FAQ | TopTracker - Time Tracking App (2024)

What is TopTracker and how does it work?

TopTracker is a lightweight application that helps you keep track of how you spend your time. Users can enable tracking for their own projects or for projects to which they are invited by other team members.

Basic time tracking can be done using the web app, but it is highly recommended you download the desktop application to enable activity level tracking, activity descriptions, screenshots, or webcam shots.

How is TopTracker different from other time trackers?

TopTracker is the only time tracker that has been specifically designed for freelancers and their needs. It is an absolutely free, stand-alone app, and does not require you to be locked into any freelance platform. It has been carefully designed to stay out of the way as much as possible, while still giving the freelancer full control over what gets tracked and how often.

Is TopTracker really 100% free (i.e no trial period, no upsell, etc)? What's the catch?

Yes, all the functionality available in TopTracker is completely free. There’s no catch and no strings attached. It’s simply not something we’re looking at as a source of revenue.

We built TopTracker because we’re always looking for ways to empower and make things easier for freelancers, and time tracking has been one of the most frequently discussed pain points amongst the freelance community. Most existing solutions force freelancers to pay for use and/or lock them into subpar job platforms. Our goal with TopTracker was to provide an easy to use tool that gives freelancers full control, is completely unobtrusive, and is of extremely high quality, without the caveats of other time trackers.

Is TopTracker part of Toptal’s service?

No. TopTracker is a completely separate product and is neither integrated into the Toptal platform nor part of Toptal’s service. We connect Toptal clients exclusively with top freelancers and don’t believe time tracking is necessary for our engagements. However, many remote teams still use time tracking products for their own needs, and in these cases we believe TopTracker is a great fit.

What specific versions of Windows, Mac, and Linux does the TopTracker Desktop App support?

TopTracker supports the following specific OS versions:

Windows:
Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10

Mac:
Mac OS 10.10 (Yosemite), Mac OS 10.11 (El Capitan), macOS 10.12 (Sierra)

Linux:
Ubuntu 14.04+, Debian 9+, Fedora 23+, openSUSE 13.2+. We're planning to provide a plain bundle installer for any other Linux derivatives soon.

We do NOT currently support:
Mac OS 10.9 (Mavericks) and earlier versions, Windows 2000, XP, Server 2003, Server 2008

What does TopTracker track?

The app tracks the time spent on each task, and records when there is any keyboard or mouse clicks so that it can enter “idle” automatically when you are gone and provide insight into basic activity stats. Note that it will never record anything you actually type or click on. The app can also record screenshots or webcam shots if you choose to enable such.

Where will my screenshots be stored and are they securely uploaded?

Screenshots are first stored locally and then uploaded to secure central storage if an Internet connection is available. All data that is transmitted from the client app is encrypted in an SSL transmission over to our secure cloud servers.

What if a captured screenshot contains sensitive information?

If you’re working with sensitive information, you can configure all screenshots to be automatically blurred before uploading so that the image is still recognizable to you, but no text is readable. This way, your team members can get an idea of what you’re working on without compromising the security of any sensitive information.

On the desktop app, you also have the option of deleting screenshots before they get uploaded or simply disabling screenshot tracking altogether.

Can I delete screenshots?

Yes. You have full access to all of your uploaded screenshots and can choose to delete any of them at any time.

Can I make payments within TopTracker?

Yes. Simply connect your Payoneer account to TopTracker, and you are ready to go. As a client, you can then pay freelancers for any invoiced work via Payoneer, our payments partner.

I’m a client. How do I pay my freelancers, and what does it cost to make a payment to a freelancer?

All payments are made securely through Payoneer, our payments partner. TopTracker never takes a payment fee, making it different from other freelance payment solutions. TopTracker provides free bank transfers via Payoneer. TopTracker also enables payments through Payoneer via ACH credit (subject to a 1% fee that is fully reimbursable to the receiver's Payoneer account) and via credit card (subject to a 3% fee).

I’m a freelancer. How will I get paid by my clients, and what does it cost?

Simply connect your Payoneer account, and you are ready to go. If your client chooses to pay you via bank transfer, you will not incur a fee (ACH credit payments are subject to a 1% fee that is fully reimbursable to the receiver's Payoneer account). If your client decides to pay you via credit card, they can decide whether to take on any applicable credit card fees or pass fees to you. Payoneer will issue a one-time refund to the receiver's Payoneer account for all credit card fees upon reaching a $5,000 volume.

