Track time, timers, and timesheets

To track time, open Time Tracking, start the timer or choose Log time, and mark the entry billable. To get it onto an invoice, bill the unbilled entries to an invoice for the same client. Each billed entry becomes one invoice line.

Time tracking, timers, timesheets and approvals, billable time, and billing time to an invoice are included on every plan, starting with Cadet.

Where to start

Open Time Tracking under Work in the sidebar. The screen has these tabs:

• Entries lists your time entries, with filters and totals.
• Timesheet shows one week at a time.
• Approvals appears for members who can approve timesheets.
• Reports appears for members who can view time reports.
• Time off appears for members who can use time off.

If your role can only view time, you can read entries but cannot start timers or add new ones.

Start a timer

1. Open Time Tracking.
2. In the timer bar, type what you are working on in What are you working on?.
3. Choose a client or project, and a task if the project has tasks.
4. Check the billable setting. Choose Make non-billable to turn billing off for this entry.
5. Choose Start.
6. Choose Pause to take a break, and Resume to carry on.
7. Choose Stop and save when you finish. The entry is saved with the elapsed time.

A description is required to start. Timers need an internet connection to start, pause, resume, stop, or discard.

Add time manually

1. Choose Log time at the top of Time Tracking.
2. Describe the work in What did you work on?.
3. Choose the client, project, and task if they apply.
4. Pick the day, then set the start time and either the duration or the end time. The Quick buttons fill in common durations.
5. Add Notes if you want them.
6. Turn billing on or off.
7. Save the entry. Choose Log another to keep adding entries.

An entry cannot start more than an hour in the future. If an entry is over 12 hours, you are asked to confirm with Save Anyway.

To repeat earlier work, open the entry's menu and choose Start again, or Duplicate.

Required fields and rounding

Admins set the workspace rules in Settings → Operations → Time tracking (the Time Tracking Settings screen). You can require a project, a description, or a task on every entry. An entry that is missing a required field cannot be saved, and a week that contains one cannot be submitted. Settings also holds Rounding, Always round up, and the Default billable rate.

Billable and non-billable time

Each entry is billable or non-billable. The timer and the Log time form both let you switch it. Billable entries use the project's or member's own rate. When neither has one, they use the Default billable rate.

In the Entries tab, use the Billing filter to show Unbilled, Billed, or Non-billable entries. To switch many entries at once, select them and choose Mark non-billable. Billed and locked entries are skipped.

Weekly timesheets

A timesheet is one week of your entries, submitted for approval. Weeks follow your workspace's first day of the week and time zone.

Timesheet approval is optional. An admin turns it on with Require weekly timesheet approval in Time Tracking Settings. With it off, the Timesheet tab is a weekly view of your time and nothing is submitted.

Submit a week

1. Open Time Tracking and choose the Timesheet tab.
2. Use the arrows to go to the week you want.
3. Check the entries. Stop any running timer first. A running entry cannot be submitted.
4. Choose Submit week.
5. Confirm with Submit.

The banner changes to show the state of the week:

• Submitted: awaiting approval. Choose Withdraw to take it back and unlock the entries.
• Approved: the week's entries are locked.
• Rejected: update your entries and choose Resubmit.
• Reopened: update your entries and resubmit.

Submitted and approved weeks are locked, so you cannot edit or delete their entries. A week that is already submitted or approved cannot be submitted a second time.

Approve a week

Members with the Approve timesheets permission can review submitted weeks.

1. Open Time Tracking and choose the Approvals tab. The badge counts weeks waiting for you.
2. Find the week under Waiting for you, and choose Review.
3. Check the entries, by day or by project.
4. Choose Approve week.

To send a week back, choose Reject…, enter a Rejection reason, and confirm. A reason is required. The member sees the rejection and can edit and resubmit.

To unlock an approved week, choose Reopen. Reopening is the only way out of an approved week. The member can then update the entries and resubmit.

Past decisions are listed under Decided.

Lock old entries and send reminders

In Time Tracking Settings, Lock entries before sets a date. Entries that start before it cannot be added, edited, or deleted. Remind members to submit sends a reminder at the start of each week when the previous week has unsubmitted time. It works only while approval is on.

Turn tracked time into invoice lines

You need permission to edit invoices to bill time. Only billable, unbilled entries can be billed. Each entry must belong to the same client as the invoice.

1. Open Time Tracking and choose the Entries tab.
2. Open the more menu and choose Bill time. Or select entries and choose Bill to invoice. Or open one entry's menu and choose Add to invoice.
3. If asked, choose the client with Select client.
4. Choose the invoice under Add to. Choose New invoice… to create one for this client.
5. Select the unbilled entries you want.
6. Under Lines, choose Detailed for lines that show the date, member, and note, or Hours only for lines that show only the hours.
7. Choose Add to invoice.

Each entry becomes one invoice line with its hours, rate, and amount. The entry is marked Billed. To open the invoice later, choose View invoice on the entry.

Time cannot be added to a paid or void invoice, or to an invoice that is locked for changes. Add a new invoice instead. All the entries must use the invoice's currency. You can bill up to 200 entries in one go.

For sending and tracking the invoice itself, see Create, send, and track an invoice.

Permissions

Billing time to an invoice also needs the Invoices edit permission. See Team access and permissions.

Check the result

• The entry shows in Entries with the right client, project, and billing state.
• The This week total and the Timesheet tab add up to what you tracked.
• After you submit, the banner says it is awaiting approval, and approvers see it under Waiting for you.
• After you bill time, the entries show Billed and the invoice has one new line per entry.

Troubleshooting

• I cannot start a timer. Your role may be view-only, or you may be offline. Timers need a connection.
• The entry will not save. Add a description, and any project or task your workspace requires.
• I cannot edit an entry. It may be in a submitted or approved week, billed, or before the lock date. Withdraw the week, or ask an approver to reopen it.
• There is no Submit week button. Approval may be off, or the week is already submitted or approved.
• There is no Approvals tab. You need Approve timesheets, and approval must be on or have submitted weeks waiting.
• An entry will not bill. It must be billable, unbilled, and for the invoice's client and currency.
• My invoice is not in the list. Paid, void, and locked invoices are left out.

Projects and tasks are covered in Projects, tasks, and scheduling.