How to add a Black Friday banner to your website (with a countdown)
What to put on your Black Friday sale banner, where to place it, how to add an honest countdown, and how to set one up that turns itself off when the sale ends.
Every year it goes like this. You decide to run a Black Friday sale. You make the coupon. You tweet about it. Then someone lands on your site, sees your normal price, and leaves. They never knew there was a sale.
Or the other classic. You hard-code a banner into your theme, it works great, and on December 4th someone emails you: "Hey, your Black Friday code doesn't work." Because the sale ended. The banner didn't.
A good Black Friday banner fixes both. It tells every visitor about the sale, on every page, and it disappears when the sale is over. This guide covers what to put on it, where to put it, and how to set one up without touching your theme code.
What makes a good Black Friday banner
People skim during Black Friday. Their inbox is full of 40% off emails. So your banner has about two seconds to say what's going on. Here's what earns its spot:
- The offer. "40% off" beats "Huge savings!" A number is easier to trust.
- The code. Short and typeable, like
BF40. Even better if visitors can click it to copy. - The deadline. "Ends Monday" or a countdown. This is what turns "maybe later" into "okay, now".
- A way out. A small close button. Nobody likes a banner they can't get rid of on a phone screen.
That's it. No gift guide, no three different offers, no paragraph about your company story. One line.
Black Friday banner ideas (copy you can steal)
Stuck on the words? Here are a few lines that work. Swap in your own numbers.
- "Black Friday: 40% off everything with BF40. Ends Monday."
- "Our biggest sale of the year. 40% off until Cyber Monday."
- "Black Friday is here 🎉 Use BF40 for 40% off. 2 days left."
- "Lifetime access, 40% off. Only until November 30."
- "The only sale we run all year. 40% off ends in 12:04:33."
Notice they all say the discount, the code or the deadline in plain words. If you want more ideas, our guide on writing discount banner copy goes deeper.
Top bar, bottom bar or popup?
- Top bar (announcement bar). The safe default. It sits above your navigation, shows on every page and doesn't cover anything. If you only pick one, pick this.
- Bottom bar. Good if your header is already busy, or if you want the banner to stay in view while people scroll.
- Popup. The loudest option. Use it for one bold moment, like the first visit during the sale. Delay it a few seconds and let people close it easily. A popup that shows up before the page loads is the fastest way to annoy someone.
You can mix them. A top bar on every page plus a popup on your pricing page is a nice combo.
Should you add a countdown timer?
Yes, with one rule. It has to count down to your real end time.
A fixed deadline that's the same for everyone works because it's true. A timer that restarts every time someone visits works for about one visit. Then they come back, see 24:00:00 again, and never trust your banner again. Regulators in the US and EU have also started calling fake urgency out as a dark pattern, so it's not worth it.
Also watch your timezone. "Ends at midnight" means very different things in New York and in Mumbai. Pick one, say it, and set your timer to it.
When to start (and stop) your sale
Black Friday 2026 is Friday, November 27. Cyber Monday is November 30.
A lot of indie makers start on the Monday before and end at midnight after Cyber Monday. That's a full week, which gives your emails and social posts time to land. Shorter sales feel more urgent. Longer ones catch more people. There's no wrong answer, just be clear about it on the banner.
Whatever you choose, schedule the end. Don't rely on remembering to turn it off at 11:59 PM on a holiday weekend.
How to set up a Black Friday banner with Evendeals
You can build all of this by hand. A bit of HTML, a countdown script, some CSS for mobile, a reminder to remove it. Or you can let Evendeals handle it. Here's the whole flow.
Step 1: Create a campaign
In your dashboard, click Create Deal and pick Promotional Campaigns. These are time-boxed discounts, made for launches, holidays and sales like this one.
Then fill in the details:
- Campaign name: something like "Black Friday 2026". Only you see it.
- Audience: All countries, or selected locations if you want to target specific places.
- Discount: say 40%.
