Log billable hours and apply them to client invoices with time tracking in Dubsado. You can track time from anywhere in the app using the time tracking widget, or manage all your entries from the Time Tracking page.
Time tracking overview
Find time tracking at Invoicing ➔ Time Tracking in the sidebar. You can also open it from within a project (click the project's Invoicing tab, then Time Tracking) or from within a contact (click the contact's Invoices tab, then Time Tracking).
The Time Tracking page has three tabs: All, Open, and Invoiced. You can also start tracking time from anywhere in Dubsado using the time tracker in the sidebar.
Time tracking is available on the Premier plan, for Admins, Owners, and team members with invoice visibility.
Create a time entry
You can create a time entry from the Time Tracking page or from the time tracker in the sidebar.
From the Time Tracking page
Navigate to Invoicing ➔ Time Tracking.
Click Log Time at the top of the page.
Enter a title for the time entry.
Select a Project (optional at creation, but required before you can apply the entry to an invoice).
Optionally, set a rate, tax, and category. You can add these later if you don't have them yet.
From the time tracker
Click the timer icon in the sidebar toolbar row, beside Search, to open the time tracker.
Enter a title for the entry.
Optionally, select a project.
Optionally, set a rate, a Line item description, and a start date.
Click Start to begin the timer.
Both methods create an entry that appears on the Time Tracking page.
The timer icon appears when the sidebar is expanded. If your sidebar is collapsed to the narrow rail, hover over it or pin it open to reach the time tracker.
Start, pause, and resume the timer
The time tracker and the entry's detail panel both use a single button whose label reflects what happens next: Start before the timer has run, Pause while it is running, and Resume after you have paused. The entry saves automatically when you pause, and the timer keeps running even when you navigate to other areas of Dubsado.
In the time tracker, click Finish session to stop the timer and clear it from the tracker. Your time is saved to the entry, which stays available on the Time Tracking page.
Press Space in the time tracker to start or pause the active timer, or to open the title field if nothing is running.
Adjusting time and setting an estimate
The timer value itself is a button. Click it, either in the time tracker or in the entry's detail panel, to open a panel with two fields you can edit directly.
Time spent
Time Spent is the time logged against the entry. Type a new value to correct the total, or use the adjustment buttons beneath the field to add or subtract time in set increments. This is useful when you forget to start the timer, or when you leave it running longer than you actually worked.
Time estimate
Time Estimate is how long you expect the work to take. Setting one gives you a target to track against while the timer runs.
Enter the estimate as hours and minutes, or as a decimal number of hours. Entering 1.5 sets an estimate of one hour and thirty minutes. Adjustment buttons beneath the field let you raise or lower the estimate in set increments, and clicking the X in the field clears the estimate entirely.
Once an estimate is set:
The timer displays your elapsed time alongside the estimate, so you can see both figures at once
A progress bar appears beneath the timer and fills as you work
The estimate turns red once you pass it, so going over is easy to spot at a glance
In money mode, the estimate shows as the value of the estimated time rather than the duration
Options in the time tracker
Click the three dots menu (...) in the time tracker header for these options:
Start new session creates a new entry that carries over the details of the current one
Apply to invoice adds the entry to an invoice. This option is unavailable while the timer is running, so pause it first
Delete tracked time removes the entry. If the time was already applied to an invoice, the invoice is not affected
Money mode
Click the coins icon in the time tracker header to switch the display from elapsed time to the amount earned so far, calculated from the rate and the time on the entry. Click it again to switch back to elapsed time. The same display carries over to the tracker row in the sidebar, so you can watch either figure while you work.
The coins icon only appears when the time entry has a rate set. If you don't see it, add a rate to the entry and it will appear.
Edit a time entry
Click a time entry on the Time Tracking page to open its detail panel. You can edit the timer, rate, date, and description, and changes save automatically. Only the team member who created a time entry can edit it.
Once a time entry is applied to an invoice, it can no longer be edited.
Apply time to an invoice
You can apply a time entry to an invoice from the Time Tracking page, from the time tracker, or by adding existing entries while editing an invoice.
From the Time Tracking page
Navigate to Invoicing ➔ Time Tracking.
Click a time entry to open it. If the timer is still running, pause it first: the Apply to invoice button is unavailable on entries that are actively running or already invoiced.
Click the Apply to invoice button (receipt icon) in the entry's header.
If the entry isn't assigned to a project yet, select one.
Select an existing invoice, or choose Create a new invoice. Choosing this option works just like when you create an invoice from the Invoicing page, and adds the time entry as the first line item.
Click Apply.
From the time tracker
Open the time tracker from the sidebar.
Pause the timer if it is still running.
Click the three dots menu (...) and select Apply to invoice.
Follow the same steps as above to choose a project and an invoice, then click Apply.
From the invoice editor
Open an invoice in edit mode.
In the line items column header toolbar, click the Add time tracking button (clock-plus icon). On narrower screens, this option appears as Time tracking under the + dropdown instead.
Select a time entry from the list. Entries that are already invoiced are disabled.
The entry is added as a line item on the invoice.
The Add time tracking list shows open time entries from all your projects, not just the one you're invoicing.
View invoiced entries
Click the Invoiced tab on the Time Tracking page to see entries that have been applied to invoices. Invoiced entries are read-only. Opening one shows a Time invoiced banner confirming the time has been applied to an invoice and cannot be edited, along with a Go to Invoice button that takes you to the linked invoice.
Filter, sort, and group time entries
You can narrow down and organize your time entries from the Time Tracking page:
Filter by clicking the filter icon (funnel) and choosing Project, User, or Created Date (using a date range picker)
Sort by clicking the Display icon (sliders) and using Sort by to sort by Title, Time, or Created Date
Group entries by opening the same Display panel and using Group by to group by Project or User
Search by entry title
The Project filter is hidden when you're viewing time entries from within a project, since entries are already scoped to that project.
FAQ
Is time tracking available on all plans?
Time tracking is available on the Premier plan. Admins, Owners, and team members with invoice visibility can use it.
Can team members track their own time?
Yes. Each team member can create and manage their own time entries. Only the person who created an entry can edit it.
Can I recover a deleted time entry?
No. Deleted time entries can't be recovered.
Can I reuse an invoiced time entry?
No. Once an entry is applied to an invoice it becomes read-only and can't be reopened or edited. To bill more time for the same work, create a new time entry.
Can I add multiple time entries to one invoice?
Yes. You can apply multiple time entries to the same invoice before you send the invoice.
Does time tracking add dates to the invoice?
No. If you want the date to appear on the invoice, add it to the time entry's description.
Can I use time tracking to measure how I spend time on my business?
Time tracking is designed to log billable hours for client invoices. For general productivity tracking, consider a dedicated time management tool.
I charge a retainer for a set number of hours each month. Can I track remaining hours?
Time tracking doesn't calculate remaining hours against a retainer. For recurring retainer billing, set up a recurring invoice and use the project's Notes tab to log hours manually.