---
name: markdownto-countdown
description: Create Markdown To countdowns with an unambiguous target and useful arrival instructions.
---

# Markdown To countdown

## Contract and workflow

Read `mdto spec countdown` (or the adjacent `SPEC.md` in a checkout) and the
[shared conventions](https://markdownto.ai/specs/conventions.md) before authoring or
repairing content. Outside a checkout, use the [published spec](https://markdownto.ai/specs/countdown.md).
This skill accompanies `countdown@0.1`. The spec and its fixtures govern conformance;
editorial advice below is non-normative and should adapt to the user's brief.
If the source declares another version, obtain its matching contract before changing it.

Use `markdownto: countdown@0.1` with an absolute RFC 3339 `target`, including its offset
or Z. Read the spec for optional completion text and supporting blocks. Do not encode a
relative duration as the target or infer a missing timezone from the machine.
`mdto countdown status` reports timing; rendering a timer does not schedule a reminder.

## Content quality

Make the title identify the moment rather than merely say “Countdown.” Put essential
arrival or preparation information near the timer. Write a completion message that still
makes sense after the deadline has passed. If the time is genuinely unknown, resolve it
before claiming a finished countdown; do not manufacture a date to satisfy the parser.

## Check and deliver

Validate the file with `mdto validate <path>` before editing existing content and again
after changes. Read diagnostics against the spec's rationale; preserve meaning when
repairing syntax. Prefer spec-owned verbs for edits they support, checking their current
`--help`; otherwise make a focused source edit, preserving unrelated content and IDs.
Render with `mdto render <path>` and inspect the result when available. Validation checks
structure, not editorial quality: review the content against the user's purpose as well.
Without the CLI, use the contract and examples and report that validation was not run.
Deliver the Markdown source and any requested artifacts, stating what was actually checked.