CountEverest

CountEverest is a lightweight, customizable, and dependency-free countdown script. It's designed for ease of use, automatically generating all necessary HTML and initializing timers when they scroll into view. It's the perfect zero-config solution for developers who want a flexible countdown without writing any JavaScript.

Check out our demo page

Table of Contents

• Quick Start
• Installation
• Auto-Initialization (New in 3.1.0)
• Customization
• Options
• Callback Functions
• API Methods
• Examples

Quick Start

1. Clone the repository or download the latest release:

   git clone git@github.com:dxpr/CountEverest.git

2. Include the CSS and JS files in your HTML:

   <link rel="stylesheet" href="../dist/counteverest.min.css" />
   <script src="../dist/counteverest.min.js"></script>

3. Add the countdown HTML:

   <div class="ce-countdown" data-ce-datetime="2027-12-31"></div>

That's it! The script will automatically detect the element, generate the required HTML for the countdown, and start the timer when it becomes visible on the page.

To use a specific theme, just add the theme class:

<div class="ce-countdown ce-countdown--theme-6" data-ce-datetime="2027-12-31"></div>

Installation

While auto-initialization is recommended, you can still initialize the plugin manually if you need more control.

1. Include the CSS and JS files in your HTML (see Quick Start).

2. Add an empty div where you want the countdown to appear.

   <div class="my-countdown"></div>

3. Initialize CountEverest with your desired options:

   document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', () => {
     const countdownElement = document.querySelector('.my-countdown');
     if (countdownElement) {
       new CountEverest(countdownElement, {
         year: 2027,
         month: 12,
         day: 31,
       });
     }
   });

Auto-Initialization (New in 3.1.0)

CountEverest automatically detects countdown timers when they scroll into view, eliminating the need for custom JavaScript. This feature uses the Intersection Observer API for optimal performance and automatically generates the countdown's HTML structure.

Basic Auto-Initialization

Simply add the data-ce-datetime attribute to your countdown element:

<div class="ce-countdown" data-ce-datetime="2027-12-31"></div>

The countdown will automatically start when the element scrolls into view (10% visible by default).

Available Data Attributes

Configure your countdown using data attributes:

Date/Time Configuration

• data-ce-datetime="2027-12-31 14:30:45" - Set target date and time in one attribute

  Supported formats:

  • "2027" - Year only (defaults: month=1, day=1, hour=0, minute=0, second=0)
  • "2027-12" - Year and month (defaults: day=1, hour=0, minute=0, second=0)
  • "2027-12-31" - Year, month, and day (defaults: hour=0, minute=0, second=0)
  • "2027-12-31 14:30" - Date and time (hour:minute, defaults: second=0)
  • "2027-12-31 14:30:45" - Complete date and time

Layout Configuration

• data-ce-units="days,hours,minutes,seconds" - A comma-separated list of units to display. Available units are years, months, days, hours, minutes, and seconds. Defaults to days,hours,minutes,seconds.

Behavior Configuration

• data-ce-count-up="true" - Count up from target date instead of down
• data-ce-singular-labels="false" - Disable singular labels (e.g., "1 Day" vs "1 Days")
• data-ce-left-hand-zeros="false" - Disable leading zeros (e.g., "1" vs "01")

Label Customization

• data-ce-days-label="Days" - Plural label for days
• data-ce-day-label="Day" - Singular label for day
• data-ce-hours-label="Hours" - Plural label for hours
• data-ce-hour-label="Hour" - Singular label for hour
• data-ce-minutes-label="Minutes" - Plural label for minutes
• data-ce-minute-label="Minute" - Singular label for minute
• data-ce-seconds-label="Seconds" - Plural label for seconds
• data-ce-second-label="Second" - Singular label for second
• data-ce-accent-color="#E91E63" - Custom color for themes that support it (Theme 6, 9, 12).

Advanced Auto-Initialization

You can manually control auto-initialization with custom options:

// Initialize all elements with custom selector and options
CountEverest.autoInit({
  selector: '.my-countdown', // Custom selector (default: '[data-ce-datetime]')
  rootMargin: '50px', // Start initialization 50px before element is visible
  threshold: 0.5, // Element must be 50% visible before initializing
});

Manual Control

Auto-initialization happens automatically when the DOM loads if elements with data-ce-datetime are found. You can disable this by calling methods manually:

// Initialize a specific element from data attributes
CountEverest.initElement(document.querySelector('.my-countdown'));

// Initialize all elements immediately (no scroll detection)
CountEverest.initAllVisible('[data-ce-datetime]');

Browser Compatibility

Auto-initialization uses the Intersection Observer API, which is supported in all modern browsers. For older browsers (IE11 and below), CountEverest automatically falls back to immediate initialization.

Customization

CountEverest offers extensive customization options with several built-in themes to match different design needs.

Available Themes

CountEverest includes multiple pre-designed themes that you can use by adding the appropriate CSS class to your countdown element. Each theme has its own unique visual style and behavior.

Default Theme (No class needed)

The most basic theme with simple text styling. Numbers and labels are displayed inline with minimal formatting. Perfect for subtle integrations where you want the countdown to blend seamlessly with your existing content.

Usage: Simply don't add any theme class to your countdown element.

<div class="ce-countdown" data-ce-datetime="2027"></div>

Theme 1: Simple Grid Layout (ce-countdown--theme-1)

A clean, organized layout where each time unit (days, hours, minutes, seconds) is displayed in its own column. Numbers appear above their corresponding labels with clear separation between units. This theme works well for professional websites and landing pages where clarity is important.

