=== Offer Countdown Timer for WooCommerce ===
Contributors: queuecommerce, riko910
Tags: woocommerce, countdown timer, sale countdown, flash sale, limited time offer
Requires at least: 5.8
Tested up to: 6.9
Requires PHP: 7.4
Stable tag: 1.2.0
License: GPLv2 or later
License URI: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html

Live WooCommerce sale countdown timers for product pages—five templates, optional scheduled start, accessibility-friendly output, sale expiry cleanup, and global on/off.

== Description ==

**Offer Countdown Timer for WooCommerce** adds a fast, readable **sale countdown** to your **product pages**, so shoppers always see how long a promotion lasts. It is built for **flash sales**, **seasonal campaigns**, **clearance events**, and **limited-time pricing** without touching code.

The timer prints on the storefront hook **`woocommerce_before_add_to_cart_form`**. Scripts and styles load **only** when a product actually has an active countdown and timers are enabled globally—keeping unrelated pages light.

= Why merchants use this plugin =

* **Clear urgency** — A live clock reinforces ethical scarcity (deadline visibility, not fake stock counts).
* **Native WooCommerce workflow** — Works alongside your products and optional automatic sale-price cleanup when an offer ends.
* **Operator-friendly** — Global switches, per-product overrides, and optional **offer start date** so the banner stays hidden until go-live.

= Free plugin features (this package) =

* **Global enable/disable** — Pause every storefront countdown from **Offer Countdown → Settings** without editing products.
* **Configurable sale cleanup** — When the countdown ends, optionally remove the WooCommerce sale price or leave pricing unchanged.
* **Five countdown templates** — Circular, gradient, pill, and more; preview under **Offer Countdown → Templates** (Template 1 opens first).
* **Default template + per-product override** — Store-wide default with optional template choice per product in the **Offer Countdown Timer** meta box.
* **Custom promo message + placement** — Short headline-style message **above** or **below** the digits.
* **Optional offer start date** — Set **Offer start date (optional)** on the product; the banner appears only after that moment (uses WordPress timezone handling via `current_time` / localized datetime inputs).
* **Accessibility-oriented display** — Optional **`role="timer"`**, **`aria-label`**, dedicated **`aria-live`** region, and periodic screen-reader announcements (toggle under Settings).
* **Expired banner behavior** — Choose whether the banner hides when time hits zero or remains visible at zero (paired with frontend expiry logic and optional AJAX-driven cleanup).
* **Responsive layouts** — Timer blocks adapt across breakpoints defined in bundled CSS.
* **Developer hooks** — Filters/actions include `offct_resolve_end_time`, `offct_banner_html`, `offct_banner_root_attributes`, `offct_before_render_banner`, `offct_after_render_banner`, `offct_countdown_labels`, `offct_oct_data_localize`, `offct_product_meta_box_fields`, `offct_template_ids`, and `offct_template_label`.
* **Translation-ready** — Text domain `offer-countdown-time`.

= Admin hub (free plugin UI) =

From **Offer Countdown** in the WordPress admin you get **Settings**, **Templates**, **Campaigns**, **Analytics**, **Template Maker**, **Import / Export**, and **Upgrade Pro**. Core saving works everywhere this plugin controls (global/product timers). Screens such as **Campaigns**, **Template Maker**, and related workflows surface **live previews** in the free plugin; **creating or saving** advanced campaign data, custom Template Maker designs, analytics persistence, and other **Pro-only mutations** require **Offer Countdown Timer for WooCommerce Pro** with a valid license (see below).

= Offer Countdown Timer for WooCommerce Pro (optional add-on) =

Pro extends the same codebase with licensed-only features, including:

* **Campaign-driven end times** — Assign schedules and recurrence patterns to products or categories; active campaigns override fixed product end timestamps via `offct_resolve_end_time`.
* **Evergreen timers** — Per-product visitor windows (`_oct_timer_mode`) coordinated through Pro services.
* **Extra placements** — Shop/archive compact timers (`woocommerce_after_shop_loop_item`), cart/checkout reservation timers, `[oct_countdown]` shortcode, and the **`offct/product-countdown`** Gutenberg block (WooCommerce block category).
* **Analytics** — Lightweight storefront tracking with configurable retention (see Pro settings).
* **REST API** — Namespaced routes under `offct/v1` for authenticated store managers (list/update products tied to countdown meta).
* **Visual customization** — Additional preset templates (IDs 6–15), Template Maker–built custom templates with generated CSS, sticky banner mode, colour tokens, custom digit sizing, custom unit labels, and optional **custom CSS** inlined when scripts enqueue.
* **Bulk tooling & expiry actions** — Bulk editors plus configurable expiry behaviours (redirects and related flows exposed through frontend JSON).

Install **Offer Countdown Timer for WooCommerce Pro** only alongside this free plugin and WooCommerce; Pro declares **`Requires Plugins: offer-countdown-time`** and validates dependencies on bootstrap.

