How to Use Time Tracking
The Time Tracking page lets you clock in and out, log hours against a client's projects and activities, and track billable vs. non-billable time. You can view, filter, edit, and delete time entries for every worker assigned to the client.
This guide walks through every section of the page, step by step, in the order you see on screen.
Getting Here
- Open the main sidebar and select a Bookkeeping Client.
- In the client sidebar, click Time Tracking (under the Operations section).
The page opens to the time tracking dashboard. Across the top you will see three summary cards, a filter bar, and a table of time entries.
Understanding the Dashboard
Top Metrics
Three cards sit across the top of the page. They summarize all time entries that match your current filters:
| Metric | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Total Hours | The total hours logged, with a subtitle showing how many hours are billable. |
| Billable Amount | The total dollar value of billable time, calculated from hourly rates. |
| Utilization | The percentage of total hours that are billable (billable hours ÷ total hours). |
Clocking In and Out
Starting a Timer
Click the Clock In button at the top-right of the page. This starts a running timer for the current client. The timer appears in the toolbar header across all pages so you can see it running wherever you are in the application.
Stopping a Timer
When a timer is running, the time entry appears in the table with a Stop button. Click Stop to clock out. The entry's duration is calculated from the start and end times.
✓ Tip: You can also start and stop timers from the main Time Tracking page (
/time-tracking) or the global header clock-in button, which appears at the top of every page.
Filtering Time Entries
A filter card sits below the summary metrics. Use these filters to narrow down the time entries you see:
| Filter | What It Does |
|---|---|
| Worker | Filter by a specific user who logged time. Default: All Workers. |
| Activity | Filter by a specific time activity code. Default: All Activities. |
| Status | Filter by status: Draft, Submitted, Approved, or Rejected. Default: All Statuses. |
| Billable | Show only billable time, only non-billable time, or all time. |
| Start Date | Show entries on or after this date. |
| End Date | Show entries on or before this date. |
Click Clear Filters to reset all filters to their defaults.
The summary cards at the top update automatically to reflect only the filtered entries.
The Time Entries Table
Below the filters, a table lists every time entry matching your current filters. Each row shows:
| Column | What You See |
|---|---|
| Date | The date the time was logged. |
| User | The name of the worker who logged the time. |
| Description | The project name (bold), followed by the entry description. An activity badge appears if one was selected. |
| Duration | The total hours and minutes, with the start and end times shown underneath. Entries still running show "Now" as the end time. |
| Status | A badge: approved (green), rejected (red), submitted (grey), or draft (outline). A green Billable badge appears for billable entries. |
| Actions | Edit and Delete icons, plus a Stop button for running timers. |
Editing an Entry
- Click the pencil icon on the entry row.
- An edit dialog opens where you can modify the date, start time, end time, description, activity, project, and billable flag.
- Make your changes and save.
Deleting an Entry
- Click the trash icon on the entry row.
- Confirm the deletion in the browser prompt.
Stopping a Running Timer
If an entry is still running (no end time), a Stop button appears in the actions column. Click it to clock out immediately. The duration is calculated and the entry moves to draft status.
How Time Entries Flow
Time entries move through a simple workflow:
- Draft — The entry has been created or a timer has been stopped. It is not yet ready for review.
- Submitted — The worker has submitted the entry for approval.
- Approved — A reviewer has approved the entry. Approved time is typically ready for invoicing or payroll.
- Rejected — A reviewer has rejected the entry. The worker can edit and resubmit.
ℹ Info: The Time Tracking page shows all entries regardless of status. Use the Status filter to focus on entries that need your attention.
Billable vs. Non-Billable Time
When creating or editing a time entry, you can mark it as billable. Billable time:
- Appears with a green Billable badge in the table.
- Contributes to the Billable Amount summary card.
- Is counted in the Utilization percentage.
Non-billable time is still tracked but does not contribute to billable totals or utilization.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I track time for multiple clients at once?
You can only have one timer running at a time. If you start a timer for a new client, any running timer is stopped automatically.
What happens if I close the browser with a timer running?
The timer continues running on the server. When you return, the running entry appears in the table with the elapsed time.
How are billable amounts calculated?
The billable amount is calculated by multiplying the hours logged by the hourly rate configured for the worker or the activity.
Can I edit a time entry after it has been approved?
It depends on your permissions. Generally, approved entries are locked to preserve billing integrity. Contact an administrator if you need to modify an approved entry.
Where do I manage time activities (codes)?
Time activities are managed separately. Contact your administrator to add or modify the list of activities available for time tracking.