How will I be able to withdraw funds from my Payoneer account, and what does it cost?

You can withdraw funds from Payoneer to your bank account. Payoneer will charge you a 1.50 fee (USD, GBP or EUR) in your local currency for same currency local bank transfer withdrawals from your Payoneer account to your bank account. If you incur this specific fee related to a TopTracker transaction, please email toptracker@toptal.com with the supporting details, and we will reimburse you.
For withdrawals to bank accounts in different currencies, you will incur up to a 2% conversion cost from Payoneer (with no added transaction fee). You will also be able to withdraw funds via USD Wire Transfers, or load funds to a Prepaid Card (you can find and review the terms and conditions associated with using these payment methods at Payoneer's website).

I haven't received my payment sent via Payoneer, what should I do?

Please keep in mind that processing transfers via Payoneer might take up to several days. If you feel that too much time has passed since the funds should be credited to your account, please log in to your Payoneer account for verification of transaction status. It is also a good practice to communicate with your client and request a payment status verification on his side. For all other questions and solutions, please refer directly to the Payoneer Support Center.

I have sent an invoice to the client and did not receive any response. What should I do?

TopTracker is not an intermediary between Client and Freelancer and we do not take a side in any disputes or refund claims between parties. It is advisable to always keep in mind best practices of communication and collaboration while beginning a project. We always recommend that parties set clear guidelines and boundaries, communicate effectively and professionally, be honest and open with all feedback, progress information, and estimations.

I’m a client and have a dispute with a freelancer. I’m not satisfied with the level of service and/or the work product I received. Can I get a refund of a payment I made through TopTracker?

TopTracker is not an intermediary between Client and Freelancer, and we do not take a side in any disputes or refund claims between parties, including any commercial or business or similar disputes. Payments go directly from payer to payee via our payment partner, Payoneer. Thus TopTracker is not able to get involved in any billing or refund claims or similar disputes. We would urge you to contact the freelancer in question directly to request a refund or discuss corrections or improvement to the services.

How does TopTracker prevent fraud?

Payments made through TopTracker go directly from payer to payee via our payment partner, Payoneer. TopTracker is not responsible for any unauthorized activity or fraud attempts relating to any utilization of the Payoneer payment platform. Payoneer has invested substantial time and resources in the latest security protocols and technologies to create and maintain a secure environment so you can access your account and manage your financial transactions with peace of mind. For more information about fraud prevention, please refer to Payoneer’s Security Center.

Who can I contact for any other questions or support on related items?

Contact us at toptracker@toptal.com and we’ll be happy to help!

FAQ | TopTracker - Time Tracking App (2024)

FAQs

Which is the best time tracking solution? ›

Top 6 time tracking apps
  • My Hours: Best for running profitable projects. ...
  • Toggl Track: Best for simple time tracking. ...
  • Harvest: Best for invoicing time and materials. ...
  • QuickBooks Time: Best with integrating with QuickBooks. ...
  • Replicon: Best for complex setups and enterprises. ...
  • Timely: Best for visual task and project planning.

Can Clockify see what you're doing? ›

Clockify uses cookies for login, and Google Analytics for tracking what pages people visit on our website (all data is anonymized). Clockify is a manual timer and time logger, meaning it has data that you put in it (both regarding what you're working on and when you're working).

Is time tracking micromanaging? ›

It Is Viewed As Micromanaging

Many employees view time tracking and simple employee scheduling app merely as a way for management to micromanage their work even more than they already are. It is often taken as a sign that they are not trusted to complete their assigned tasks independently.

What is the main purpose for using time tracking? ›

Time tracking allows you to make more intelligent decisions about how you price and run projects, how you schedule your team, and even how you spend your day.

What is a good app to keep track of work hours? ›

Clockify is the most popular free work timer app that lets you and your team track how much time you spend on tasks and activities.

Which tool will be used to track the day to day operations in real time? ›

Toggl. Toggl is a simple and easy-to-use time-tracking tool. It allows you to create projects, create tasks within your projects, and track the time of each task. It's as simple as clicking a start and stop button as you complete your daily tasks.

Does Clockify track your screen? ›

Clockify doesn't capture screenshots by default. But, if your workspace is on the Pro, or Enterprise subscription plan, admin can enable screenshot capturing in workspace settings. Screenshot can only be captured if you have the screenshot recording app installed and running (Windows/Mac).

