/help/countdown-not-showing.md) * [Contact support](/samita-countdown-timer-bar/help/contact-support.md) --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter: ``` GET https://docs.samita.io/samita-countdown-timer-bar/help/faq.md?ask=&goal= ``` `ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. `goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.