> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://vctdocs.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# .createTimer()

> Create and start a timer immediately.

## Usage Example

```java theme={null}
//// VCTActions.createTimer(timeHHMMSS, timerId?, sender?) ////

// Create a timer of 20 minutes and 15 seconds with the id "default"
Timer timer = VCTActions.createTimer("00:20:15", "default");

// Create a 5-second timer associated with a player
Timer timer = VCTActions.createTimer("00:00:05", "pvp1", player);
```

## Behavior

* The timer starts immediately upon creation.
* At the end of the time:
  * The `FINISH` event is triggered IF the timer is NOT stopped manually.
  * The timer is automatically destroyed after the time set in [ticks\_hide\_after\_ending](https://vctdocs.mintlify.app/usage-guide/configuration#ticks-hide-after-ending%3A-60) has elapsed.
* You can pause, stop, or modify it using other API methods (documented on separate pages)

## Parameters

<ResponseField name="timeHHMMSS" type="string" required>
  The time in HH:MM:SS format.

  * Example: “00:05:30” (5 minutes, 30 seconds)
  * If the value is “00:00:00” or does not comply with the format, the timer will not be created
</ResponseField>

<ResponseField name="timerId" type="string">
  Unique identifier for the timer.

  * If a timer with the same timerId already exists, the plugin will assign one of them to that ID and the other will remain on standby
  * It is recommended to use unique IDs to avoid conflicts
</ResponseField>

<ResponseField name="sender" type="CommandSender">
  Reference to the player who performed the action.

  * If a player passes, they will receive a message indicating that the timer was created
    * It is usually not necessary to use it directly in the API
</ResponseField>

## Returns

<ResponseField name="timer" type="Timer">
  This `Timer` instance represents the active timer and usually exposes useful methods such as:

  * `String getTimerId()` — returns the timerId
  * `boolean isActive()` — true if the timer exists AND is not paused
  * `boolean isPaused()` — true if the timer is paused
  * `int getInitialSeconds()` — returns the total seconds of the timer
  * `int getRemainingSeconds()` — returns the seconds remaining until the timer ends
  * `void refreshTimerText()` — refresh and get the new settings
  * `String getTimeLeft()` — returns the remaining time in HH:MM:SS
  * `String getTimeLeftHH()` / `String getTimeLeftMM()` / `String getTimeLeftSS()` — returns the remaining time in HH, MM, or SS formats

  <Warning>
    If any of the above requirements fail, it will return `null`.
  </Warning>
</ResponseField>