How to Add a Countdown on Instagram
Two ways to do it: Instagram's countdown sticker, which lives in your story and vanishes with it — or a WatchIsUp countdown: a link that stays online until the event, fully customizable, and filmable live in your Reels.
Why use it
01
It doesn't vanish with the story
Instagram's sticker lives inside your story and disappears with it. A WatchIsUp countdown stays reachable until the event — and after it.
02
One link that works everywhere
Share the same countdown in a story, a DM, on WhatsApp or by email. The link preview shows the event and its date, one tap opens the running clock, and a 9:16 Story Card with QR code is generated for static posts.
03
Your style, not the sticker's
7 templates (classic, flip cards, neon, minimalist, gauges, analog), free colors and your own background photo. The native sticker only offers a name, a date and one color.
04
Your photo behind the countdown
Photo & camera mode puts the timer over your image or your camera, with filters, animated effects and a story format. You leave with the file, ready to post — nothing is uploaded to our servers.
How it works
Step 1
Enter your event's title and target date.
Step 2
Pick your template, colors and background photo.
Step 3
Post the link in your story, or walk away with the visual: your photo behind the countdown.
Does Instagram have a countdown?
Yes: the countdown sticker in Stories. It counts down to a date up to a year ahead and lets followers get a notification at zero. It lives in your Story — 24 hours, longer if you keep it in a Highlight — and only inside Instagram. For a countdown people can open anywhere, share a link; for a Reel, film one.
| Option | What you get | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Instagram countdown sticker | A name, a date and a colour; followers tap “Remind me” and get notified at zero, and can reshare it. | Limit — In your Story for 24 hours (or a Highlight), and nowhere outside Instagram. |
| WatchIsUp link | A live countdown page with 7 templates and your own photo, shared through the link sticker, a DM or any other app. | Limit — Viewers leave Instagram to see it. |
| WatchIsUp photo or video | The countdown over your photo or camera, 9:16, with filters and animated effects — ready for a Story or a Reel. | Limit — The count is frozen at the moment you made it. |
Frequently asked questions
Yes, Instagram Stories include a "countdown" sticker. It's handy, but it lives in the story, disappears with it and doesn't exist outside Instagram. A WatchIsUp countdown stays online and can be shared anywhere.
Two options: share your countdown link using the Stories link sticker, or post the 9:16 Story Card generated here. For a Reel, camera mode records a vertical video with the countdown overlaid.
Yes, 100% free, no sign-up and no watermark. You only need your Instagram account to publish.
In a video, the countdown is baked in at recording time. For one that keeps ticking, share the page link via the Stories link sticker.