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The quickstart got you tracking. This is the rest, in the order that avoids rework. You do not have to do it all at once. Work down the list as you need each part – the order is chosen so that nothing later forces you to redo something earlier.
TimeTracker also shows a short onboarding checklist inside the app with three starting items: track your first hour, create a real project and invite your group. This page is the fuller version.

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Stage 1: The basics

Do these before anyone starts tracking.
In general settings. Get the slug right now – changing it later breaks every link you have shared.
In date and time formats. The week start decides where timesheet weeks begin, so fix it before people submit anything.
In Apps. Fewer things in the sidebar means fewer questions. Turn on Time Clock if your team clocks in and out.
One record per company you bill, plus one called “Internal” for your own work. See create a client.
Just the live ones. See create a project.

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Stage 2: People

See invite your team. Start people on Member and widen if needed.
Design, Engineering, an office, a client team – whatever you report by. Groups also drive supervision scope. See groups.
A Project Manager sees the people on their projects by default. If your managers need a wider or narrower reach, adjust the role’s scope. See custom roles.
Project membership drives visibility as well as assignment. See project members.

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Stage 3: Money

This is the stage that makes the numbers real. Skipping it is why some workspaces show hours but no value.
What you charge for each person’s hour. In Settings → Rates. Without this, hours have no monetary value.
What each person’s hour costs you. This is what produces margin. Needs a paid plan. See cost rates.
Only where a client negotiated a single agreed rate. Read how rates are chosen first so the override lands where you expect.
Match the budget to how you sold the work – fixed fee, block of hours, or a monthly retainer. See hours vs money budgets.
So you hear about an overrun while you can still act. See budget alerts.
Travel, software, subcontractors. See expense categories.

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Stage 4: The weekly rhythm

The hours each person is expected to work. This gives timesheets something to compare against and sets each person’s timezone. See create a schedule.
Especially anyone who does not work in the workspace’s own timezone. See assign a schedule.
Usually the Project Manager. Check they hold time.approve and that their scope covers the right people. See approvals.
So you are not chasing people by hand every Friday. See timesheet reminders.
Then let people tune their own. See workspace notification defaults.

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Stage 5: Time off and attendance

Annual leave, sick leave, unpaid. Set how much and how it accrues. See leave policies.
So they are not counted as absence. See holidays.
If you are moving mid-year from another system. See leave balances.
It is off by default and needs Work schedules. See Time Clock.

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Stage 6: Getting paid

Your company name, address and tax details as they should appear on an invoice. See invoice sender details.
Match whatever your accountant already expects. See invoice numbering.
On each client record, so invoices are addressed correctly.
Create a draft from tracked time and check it reads the way you want, then void it. See create an invoice.

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Stage 7: Clients and connections

From the client’s own page. They see only their own company’s work. See invite a client contact.
If you use the Planner. See Google Calendar.
Only if you are pushing events into your own systems. See webhooks.

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Stage 8: Reporting

Most teams need: hours by person, project profitability, and unbilled billable time. See build a report.
So the team reads the same numbers. See saved reports.
A Monday morning summary beats remembering to look. See schedule a report.

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The minimum viable setup

If you only do six things, do these:
  1. Create your clients and live projects
  2. Invite your team
  3. Set billable rates
  4. Set project budgets
  5. Assign work schedules
  6. Decide who approves timesheets
Everything else can wait until you need it.

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What to do next

Set up for an agency

A worked setup for a multi-client team.

Set up for a consultant

A simpler shape for a team of one.

Weekly timesheet routine

The rhythm to settle into.

Month-end close

The finance routine.