# Creating a Counter Expression Tag

**URL:** <https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/creating-a-counter-expression-tag/98382>\
**Category:** Ignition\
**Created:** [November 8, 2024, 9:39am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/creating-a-counter-expression-tag/98382 "2024-11-08T09:39:57Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 8

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**Author:** ![JordanCClark](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/jordancclark/32/83362_2.png) [@JordanCClark](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/JordanCClark)\
**Post date:** [November 13, 2024, 12:55pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/creating-a-counter-expression-tag/98382/8 "2024-11-13T12:55:07Z")

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The main thing I see here is that you are trying to write a value back to itself. Expressions don't really work that way.

Here is a timer udt that you can use / whack / hack to your heart's content that may help you out.

> [@Timer ON and timer OFF](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/timer-on-and-timer-off/55156/13):
>
> UDT attached. Monitor has two Diagnostic level alarms for TON and TOF operation. Expression tags bound to each alarm isActive flag. Integer tags for TON and TOF time values. limited to even seconds [timer\_udt.json](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/uploads/short-url/iZa3PJfppuHE6IfYY2FYBxMIlKz.json) (1.2 KB)

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