countup widget

The countup widget is a message with date arithmetic baked in. Every draw it renders <text>: <N> where N is the number of days from countup_date to today. The count is recomputed on each draw, so it rolls to the next value at midnight without restarting the process.

Minimal example

[[playlist.section.widget]]
type = "countup"
text = "Days since launch"
countup_date = 2024-01-01

Before the date arrives

If countup_date is still in the future, the widget does not display and a warning is emitted at config load, along the lines of:

countup_date 2027-01-01 is in the future — this countup won't display until then (did you mean a countdown?)

Once the date arrives the widget shows 0 and counts up from there. To count down to a future date, see countdown.

Options

Option	Type	Default	Description
`text`	string	required	Label shown before the day count, e.g. `"Days since launch"` renders as `"Days since launch: 42"`.
`countup_date`	date	required	Start date in TOML date syntax: `2024-01-01`. The day count is recomputed on every draw so the value updates at midnight without restarting the process. Widget does not display until this date arrives.
`font`	string	`"6x12"`	BDF font name (e.g., `"5x8"`, `"6x12"`) or hires font (e.g., `"Inter-Bold"`).
`font_size`	int	(BDF cell height)	Real-pixel font size for hires fonts. Required if `font` is a hires font name.
`font_threshold`	int 0–255	`128`	Rasterization threshold for hires fonts. Lower = thicker glyphs.
`font_color`	RGB list / string / table	`[255, 255, 0]`	Constant `[r,g,b]`, `"rainbow"`, `"color_cycle"`, `"random"`, or `{style="gradient", from=[...], to=[...]}`.
`bg_color`	RGB list	none	Background fill color. Painted across the full panel before text.
`border`	`"rainbow"` \| `"color_cycle"` \| `"lightbulbs"` \| `[r,g,b]` \| `{style="...", ...}`	none	Perimeter border ring — five styles (rainbow chase, color cycle, constant, bands, lightbulbs); see /concepts/borders/.
`padding`	int	`6`	Horizontal padding (logical pixels) added when text scrolls.
`timezone`	IANA name \| none	system local	Timezone for computing the day count and the show/hide boundary, e.g. `"America/New_York"`. Uses stdlib `zoneinfo` — no extra dependencies. Defaults to the sign's local date.

Set the content string with text =.

Common patterns

Branded color

[[playlist.section.widget]]
type = "countup"
text = "Days Open"
countup_date = 2024-03-15
font_color = [255, 140, 0]

Rainbow sweep

[[playlist.section.widget]]
type = "countup"
text = "Days Strong"
countup_date = 2023-01-01
font_color = "rainbow"

Rainbow border with solid text

[[playlist.section.widget]]
type = "countup"
text = "Days Running"
countup_date = 2023-06-01
font_color = [255, 255, 255]
border = "rainbow"

For full details on font_color, border, center, padding, and bg_color, see the color providers and borders concept pages — the knobs work identically to countdown.

Tips

Typewriter is not available on `countup`

animation = "typewriter" is rejected on countup — it’s only supported on message, gif, and image. For dynamic color, use font_color = "rainbow" or a gradient.