Make a countdown website you can share as a link
Paste your countdown HTML or drop an .html file up to 10 MB or a ZIP up to 25 MB on ship.page for a free link and QR code in seconds, no signup. It works for a birthday, wedding or launch, and the link stays online for 30 days, or 90 days when you claim it with a free account.
A file. A folder. A fresh start.
Your static site, one link away.
Uploading publishes your file. The link is public but unlisted, not password-protected, so leave out secrets and confidential content.
- setInterval tick that updates the clock once a second
- 1,000 ms
- Live link lifetime with no account needed
- 30 days
- Link lifetime when you claim it with a free account
- 90 days
- Max size for a single countdown HTML file
- 10 MB
How to publish a countdown website in three steps
Generate or write your countdown index.html
Copy the prompt below into ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini and fill in your event name, target date, time and UTC offset. Save the code it gives you as index.html on your computer.
Paste the HTML or drop the file into ship.page
Open ship.page, paste your code directly into the uploader, or drag in your .html file, folder or .zip archive. You do not need an account or a credit card to publish.
Send the live link or download the QR code
Your countdown opens on its own HTTPS subdomain in seconds. Copy the URL for group chats and invites, or download the PNG website QR code from the success screen to print on cards.
Prompt to generate a single-file countdown page
Prompt
Write a complete, self-contained index.html file with all CSS and JavaScript inline for a countdown page to [event] on [date, time and UTC offset, e.g. 2026-12-24T18:00:00+01:00]. Design it mobile-first with large numbers for days, hours, minutes, and seconds. In JavaScript, parse the target date with its UTC offset so every visitor counts down to the exact same moment, and use setInterval at 1000 ms to compute the remaining time from the current clock on every tick rather than subtracting one second. When the countdown reaches zero, replace the timer with the message "[message when it reaches zero]" and run a confetti animation written in plain JavaScript with no external libraries.
Replace the bracketed parts with your event details, then paste the HTML output straight into ship.page.
Match your plan to how far away the target date is
| The date is | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Under 30 days away | Free without an account | Goes live in seconds with no signup and stays online for 30 days. |
| 30 to 90 days away | Free account | Sign in with Google or email to claim the link for 90 days. |
| Further away or kept afterwards | Pro ($4 a month) | Pages never expire, and you can edit the page later on the same link. |
Why does my countdown show different times for different people?
The main gotcha in a custom countdown timer is leaving the time zone off the target date. In JavaScript, new Date("2026-12-24T18:00:00") without an offset is read in each visitor's own local time zone, so guests in New York and London see different hours remaining.
When you write new Date("2026-12-24T18:00:00+01:00") with a UTC offset at the end, JavaScript treats it as one fixed moment for everyone. Use the no-offset version only when you want a rolling midnight countdown that hits zero in each viewer's local time, and use the offset version for a live launch, ceremony or party.
Tip: If you are building a full wedding website or birthday website with photos besides the clock, put index.html and your images in a folder (roughly 7 MB of files) or a .zip up to 25 MB and drop the whole thing in.
How do you keep a JavaScript countdown accurate in background tabs?
Browsers slow down timers in background tabs. If your script sets a number of seconds once and subtracts one on each tick, the clock will drift behind whenever someone switches to another tab.
Instead, your script should run setInterval with 1,000 milliseconds to update the display once a second, and compute the remaining time from the current clock on every tick. The moment the visitor returns to the tab, the next tick reads the real clock and shows the exact time left.
- Store the target timestamp once with new Date(targetStringWithOffset).
- Inside setInterval(..., 1000), read the current time and subtract it from the target.
- Convert the difference into days, hours, minutes and seconds for display.
- When the difference is zero or less, stop the timer and show your celebration message.
How long does a free countdown link stay online?
Pick the option that matches how far away your date is. This works the same for a free event website, a product teaser or a love HTML page counting down to an anniversary.
- No account (free): stays online for 30 days, up to 10 MB for one HTML file or 25 MB for a ZIP.
- Free account: sign in with Google or an email link to claim your page and keep it online for 90 days.
- Pro ($4 a month): pages never expire (or you can pick any expiry from 60 seconds), and you can update the page while keeping the same link.
Tip: See pricing if you want password protection, no ship.page badge, or a Team vanity subdomain ($19 a month).
Questions
How do I make a countdown website for free?
Ask an AI assistant for a single index.html file with your target date and UTC offset, then paste the HTML or drop the file into ship.page. You get a live HTTPS link and a PNG QR code in seconds with no account and no credit card.
Why does my HTML countdown timer show the wrong time in other time zones?
In JavaScript, new Date("2026-12-24T18:00:00") without an offset is read in each visitor's local time zone. Add your UTC offset to the string, such as new Date("2026-12-24T18:00:00+01:00"), so every visitor counts down to the same moment.
How long will my free countdown link stay online?
An unclaimed upload stays online for 30 days. If you sign in with Google or an email link to claim the upload on a free account, it stays online for 90 days. On Pro ($4 a month), pages never expire.
Can I change the date or message later without changing the link?
On a free plan, a page cannot be updated in place, so uploading a new version creates a new link. On the Pro plan ($4 a month), you can re-upload or edit your countdown page and keep the exact same URL.
Can I include background photos or music with my countdown?
Yes. Put your index.html file along with your images, fonts or audio files into a folder or a .zip archive. Free uploads accept up to 100 files in a ZIP up to 25 MB (100 MB unpacked), or a folder upload up to roughly 7 MB of files.
Will strangers find my birthday or wedding countdown on Google?
No. Every page on ship.page is served with a noindex header so search engines do not index it, and ship.page does not list uploads anywhere public. Only people with the link can view it, and Pro adds optional password protection.
Keep reading
- Make a birthday website
- Free wedding website
- Free event website
- Turn a web page into a QR code
- Share a love HTML page
Publish your countdown page in seconds
Paste your countdown HTML or drop in a file to get a shareable link and QR code with no signup.