Log Time & Use Timers

Keep track of the time you spend working on client projects, issues and tasks to understand everything from budget usage to billing clients. Use timers as the fastest, easiest and smartest way to keep track of your time (and your money).

Using this guide, you can:

• Log time through Log Time button
• Log time in Activities
• Using Timers
• Create a New Timer
• View Ongoing Timers
• Adjust time in Timesheet
• Use Mobile App Timers

Log Time using Log Time button

The most efficient way to log time is through the Log Time button. This button appears on many view screens, including Sales, Projects, Milestones, Tickets & Retainers, allowing you to quickly log time without creating an Activity. This is ideal for logging work after you have already completed it.

To log time using the Log Time button:

1. Click the Log Time button at the top of the object you are viewing in Accelo (Sale, Project, etc.)
   
    
2. A new window will pop up where you can add details to this time entry.
   
    
3. Choose whether you would like to add this time entry to one of your Saved Timers by clicking this list and choosing from the drop-down menu.
   
    
4. Enter a Subject and Description for the time entry.
5. Choose a Class for the time entry, if necessary.
   
    
6. Choose a Start Time and End Time for the work you are logging, or enter an exact time into the box on the right.
   
    
7. You can choose to make the time Billable or Non-Billable by clicking the $ button.
    
8. Click Save Log to save this time entry to your timesheet.

Log Time in Activities

Log time to track the hours you spend working on Activities within your Projects, Sales, Issues, Tasks, etc. Stop guessing how much time you spent on a call or writing an email, and account for all the time you spend in a day. 

All of your time is logged through Activities. As you create a new Activity, a Timer is always running at the bottom of the window. Timers automatically start on your Activities, but they can easily be adjusted. Pause or press Play, or even edit the amount of time in the window. If it relates to Billable work, choose between Billable or Non-Billable to track the services you bill.

NOTE: You can disable Timers from automatically starting on your Activities by turning the option off in your User Preferences (User Profile Icon > Preferences > Privacy, Email & Activity Preferences > Autostart Activity Timer).

To log your time:

1. Add an Activity by pressing the + Add Activity button on the top left of any page. For more information on all the ways to add Activities in Accelo, go to the Add an Activity page.

   
     

2. Select the Tab for the type of activity you would like to log. Note that to log internal time, use Notes. You do not need to put anybody's name in the To field.

    

3. The Timer starts automatically. Press Play or Pause at any time.

4. Click on the Timer numbers. The timer will automatically pause.

   
    

5. To adjust the time, enter in the exact time you want to log. For instance, if you were on a call for 45 minutes, enter this time before you log it.

   
6. You can choose to make the time Billable or Non-Billable by checking or unchecking the $ box.
   
   
   
    

7. Press the blue Play button to resume the Timer, or press Save to save your Activity.

   

Use Timers

Use Timers to track your time immediately and quickly start work on a project after a conversation with a colleague or a call with a client. Continue to do work in Accelo with the Timer running in the background.

Start work on a Timer in Accelo, and walk away with your timer still running. Timers continue to run even when you log out of your account. Read more about logging time outside of Accelo with our Mobile App Timer.

Multi-task in the platform by running multiple Timers at once. Easily go back and forth between two Timers as you switch between different Tasks.

Create A New Timer

Create a new Timer from any page in Accelo, and choose which object you would like the Timer to be logged Against. This makes it easier to track the time you have logged on your Time Sheet.

There are two ways to create a new timer, the Time button at the top of Accelo, or the Time button at the top of a particular object view page (such as a Sale or Project).

To create a new Timer using the Time button:

1. Click on the Time Icon at the top of any screen, and select Create Timer.

   
    

2. Give the Timer a Name so that it is easy to find later.

    

3. Insert an Initial Time if necessary. 

4. Click Link Object to choose what to put the Timer again. Such as an existing Client, Contact, Project, etc. This is not required, however it will apply the Timer to an existing page, which will make it easier to track.

   After clicking on Link Object, search for what you want to link it against.
   
   After selecting an object, it should look similar to the below and reveal what it is linked against.
   

5. Click Start/Pause at any time to start/stop your Timer.

To create a new Timer on an Object:

1. Navigate to the object page (Sale, Project, Ticket, etc.) you wish to log time against.

2. Click the Timer button to instantly create a new Timer against that object.

   
   

Log an Activity on an Existing Timer

Pull in time you've started to track within a Timer when you log your Activities. For instance, if you're finishing your work at the end of the day and have multiple timers you've started, easily pull in all the time you have logged from the timer drop-down list.

To choose an existing Timer to add to an Activity:

1. Click on the arrow icon next to the Timer.

    

2. Select an existing Timer from the drop-down menu.

3. When you Send, Save, or Create a new Activity, that time will automatically be logged to your time sheet. Go to your time sheet at the end of the day or week and choose whether the time is billable or non-billable.

View Existing Timers

From any page, view all current Timers which you have started. Add to a current Timer, or simply keep track of what you have been working on.

To view your timers:

1. Click the Time Icon on the Navigation bar and select Show/Hide Timers.

   
    

2. View all current Timers in the window that pops up at the right-side of the screen.
   
   

    

3. Resume an ongoing Timer by pressing the Play button on that Timer.

    

4. Complete an ongoing Timer to log it to your Timesheet by pressing the Complete button, which looks like a check mark.

    

5. Edit an ongoing Timer by pressing the More Options button, which looks like three dots, then select Edit.

6. Delete an ongoing Timer by pressing the More Options button, then select Delete.

    

7. Add a New Timer by pressing the + button.

   

Adjust Time in Your Timesheet

Adjust your time on your Timesheet after it has already been logged. Ensure you bill your clients for the correct amount of time at the end of the week or pay period. Read more about your Timesheet here.

To adjust your time by Activity:

1. Click on the Time icon on the Navigation bar and select Weekly Timesheet.

    

2. View all time that you have logged throughout the week, sorted by the object you have logged it against.

    

3. Click where it says the number of activities to view the Timers you have logged. Note in this example, you have logged time for 2 activities on April 5th against Milestone: Design. You logged only 2 minutes for these activities.

    

4. Click on the logged time to manually enter the correct amount of time which you spent on this activity. 

   
   

5. Click on the check mark to change this time from Billable to Non-Billable, if necessary.

    

6. Press Save to save these changes.

Mobile App Timers

Use Timers on the go with our  Mobile Application. Use your phone to create, start and pause timers in the Mobile App, and watch them sync with the Web App like magic. Use your phone as a "stopwatch" for your work, and know it is in sync with the web app and vice versa. 

• Read more about Mobile App Timers here.
• Download the Mobile App here.