Recording time
This page explains the three ways to record time. They all create the same kind of log, so you can mix them freely. For example, you can start a timer in the morning and fix the start time in the calendar afterwards.
Every log can either be assigned to a task, assigned directly to a project, or left as No task. The lists you choose from are filled from your clients, projects and tasks. If they are empty, only No task is available. See Clients, projects and tasks to set them up.
Using the timer
The timer is the bar at the top of the Home page.
- Open Home in the sidebar.
- In the dropdown next to Timer, choose what you are working on. Choose No task if you do not want to assign the time to anything.
- Click Start.
A new row appears below the timer bar with a pulsing green dot. It shows what you are working on, when you started, and how long the timer has been running.
While the timer runs, you can type notes into the Notes field. Your notes are saved when you click outside the field.
When you are finished, click the red stop button on the right. The log is saved with the current time as its end time, and it now appears in the calendar and in the Logs table.
- A running timer keeps running if you switch to another page in Tracer, close the tab or restart the browser. It is based on the start time, not on the page being open.
- You can run more than one timer at the same time. Each click on Start adds another running timer.
- Running timers are not shown in the calendar, the Logs table or the dashboard until you stop them.
- If you forgot to start the timer, start it anyway and correct the start time afterwards in the calendar or in the Logs table.
Using the calendar
The calendar fills the rest of the Home page. It shows your own finished logs. Each log is coloured by the task or project it belongs to. Logs without a task are grey.
Use the buttons at the top of the calendar to switch between Day, Week, Month and Agenda views, to move backwards and forwards, and to jump back to Today.
Adding a log in the calendar
- Click an empty spot in the calendar at the time you started working. A new entry of 30 minutes is created and a dialog opens.
- Adjust the Start and End date and time.
- Under Task, choose the task or project. Choose No resource to leave it unassigned.
- Type any notes into Description.
- Click Save.
If you tick All Day, Tracer does not record a whole 24 hours. Instead, the log is set to a normal working day from 08:30 to 16:30 on that date.
A time log can not be saved in the calendar if the start and end time are the same.
Time logs currently can not be deleted from the calendar view, this must be done using the Logs table.
Changing a log in the calendar
- To move a log, drag it to a different time or day.
- To make a log longer or shorter, drag its top or bottom edge.
- To change anything else, click the log to open the dialog, make your changes and click Save.
To delete a log, use the Logs table as described below.
Using the Logs table
The Logs page shows your time logs as a table. It is the best place to review, correct or delete logs, and to enter times precisely.
The table shows every finished log stored in your browser. If you have imported logs from colleagues, their logs are listed here too, and the User column tells you whose log each row is.
| Column | Meaning |
|---|---|
| User | Who the log belongs to |
| Task / Project | What the time was spent on. "-" means no task or project. |
| Start and End | When the work started and ended |
| Duration | Calculated from Start and End, cannot be edited |
| Notes | Free text |
Adding a log in the table
- Click Add Log in the table toolbar. A new row is added for you, starting now and lasting one hour, with no task.
- Double-click the row to edit it, and change the Task / Project, Start, End and Notes as needed.
- Press Enter or click outside the row to save.
Editing a log in the table
Double-click any editable cell to start editing the row. Press Enter to save your changes, or Escape to cancel them.
The end time must be later than the start time. If it is not, Tracer shows a warning and keeps the previous values.
Deleting a log
Click the bin icon at the end of the row.
The log is removed immediately and cannot be restored, except from a backup.
Sorting and filtering
Click a column header to sort by that column. Open the menu in a column header to filter, for example to show only the logs for one task.