Does Clockify record idle time? ›

Idle detection #

While tracking time, Clockify browser extension can detect when you're away from your computer so you don't accidentally log that time. The extension detects when you're inactive based on your mouse and keyboard movements.

How do I know if Clockify is taking screenshots? ›

All workspace members will receive a notification when screenshot capturing is enabled via both the web and the desktop app. User has to install the screenshot recording app.

Is Tracking time good? ›

Research shows that people who keep track of their time more frequently are better at it. They track their work in more detail and further fine-tune their sense of productivity. This fine-tuning helps them stop spending too much time on distractions. It also helps them identify and stop multitasking.

Should I track my time? ›

Tracking your time will obviously make you more aware of where your minutes go throughout the day. But even more importantly, tracking your time allows you to identify the activities that are misusing, or wasting, your time.

Does time tracking improve productivity? ›

Time tracking helps you see the unproductive tasks you engage with, the time spent on them, and how often you procrastinate. This way, you can work on improving yourself by lessening the unproductive tasks and procrastination, which is the killer of productivity.

Why is time keeping important? ›

'Timekeeping is important because it demonstrates your commitment and reliability, whether it is for a job interview, a business lunch or work each morning,' says Nikki Turberville, manager at Michael Page Financial Service.

Why daily time record is important? ›

WHAT IS DAILY TIME RECORD AND WHAT IS ITS PURPOSE? Daily Time Record (DTR) is the process of monitoring and organizing time information. Far from just being a way to monitor the attendance of an employee, having a DTR system allows a company to effectively manage its employees by providing adequate data.

Why are tracking apps good? ›

Parents who use tracking apps to monitor their children's activity can help protect them from things like bullying, drugs and alcohol, sexting, smoking, and more. Trackers also allow you to get in touch with your child when necessary so they don't get themselves into trouble unknowingly.

What are some ways you can keep track of employee time? ›

At a glance: How you can track employee hours worked
  • Pen and paper.
  • Desktop or kiosk time clocks.
  • Mobile apps.
  • Geofencing and GPS tracking.
  • Biometric clock-in.
  • Browser plug-ins and URL tracking.
18 May 2022

How do you keep track of time spent on tasks? ›

How to Keep Track of Time Worked?
  1. Paper Timesheets. The paper method is the simplest way to track time. ...
  2. Spreadsheets. Another way of tracking time is by using Excel spreadsheets. ...
  3. Time Tracking Software. ...
  4. Asana. ...
  5. Boomr. ...
  6. Teamwork Projects. ...
  7. Basecamp. ...
  8. Trello.

What tools can help you manage time? ›

10 Tools That Will Help You Improve Your Time Management Skills
  • Toggl Plan. If you are a busy project manager, this software will really help you get things done. ...
  • Toggl Track. ...
  • Trello. ...
  • Evernote. ...
  • Dropbox. ...
  • Noisli. ...
  • Focus@Will. ...
  • MyLifeOrganized(MLO)
3 days ago

What are some examples of time management? ›

Time management examples
  • Planning.
  • To-do lists and checklists.
  • Prioritizing.
  • Evaluating urgent tasks.
  • Goal setting.
  • Auditing and improving workflows.
  • Filtering notifications.
  • Setting thoughtful deadlines.
10 Jan 2021

Is Clockify completely free? ›

Clockify is a time tracker and timesheet app that lets you track work hours across projects. Unlimited users, free forever. Start tracking time — It's Free!

How do employees use Clockify? ›

If your employees have an email and a personal phone or a computer, they can download an app and track time on their own.
  1. Create a free Clockify account.
  2. Invite employees by adding their email.
  3. Employee accepts the invite.
  4. Employee downloads a mobile app.
  5. Employee logs in and starts/stop the timer as they work.
24 Aug 2022

Does Clockify sell data? ›

COING does not sell your personal information

COING does not sell personal information, including personal information of anyone under 18 years of age.

Does Clockify have pomodoro? ›

Pomodoro timer #

If you're using Clockify browser extension you can set up notifications to let you know when it's time to take a short break with the Pomodoro timer.

Who uses Clockify? ›

Clockify is used by everyone from freelancers, small businesses, and agencies, to government institutions, NGOs, universities, and Fortune 500 companies.

