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Shared configurations

A shared configuration is a named, versioned set of clients, projects and tasks that you can hand out to other people as a file. Everyone who loads it gets exactly the same entries, so the whole team logs time against the same data.

Who this section is for

This section is for the person who creates and maintains a shared configuration, for example a project lead. If you only need to load one that you were sent, see Loading a shared configuration.

Why use one​

Tracer has no central server. Each person's data lives in their own browser. That keeps things simple and private, but it creates a problem when a team wants to combine their time logs: if two people each create a project called "P-1024" by hand, Tracer sees them as two different projects.

A shared configuration solves this without putting anything in the cloud:

  • Same data for everyone. You set up the clients, projects and tasks once and send out the file. Every entry keeps its identity, so when you later import your colleagues' logs, their time on "P-1024" lands on the same project as yours, with no manual matching.
  • Protected from accidental changes. Entries from a shared configuration are locked for everyone, so they cannot drift apart between people.
  • Versioned. Each published version has a version name, such as 1, 2 or 2024-Q3. People can see which version they have loaded, and you can tell whether someone is out of date.
  • No accounts or server needed. You distribute the file however you like: email, chat, a shared drive.

How it works​

  • You own the configurations you create. Only the owner can create new versions. Ownership is linked to your Tracer profile.
  • You build a version as a draft. While a version is a draft, you can add and remove entries and change them freely. Only you can see drafts.
  • Locking publishes the version. When you click Lock version, the draft becomes a published version. A published version can never be changed again.
  • Changes need a new version. To change anything, you start a new draft version, which begins as a copy of the latest published one. You make your changes and lock it.
  • Only published versions are exported. The file you send out never contains your draft.
  • Recipients always use the latest published version in the file they imported. When you send a newer file, they import it again to update.

In this section​