Time tracker

Keep track of your billable time and apply it to an invoice with this utility.

Sam Gioia avatar
Written by Sam Gioia
Updated over a week ago

Updated May 8, 2023

Use the time tracker to log billable hours and add the entry to a client’s invoice.


In this article:


Create a time entry

gif showing the process of creating a time tracker entry
  1. Go to Utilities >> Time Tracker.

  2. Click What are you working on? and type a brief description of your task.

  3. Click Project and select a project.

  4. Under Invoice, select the invoice that the billed hours will get added.

  5. Click $0.00 to enter a description, hourly rate, or category.

    • If you don't have this information yet, you can add it to the invoice later.

  6. Click the play button to start the timer.


Start and stop the timer

While the timer is running, you can navigate to other areas of Dubsado or close Dubsado entirely.

To stop the timer, go to Utilities >> Time Tracker and click the stop button.

arrow pointing to stop button

To pick up where you left off on the same time entry, click the play button to resume the timer.

arrow and circle over play button

Edit a time entry

Click the pencil icon to edit an entry. You can round your hours or add additional details. Save by clicking the green check mark.

circle over a pencil icon and arrow pointing to the time to edit

Add billable hours to an invoice

After a time entry is added to an invoice, the hours can’t be edited or applied to a different invoice. You can add your tracked time to an invoice in one of two ways:

🚨 Before you can add a time entry to an invoice, you must have assigned the entry to a specific project and invoice. Go to Utilities >> Time Tracker, click the pencil icon, then click Project to select a project and invoice.

Within the time tracker

arrow pointing to apply to invoice button
  1. Go to Utilities >> Time Tracker.

  2. Locate the time tracker entry.

  3. Click Apply to Invoice.

From an invoice

arrow pointing to time tracker button
  1. Go to Projects to open a specific project.

  2. Click the Invoices tab.

  3. Click Invoice List to open the invoice to add the tracked time.

  4. Click on the Time Tracker dropdown.

  5. Select an entry.


Completed time entries

Entries that are successfully added to invoices appear in Utilities >> Time Tracker >> Invoiced.

arrow pointing to Invoiced tab

Hours can't be edited or applied to a different invoice. You can only edit directly within the invoice in Projects >> Invoices >> Edit.

screenshot with arrow pointing to down arrow and clicking edit

FAQ

Is the time tracker available on all plans?

The time tracker is currently only available on the Premier Plan. Read more about upgrading to the Premier Plan.

Can I recover deleted time entries?

No. There isn’t a way to recover deleted time entries.

How do I reopen an already invoiced time?

You can’t reopen the same time entry, but you can open a duplicate. Go to Utilities >> Time Tracker >> Invoiced. Click the Copy icon for the time entry and save it as a new open time track.

Will the time tracker record dates and times on the invoice?

No. To include the date of your hours, add it to the invoice description.

Can I add multiple time tracker entries to one invoice?

Yes. You can create one invoice and add all billable hours before sending the invoice to the client.

Can multi-users track time?

Yes. Admin and basic multi-users with access to invoices can use the time tracker. However, the time tracker is used to invoice clients for billable hours — don’t use the time tracker as a timesheet for your employees.

I charge my clients a retainer for a certain number of hours each month. Is there a way to track how many hours they have remaining?

No. For a recurring retainer fee, set up a recurring invoice to automatically bill clients every month. You can then use the Notes tab inside the project to keep a record of your hours.

Can I use the time tracker to measure how I'm spending time on my business?

The time tracker is designed to invoice clients for billable hours. To measure productivity, we highly recommend an alternative solution.

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