> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.timetracker.in/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Using the timer

> Start, edit, stop and discard the TimeTracker timer. Covers the one-timer rule, idle detection, fixing the start time, and what happens when you stop.

The timer records work as it happens. You get one timer per workspace, it runs on
the server, and stopping it saves a time entry.

## What is the timer?

The timer is the clock button in the top bar. It is on every page inside a
workspace, so you can start and stop without losing your place.

When nothing is running it shows `00:00:00`. When a timer is running it shows the
elapsed time and, on wider screens, your description.

<Note>
  The start time lives on the server, not in your browser. Close the tab, reboot,
  or switch to your phone – the timer keeps running and the elapsed time is still
  right.
</Note>

## When to use it

Use the timer when you are about to start work. Use a manual entry when the work
is already finished. See
[Add time manually](/time-tracking/add-time-manually).

## Start a timer

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the timer">
    Click the clock button in the top bar. The panel header reads **Start a
    timer**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Write a description">
    The box is labelled **Description** with the placeholder "What are you working
    on?".
  </Step>

  <Step title="Attach a project or task">
    Use the project / task picker below it. Search by project or task name, or
    choose **No project**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Check Billable">
    Picking a project switches **Billable** on. Clearing the project switches it
    back off. Set it however the work should be treated.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click Start timer">
    The panel closes and the top bar shows the running clock.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Tip>
  You can also start a timer from a task's **Start** button, or from the ⌘K palette
  by pressing **⌥ Enter** on a project or task.
</Tip>

## Edit a running timer

Everything about a running timer can be changed while it runs. Open the timer
panel. The header reads **Timer running** with a live clock.

| Control                | What it does                                             |
| ---------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Description**        | Retype it. It saves when you click away.                 |
| Project / task picker  | Move the timer to a different project or task.           |
| **Billable**           | Flip it on or off.                                       |
| **Additional options** | Reveals **Started at** – a date picker and a time field. |

Use **Started at** when you forgot to press Start. Set it back to when you
actually began and the elapsed time re-anchors.

<Warning>
  A start time cannot be in the future. You get "Start can't be in the future."
  inline under the field, and nothing is saved.
</Warning>

## Stop a timer

Open the timer and click **Stop timer**. The elapsed span is committed as a time
entry straight away, and the timer clears.

The **Stop timer** button can be blocked by your workspace policy. Hover it to
see why:

| Tooltip                                | Fix                          |
| -------------------------------------- | ---------------------------- |
| "Add a task to stop the timer."        | Attach a task in the picker. |
| "Add a description to stop the timer." | Type what you were doing.    |

This only happens when your workspace turns on **Require a task** or **Require a
description**. See [Time policies](/time-tracking/time-policies).

## Discard a timer

If you started the timer by mistake, open it and click **Discard**.

A confirmation asks **Discard this timer?** with "The time tracked so far will be
thrown away and no entry will be saved. This can't be undone." Click **Discard
timer** to confirm.

<Warning>
  Discarding does not create an entry. The tracked span is gone. Stop the timer
  instead if you want to keep the time and edit it afterwards.
</Warning>

## Idle detection

If you walk away with the timer running, TimeTracker notices when you come back.

When you return to the tab and the gap is longer than your workspace's **idle
threshold**, a dialog appears:

> **You were idle for 25 minutes**
> Keep this time on your entry, or discard the idle period.

You have two buttons:

| Button                | What happens                                                                       |
| --------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Keep time**         | The timer stops and the full span is saved.                                        |
| **Discard idle time** | The timer stops and the entry ends at your last activity. The idle gap is removed. |

<Note>
  Both choices **stop the timer** and save an entry. The dialog is the moment the
  timer ends, not a pause. If you want to carry on, start a new timer afterwards.
</Note>

The default idle threshold is 10 minutes. An owner or admin changes it in
**Settings → Time policies**.

Nothing is ever trimmed without your choice. TimeTracker never shortens an entry
on its own.

## The one-timer rule

You can only have one timer running per workspace. If a second start reaches the
server it is refused with:

> Stop your running timer before starting a new one.

This holds even if you start from two devices at the same time. One wins, the
other is told to stop the first.

## Example

Jonas Bergman is fixing a bug on **Mobile App** for **Harbor Logistics**.

1. He clicks **Start** on the task row. The top bar clock begins.
2. Twenty minutes in, he realises he started work ten minutes earlier. He opens
   the timer, expands **Additional options**, and moves **Started at** back ten
   minutes.
3. He goes to a long meeting without stopping. When he returns, the idle dialog
   says he was idle for 48 minutes. He clicks **Discard idle time**.
4. The timer stops and the entry ends where he last typed. His billable rate of
   \$120/hour is frozen onto the entry.

## Permissions

| You need     | To                              |
| ------------ | ------------------------------- |
| `time.track` | Start, stop and discard a timer |

Owner, Admin, Project Manager, Member and Contractor hold `time.track`. Finance
and Client do not, so no timer appears in their top bar.

The **Time tracking** app must also be on. If your workspace uses location rules,
a rule may hold back tracking while you are off-site – see
[Location rules overview](/location-rules/overview).

## What happens next

The saved entry lands on the day it started, in your workspace timezone. It joins
that period's timesheet as a draft, and you can still edit it until the period is
submitted.

## Common questions

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Can I pause a timer?">
    No. There is no pause. Stop the timer and start a new one when you come back –
    that gives you two honest entries instead of one that hides a gap.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What if I forget to stop it overnight?">
    The timer keeps running. Stop it when you notice, then edit the entry's end
    time on the **Time** page. Editing time on an entry rebuilds it with the
    correct duration.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I start a timer with no project?">
    Yes, unless your workspace requires a task. An entry with no project is still
    recorded, but it never reaches a budget or an invoice.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Does the timer count toward a daily limit?">
    Yes. When the timer stops, the finished entry is checked against your
    workspace's daily limit like any other entry. If it would push you over, the
    stop is refused and the timer stays running.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Troubleshooting

| Problem                                 | Cause and fix                                                                      |
| --------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Start timer** is disabled             | A required task or description is missing. The tooltip names it.                   |
| **Stop timer** is disabled              | Same policy, checked on the way out. Fill the field, then stop.                    |
| "A timer can't start in the future."    | The **Started at** value is ahead of now. Pick an earlier time.                    |
| The timer stopped but no entry appeared | Check whether the period is already submitted or locked. Those refuse new entries. |
| The idle dialog keeps appearing         | Your idle threshold is very low. Raise it in **Settings → Time policies**.         |

## Related guides

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="How to track time" icon="clock" href="/time-tracking/how-to-track-time">
    Every way to record an hour.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Edit a time entry" icon="pencil" href="/time-tracking/edit-a-time-entry">
    Fix an entry after the timer stops.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Time policies" icon="shield" href="/time-tracking/time-policies">
    Required fields, the idle threshold and rounding.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Troubleshooting" icon="wrench" href="/time-tracking/troubleshooting">
    When time will not save.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>