First Setup

Set up your workspace with categories, topics, and clients so you can start tracking time.

Overview

Before tracking time, you need to create at least one category and one topic. This guide walks you through the initial setup process, whether you're a freelancer working solo or setting up for a team.

Step 1: Create Your First Category

Categories are high-level groupings for your work. Most users create categories like "Client Work", "Internal", or by client name.

  1. 1
    Navigate to Navigate to
  2. 2
    Click Click
  3. 3
    Enter a name (e.g., "Client Work" or "Acme Corp")
  4. 4
    Choose a color — this will appear on calendar entries and charts
  5. 5
    Click Click

Category Strategy

If you work with multiple clients, create one category per client. If you're tracking personal productivity, try categories like "Deep Work", "Meetings", and "Admin".

Step 2: Add Topics to Your Category

Topics are the specific projects or tasks you track time against. Each topic belongs to a category and can have its own hourly rate.

  1. 1
    In Timer Settings, find your category and click the In Timer Settings, find your category and click the button next to it
  2. 2
    Enter a topic name (e.g., "Website Redesign" or "API Development")
  3. 3
    Set an Set an if this work is billable (e.g., $85/hour)
  4. 4
    Toggle Toggle on if you want this time to appear in invoices
  5. 5
    Click Click

Note

Topics with hourly rates automatically calculate earnings as you track time. You can always edit rates later — changes only affect future entries.

Step 3: Add Clients (Optional)

If you're billing clients, add their information to generate professional invoices.

  1. 1
    In In , go to the , go to the tab
  2. 2
    Click Click
  3. 3
    Enter the client's name and contact details
  4. 4
    Link topics to this client by editing each topic

Tip

Client information appears on invoices. Add their full business name, address, and email for professional-looking invoices.

Step 4: Create Tags (Optional)

Tags help you categorize time entries across topics. Use them for cross-cutting concerns like "bug fix", "meeting", or "research".

  1. 1
    In In , go to the , go to the tab
  2. 2
    Click Click and enter a name
  3. 3
    Choose a color for visual distinction

You can add tags to time entries while the timer is running or when editing past entries. Tags are useful for filtering reports (e.g., "show me all bug fixes this month").

What Happens Next

  • Your categories appear in the sidebar and Quick Start panel
  • Topics show up on the Timer page, ready to track
  • Hourly rates calculate earnings automatically
  • You can start creating invoices from tracked time

Example Setup

Here's how a typical freelance developer might set up their workspace:

Categories & Topics
Acme Corp
• Dashboard Redesign — $95/hr
• API Integration — $95/hr
• Bug Fixes — $85/hr
Startup XYZ
• MVP Development — $100/hr
• Technical Consulting — $120/hr
Internal
• Admin & Invoicing — Non-billable• Admin & Invoicing — Non-billable • Learning — Non-billable