Creating Your First Announcement
This guide walks through every option in the announcement editor so you know what each setting does. For a shorter version, see the Quick Start Guide.
Open the Editor
In Countdown Timer & Announcer, click Start Blank. You can also start from an AI-generated suggestion or a template – the editor is the same either way.
Name Your Announcement
Enter a name in the Announcement Name field. This is only visible to you in the admin – customers never see it. Use something descriptive like “Summer Sale Banner” or “Free Shipping Promo”.
Write Your Message
Type your announcement text in the Message field. This is what visitors see on your store. You can use the {countdown} placeholder to insert a countdown timer or {link} to control where the link text appears within your message.
You can add multiple messages to a single announcement bar. Each message can have its own text, link, and countdown settings. See Multiple Messages for details.
Add a Link (Optional)
If you want the announcement to link somewhere, fill in the Link Text (e.g., “Shop Now”) and Link URL (e.g., /collections/sale).
There are three link styles to choose from:
Button – a pill-shaped button with inverted colors, placed after the message
Text link – underlined text inline with the message
Entire bar clickable – the whole announcement becomes a link (no separate link text needed)
See Links and Call-to-Actions for more.
Choose an Announcement Style
The announcement style controls how messages appear and animate:
Classic – static message, with arrows to navigate if you have multiple messages
Fade – messages cross-fade between each other
Running Line – scrolling ticker/marquee effect
Typed – typewriter animation, one character at a time
See Announcement Styles for a detailed comparison.
Set Colors and Background
Pick a Background Color and Text Color. If you added a link, you can also set an Accent Color for the link text or button.
Choose a Background Style to control the background appearance:
Solid – single color
Gradient – two-color linear blend
Radial – circular gradient from center
Striped – diagonal repeating stripes
Split – two halves, different colors
Animated Gradient – slowly shifting colors
Pulse – alternating glow effect
See Background Styles for examples.
Position and Display
Position – Top (default) or Bottom of the page
Display mode – Inline (part of page flow, full width) or Floating (rounded, slightly narrower)
Sticky – when enabled, the bar stays visible as visitors scroll
Alignment – Left, Center (default), or Right
See Positioning and Display for more.
Dismissible
Enable Dismissible to show a close button (X) so visitors can hide the bar. Once dismissed, the bar stays hidden for that visitor. Leave it off for critical or time-sensitive messages you want everyone to see.
Visibility
Choose where the announcement appears:
All pages – storewide
Home page only
Product pages, Collection pages, or both
Specific products or specific collections
Cart page, Blog pages
Custom theme block – use a Block ID to place the bar inside a specific theme section
See Visibility and Page Targeting for details.
Save and Publish
Click Save Announcement – this saves it as a draft
Click Activate Now to make it live immediately, or click Schedule to set a future start date
Visit your storefront to confirm the bar appears. If it does not show, see Announcements Not Showing.