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Add a timer to the cart drawer

Show a countdown like "Cart reserved for 9:59" and choose what happens when it ends.

Updated November 4, 2026

Turn on the Timer card in the cart editor. Set the minutes, the text and what happens at zero. It counts down while the cart has items. The default reads "Cart reserved for {{timer}}".

This is the Timer block inside the cart drawer. It isn't the Countdown timer conversion block or a countdown section from the catalog.

Set it up

  1. In Shopify admin, open Apps → Section Store → Cart Drawer.
  2. Click Edit on your cart.
  3. Under Body, find the Timer card. If it isn't there, click Add block and pick Timer.
  4. Turn on the card's switch. A block you just added is already on.
  5. Click the card to open it.
  6. Set Timer, in minutes. The default is 10.
  7. Set Title. Keep {{timer}} where the time should show.
  8. Choose After timer ends:
    • Hide the timer
    • Repeat the timer
    • Show message, then fill in End message
    • Remove all items from cart
  9. Click Save.

How it counts

  • It starts when the cart first has items on a page, not when the drawer opens.
  • A reload doesn't restart it. We keep the end time for the browser tab's session.
  • A new session starts over.
  • Once it ends, it stays ended for that session, except with Repeat the timer.
  • It shows only while the cart has items.

Be careful with Remove all items from cart

This option empties the shopper's cart for real when the time runs out. If shoppers report an empty cart, check this first.

What it can't do

  • It doesn't hold stock. Items stay available to other shoppers.
  • It counts minutes from when it starts. It can't count down to a set date.

If it doesn't work

  • The time doesn't show: add {{timer}} to Title.
  • The timer doesn't restart in your test: open a new private window.
  • The timer is gone: it ended with Hide the timer. A new session shows it again.

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