How to Add a Timer to Google Slides

Google Slides has no built-in countdown. Here are three free ways to put one in your presentation — from a live timer right on the slide to a one-click link that works on any computer.

Type <<5:00->> in a Google Slides text box, then present: the tag becomes a live 5-minute countdown

1. A live timer inside your slide (Chrome extension)

Add Visual Timer for Google Slides to Chrome — free

See it in action: 40-second demo on YouTube — typing a tag, presenting, pausing, and auto-advancing to the next slide.

Install the extension in Chrome.
In your slide, add a text box and type a tag, for example <<5:00->>. Style it like any text — the timer keeps your font size, color and alignment.
Click Slideshow. The tag turns into a live countdown. Press Y or click it to pause, R to restart.

Type this	You get
`<<5:00->>`	5-minute countdown
`<<0:00+>>`	Stopwatch that counts up
`<<1:00-\|bar>>`	1-minute progress bar
`<<5:00-$>>`	Starts paused — press Y to start
`<<5:00-~>>`	Keeps running when you change slides
`<<5:00-+>>`	Goes to the next slide when time is up
`<<time>>`	Current time (<<time^>> hides the seconds)
`<<date>>`	Today’s date (also <<longdate>>)
`<<2026-12-25->>`	Countdown to a date

You can mix tags with text, like Clean-up time: <<3:00->>. Timers restart each time you come back to a slide unless you add ~. Pause, restart and all the tags above are free.

2. Link to a full-screen visual timer (works anywhere)

No install, works on school Chromebooks and in PowerPoint too:

Open the timer you want, for example the 5 minute timer, and copy its address.
In your slide, select some text or a shape and choose Insert → Link.
While presenting, click the link. The timer opens in a new tab — press Full screen, and switch back to your slides when time is up.

Kids read the shrinking colored disk more easily than numbers, which makes this a good choice for younger classes.

3. Insert a timer video

Choose Insert → Video, search YouTube for a countdown of the right length, and under Format options → Video playback choose Play (automatically). It needs no extension, but the length is fixed, you can’t easily restart it, and some videos start with ads.

Which one should I use?

Timer on the slide next to your instructions — the extension.
A big visual timer for young kids, or no extensions allowed — link to a visual timer.
A one-off timed activity with music — a timer video.

Frequently asked questions

Does Google Slides have a built-in timer?

No. Google Slides can auto-advance slides on a schedule, but it has no countdown, stopwatch or clock you can show on a slide. You need an extension, a link to a timer, or a timer video.

Can I pause the timer while presenting?

With the extension, press Y or click the timer to pause and resume, and R to restart — free. A linked visual timer has its own pause button. A YouTube timer video can only be paused like any video.

Will my existing slides with <<5:00->> tags work?

Yes. The extension reads the same <<…>> tag style that many teachers already use in their slides, so decks you have already made work without changes.

Does it work on a school Chromebook?

The extension works in Chrome on Chromebooks, but some schools block extensions. If yours does, use method 2: a link to a full-screen timer works on any computer with no install.

Does this work in PowerPoint?

The extension only works in Google Slides. In PowerPoint, add a link to a visual timer page (method 2) — clicking it during the slideshow opens the timer full screen.