- Coupon code: like
BF40. If you sell through Stripe, Lemon Squeezy, Polar or another connected provider, Evendeals creates the code in your account for you. Otherwise, create the same code in your checkout. - Starts, Ends and Timezone: for example, Nov 23 00:00 to Dec 1 00:00, New York time.
Save it. The campaign goes live at the start time and switches itself off at the end. No midnight alarm needed.
Step 2: Design the banner
Open the Display tab. The top banner is already on with a default text. Change it to your own line, using these placeholders:
{discount_amount}for the discount{coupon_code}for the code. Visitors can click it to copy.{timer}for the countdown, right inside your text
So "Black Friday: {discount_amount} off with {coupon_code}. Ends in {timer}" shows up as "Black Friday: 40% off with BF40. Ends in" followed by a live countdown.
Pick your colors, then scroll to the timer. Turn on Enable countdown timer, choose Fixed Deadline, and set it to the same end time as your campaign. Want a bottom bar or popup too? They're in the same tab.
Step 3: Add it to your site
Copy the script from the Add to site tab and paste it into your site's header:
<script src="https://www.evendeals.com/banner.js"></script>It works on WordPress, Webflow, Framer, Shopify, Squarespace, Carrd, Kajabi or plain HTML. Anywhere you can add a script tag. On WordPress there's also a plugin if you'd rather not paste code.
In the same tab, add the pages the banner should show on. Add your pricing page, or use a wildcard like https://yoursite.com/* for every page.
Step 4: Test it before the big day
Use the preview to check the banner on desktop and mobile. Then do the one test people skip: go to checkout and actually apply the code. A banner that promises 40% and a checkout that says "invalid code" is the worst of both worlds. Our checkout checklist has the full list.
That's it. Your Black Friday banner is scheduled. Go enjoy your turkey.
A few extras worth knowing
- Target specific countries. Set the audience to selected locations to run the sale only where you want. If you also run parity pricing, read how to avoid discount stacking first.
- Show it in their language. Campaign banners can be shown in 33 languages on Pro.
- Let AI set it up. With our MCP server, you can tell Claude or ChatGPT "Create a Black Friday campaign: 40% everywhere, Nov 23 to Dec 1, New York time" and it does the steps above for you.
- Already running a PPP deal? Each page on your site can belong to one Evendeals deal. If your pricing page is on a PPP deal, move it to the Black Friday campaign for the sale, then move it back afterwards.
One honest note: campaigns are part of the Pro plan. New accounts get Pro free for 14 days, which covers a whole Black Friday week.
Your pre-launch checklist
- One offer, one code, one deadline on the banner
- Start and end times set, with the right timezone
- Countdown points to the real end time
- Code tested at checkout, on a real purchase flow
- Banner checked on a phone, with a working close button
- Emails and social posts link to the page with the banner
FAQ
Where should I put a Black Friday banner on my website?
A slim bar at the top of the page works for most sites. It's visible on every page without covering anything. Use a popup only if you want one bold moment, and delay it a few seconds so it doesn't greet people before they've seen your site.
When should my Black Friday banner go live?
Black Friday 2026 is Friday, November 27, and Cyber Monday is November 30. Many sellers start the Monday before (November 23) and end at midnight after Cyber Monday. Whatever you pick, write the end date on the banner and stick to it.
Should I add a countdown timer to my Black Friday banner?
Yes, if it counts down to your real end time. A fixed deadline that's the same for everyone feels honest and adds urgency. A timer that resets on every visit does the opposite once people notice.
Do I need a coupon code for a Black Friday sale?
Not always, but a code shown on the banner makes the offer feel concrete and is easy to track. Make it short and easy to type, like BF40, and test it at checkout before the sale starts.
Can I run a Black Friday sale only in some countries?
Yes. In Evendeals, set the campaign audience to selected locations and pick the countries or country groups. Visitors from everywhere else won't see the banner.
Good luck out there
Black Friday is one of the few times a year when people are actively looking to buy. A clear banner makes sure they know you're in.
If you want to try it, start a free 14-day Pro trial and have your banner scheduled in about five minutes. And if you get stuck, email me at arif@evendeals.com. Happy selling!