# Add a timer to the cart drawer

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

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.

## Related

- [Why did my cart empty by itself?](https://section-store.orka.help/a/why-did-my-cart-empty-by-itself)
- [Add an announcement to the cart drawer](https://section-store.orka.help/a/add-an-announcement-to-the-cart-drawer)
- [Add a banner to the cart drawer](https://section-store.orka.help/a/add-a-banner-to-the-cart-drawer)

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