= Privacy =

The free countdown does not profile visitors for marketing retargeting. Standard WordPress, WooCommerce, and hosting logs apply. Pro analytics (when licensed) store merchant-facing metrics according to Pro settings—review those screens before enabling in regulated industries.

== Installation ==

= Automatic installation (recommended) =

1. In WordPress, go to **Plugins → Add New**.
2. Search for **Offer Countdown Timer for WooCommerce** (when listed on WordPress.org) or upload the ZIP from your vendor.
3. Click **Install Now**, then **Activate**.
4. Ensure **WooCommerce** is active (the plugin shows an admin notice if it is missing).
5. Open **Offer Countdown → Settings** for global behaviour.
6. Edit a product: enable **Offer Countdown Timer**, set dates (and optional message/template), then save.

= Manual installation =

1. Upload the plugin folder to `/wp-content/plugins/offer-countdown-time/`, or upload the ZIP via **Plugins → Add New → Upload Plugin**.
2. Activate through the **Plugins** screen.
3. Configure WooCommerce and **Offer Countdown** as above.

= Requirements =

* WordPress 5.8+
* PHP 7.4+
* WooCommerce active

== Frequently Asked Questions ==

= Where are global options? =

**Offer Countdown → Settings**. Enable/disable all storefront timers, sale cleanup, default template, message position, accessibility enhancements, and expired-banner visibility.

= How do I schedule when a banner becomes visible? =

On the product, fill **Offer start date (optional)**. Until that timestamp passes, `OFFCT_Frontend::get_product_countdown_context()` returns no banner even if an end date exists.

= Where does the countdown appear on the product page? =

Immediately **before** the add-to-cart form (`woocommerce_before_add_to_cart_form`). Developers may relocate output using the surrounding actions/filters.

= What happens when the timer reaches zero? =

Visually, the banner can hide or remain at zero depending on **Hide expired banner** under Settings. If **Remove sale price when offer expires** is enabled, WooCommerce sale metadata can clear via admin/cron checks and optional frontend coordination—consistent with `OFFCT_Offer_Countdown_Time::remove_sale_price()`.

= Can I silence every countdown without editing products? =

Yes. Disable **Enable countdown timer** globally on **Offer Countdown → Settings**.

= Does the plugin support accessibility preferences? =

Yes. Keep **Accessibility enhancements** enabled to expose timer semantics and polite `aria-live` updates (throttled in `assets/js/frontend.js`). Screen reader users get periodic consolidated announcements instead of noisy per-second chatter.

= Which timezone applies? =

WordPress **Settings → General** timezone and GMT offset feed both PHP (`current_time`) and the JavaScript offset parser shipped with `frontend.js`.

= Are Campaigns or Template Maker fully available in the free plugin? =

You can explore the interfaces and previews. Persisted campaigns, saved Template Maker designs, and licensed analytics require **Offer Countdown Timer for WooCommerce Pro** with an active license (`offct_is_pro_licensed()` gates mutations).

= How do I upgrade to Pro? =

Visit **Offer Countdown → Upgrade Pro** inside wp-admin or https://www.queuecommerce.com/offer-countdown-time/ . Activate Pro after this free plugin and WooCommerce.

== Screenshots ==

1. **Settings** — Global switches, accessibility, expired banner behaviour, default template, merged Pro styling controls when licensed.
2. **Templates** — Interactive previews for built-in styles (Template 1 expanded by default).
3. **Product meta box** — Enable timer, template override, message, optional start/end datetimes.
4. **Storefront** — Live product-page countdown ahead of the add-to-cart area.
5. **Campaigns / Template Maker (preview)** — Explore scheduling or design tooling; saving advanced assets requires Pro + license.

== Changelog ==

= 1.2.0 =
* Added: Optional **offer start date** meta (`_oct_start_date`) so banners stay hidden until publish time.
* Added: **Accessibility enhancements** setting (`enable_accessibility`) with timer semantics and screen reader region updates.
* Added: **Hide expired banner** setting (`hide_expired_banner`) to control DOM removal versus displaying zeros at expiry.
* Added: Expanded admin navigation (**Campaigns**, **Analytics**, **Template Maker**, **Import / Export**, **Upgrade Pro**) with preview-capable screens aligned to Pro workflows.
* Improved: Shared Settings handler persists core fields alongside Pro option arrays when Pro is active (`handle_save_all_settings`).
* Improved: Frontend localized data prepared for Pro coordination (`offct_oct_data_localize`, nonce pairs for expiry/analytics endpoints).

= 1.1.0 =
* Added: Global enable/disable for all storefront countdowns.
* Added: Option to disable automatic removal of sale price when the offer ends.
* Added: Five countdown templates with admin preview page (Template 1 open by default).
* Added: Default template setting plus per-product template override.
* Added: Custom message position (above or below the timer).
* Improved: Conditional page reload when the timer ends (only when sale removal is enabled).
* Improved: Admin menu **Offer Countdown** with Settings and Templates submenu.

= 1.0.0 =
* Initial release: WooCommerce integration, live countdown, product meta box.