Best for: Landing pages, event announcements, professional websites Features: Grid-based layout, clear visual separation, responsive design

<div class="ce-countdown ce-countdown--theme-1" data-ce-datetime="2027"></div>

Theme 6: Animated Color Blocks (ce-countdown--theme-6)

Eye-catching colored blocks with smooth flip animations when numbers change. Each time unit is displayed in a colorful rectangular block with the number prominently featured. The blocks animate with a satisfying flip effect every time the countdown updates.

Best for: Product launches, sales countdowns, marketing campaigns Features: Flip animations, customizable accent colors, high visual impact Supports accentColor: Yes - changes the background color of the blocks

<div
  class="ce-countdown ce-countdown--theme-6"
  data-ce-datetime="2027-12-31"
  data-ce-accent-color="#E91E63"
></div>

Theme 9: Minimalist Circles (ce-countdown--theme-9)

Elegant circular progress indicators that visually represent the remaining time. Each time unit is displayed inside a circle with a progress arc that shows how much time is left in that unit. The circles animate smoothly as time progresses.

Best for: Modern websites, dashboards, mobile apps, minimalist designs Features: Circular progress visualization, smooth animations, space-efficient Supports accentColor: Yes - changes the color of the progress arcs and text

<div
  class="ce-countdown ce-countdown--theme-9"
  data-ce-datetime="2027-12-31"
  data-ce-accent-color="#2196F3"
></div>

Theme 10: Retro Flip Clock (ce-countdown--theme-10)

A nostalgic flip clock design reminiscent of classic airport departure boards and vintage alarm clocks. Individual digits flip with realistic 3D animations, creating a satisfying mechanical feel. Each digit rotates through a complete flip animation when changing.

Best for: Retro themes, creative portfolios, event websites, nostalgic designs Features: 3D flip animations, realistic physics, individual digit control Note: Does not support custom accent colors (uses theme-specific styling)

<div class="ce-countdown ce-countdown--theme-10" data-ce-datetime="2027-12-31"></div>

Theme 12: Overlay Style for Media Backgrounds (ce-countdown--theme-12)

Designed specifically for overlaying on background videos or images. Features large, bold digits with subtle styling that stands out against media backgrounds without being overwhelming. The text is optimized for readability over various background types.

Best for: Video backgrounds, hero sections, image overlays, full-screen designs Features: High contrast text, media-optimized styling, large readable digits Supports accentColor: Yes - changes text color and digit border color

<div
  class="ce-countdown ce-countdown--theme-12"
  data-ce-datetime="2027-12-31"
  data-ce-accent-color="#FFFFFF"
></div>

Choosing the Right Theme

• Default/Theme 1: Use for subtle, professional presentations
• Theme 6: Perfect for marketing and sales with high visual impact
• Theme 9: Ideal for modern, clean designs and dashboards
• Theme 10: Great for creative and retro-themed projects
• Theme 12: Essential for video backgrounds and media-rich designs

Custom Styling

All themes can be further customized with CSS. The accentColor option provides easy color customization for supported themes, but you can also override any styling with custom CSS rules.

Custom Labels

You can set custom labels for your countdown units:

new CountEverest(element, {
  // ... other options ...
  daysLabel: 'Days',
  dayLabel: 'Day',
  hoursLabel: 'Hours',
  hourLabel: 'Hour',
  // ... and so on
});

Options

Here's a comprehensive list of options you can use to customize CountEverest:

Option	Type	Default	Description
day	Number	1	Target day (1-31)
month	Number	1	Target month (1-12)
year	Number	2050	Target year
hour	Number	0	Target hour (0-23)
minute	Number	0	Target minute (0-59)
second	Number	0	Target second (0-59)
accentColor	String	'#284ED8'	Color for themes 6, 9, 12
units	Array	[days,hours,minutes,seconds]	Time units to show
countUp	Boolean	false	Count up instead of down
singularLabels	Boolean	true	Use singular when value is 1
leftHandZeros	Boolean	true	Add leading zeros to numbers
yearsLabel	String	'Years'	Plural label for years
yearLabel	String	'Year'	Singular label for years
daysLabel	String	'Days'	Plural label for days
dayLabel	String	'Day'	Singular label for days
hoursLabel	String	'Hours'	Plural label for hours
hourLabel	String	'Hour'	Singular label for hours
minutesLabel	String	'Minutes'	Plural label for minutes
minuteLabel	String	'Minute'	Singular label for minutes
secondsLabel	String	'Seconds'	Plural label for seconds
secondLabel	String	'Second'	Singular label for seconds

Callback Functions

• onInit(): Called when the countdown is initialized
• afterCalculation(): Called after time calculations are complete
• onChange(): Called every second after the time has been recalculated.

Completion Callback

You can also add a callback function that runs when the countdown reaches zero:

new CountEverest(element, options, function () {
  // This function runs when countdown completes
  console.log('Countdown finished!');
  // You can show a message, trigger an animation, or do anything else
});

This is useful for showing success messages, triggering animations, or running any code when the countdown ends.

API Methods

CountEverest instances provide the following methods:

• setTargetDate(date): Set a new target date

  countdown.setTargetDate(new Date(2024, 0, 1));

• getTargetDate(): Get the current target date

  const targetDate = countdown.getTargetDate();

• destroy(): Stop the countdown and clean up

  countdown.destroy();

Examples

Here are some common use cases for CountEverest:

Basic Countdown

new CountEverest(document.querySelector('.countdown'), {
  day: 1,
  month: 1,
  year: 2024,
});

Countdown with Custom Initialization

new CountEverest(document.querySelector('.countdown'), {
  day: 25,
  month: 12,
  year: 2023,
  onInit: function () {
    console.log('Holiday countdown started!');
  },
});