How do you record your time? ›

Another practical method of recording time is by using the Pomodoro technique. This method consists of 25-minute work sessions (Pomodoros), followed by 5-minute breaks between work intervals. Now, to track your work sessions, you should utilize either a Pomodoro timer app, like Clockify, or your kitchen timer.

How do you set break time in Clockify? ›

To track time on a short break in Clockify, simply create a project called "Break Time" in the Projects section of the app - each time you go on a break, add a description to your break, and then add it to the "Break Time" project.

Where is Clockify located? ›

The main data location is Frankfurt, Germany.

How do I use Clockify extension? ›

Tracking time with Clockify's Chrome extension
  1. Create Clockify account. Sign up here for free.
  2. Install time tracking extension for Chrome. Get Clockify Time Tracker on the Chrome Web Store.
  3. Log in. ...
  4. Start the timer. ...
  5. Enter details. ...
  6. Continue tracking. ...
  7. Start timer from selected text. ...
  8. Track time within other web apps.

Why is it important to track progress? ›

Tracking helps you stay focused on what's important to reaching your goal. It helps you identify potential obstacles and strategies for how to overcome them. It can help you set more realistic goals and stay positive along the way.

Why is tracking productivity important? ›

Employee productivity tracking helps you see what tools are most effective, what times of day prove most productive, and get an overall picture of how and when your employees work best. This information will allow you to create an optimum environment and toolkit to bolster productivity.

How do tracker apps work? ›

The app starts covertly monitoring the targeted device and sends you updates in real-time, which can be accessed via an online browser-based dashboard from anywhere. The app allows you to track and read the targeted phone's text messages, social media chats, and more.

How do you analyze time? ›

Following these three steps will help you gain control of your time.
  1. 1) Understand where your time is going. ...
  2. 2) Analyze how you spend your time. ...
  3. Are you doing work you should not be doing? ...
  4. Are some activities taking too long? ...
  5. Where are you wasting time? ...
  6. Do you have too much on your plate? ...
  7. 3) Set time management goals.

How do I log my time at work? ›

Then, follow these steps of time tracking:
  1. Start working on the first task. ...
  2. Turn on a stopwatch and focus on work.
  3. Turn off a stopwatch once you've finished with the task.
  4. Add the end time and the total time. ...
  5. Add your breaks, too. ...
  6. Repeat this process for every task throughout the day.
13 Jun 2022

How do you track time in a project? ›

Here are 5 simple ways that time tracking makes you a project management rock star:
  1. Understand how long tasks really take to complete and plan accordingly. ...
  2. Keep your teams on track and focused. ...
  3. Estimate how long tasks take for each team member. ...
  4. Be strict when you need to be. ...
  5. Choose a helpful time tracker app.

How do you track productivity? ›

Use our top ten tips to track and improve employee productivity on your projects today.
  1. Embrace project management technology.
  2. Check in daily.
  3. Focus on results, not hours worked.
  4. Set clear expectations.
  5. Track performance.
  6. Be transparent with communication.
  7. Reward quality, not just quantity.
  8. Use positive reinforcement practices.
22 Sept 2021

How can tracking your time help you Class 10? ›

It helps us to get the most important task done first and also to track what is pending. We have a control over our activities and time. We avoid time wasters like chatting on the phone, surfing gossip sites, etc., and focus on more important things. We identify and note where we have spent our time.

What is timekeeping system? ›

A timekeeping system is a means of capturing employee hours at the source and then calculating the time worked and time off based on the rules and policies established by the employer. When automated with software, this process is often more efficient and accurate.

Does Google have a time tracker? ›

Using Google Workspace with TrackingTime allows you to track time while using all Google apps, such as Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Docs, Google Sheets, Google Slides and Google Tasks. Get automatic timesheets and enjoy TrackingTime's in-depth analytics.

Is Clockify free forever? ›

Time tracking software used by millions. Clockify is a time tracker and timesheet app that lets you track work hours across projects. Unlimited users, free forever. Start tracking time — It's Free!

How do I track time in Excel? ›

To quickly enter the current time in Excel, use the keyboard shortcut: Ctrl + Shift + ;
  1. When you start a task, use the shortcut to enter the start time in one cell.
  2. When you finish working on a task, use the shortcut in an adjacent cell, to enter the end time.
23 Feb 2012

How do you keep track of time? ›

There are two ways you can keep track of time: Measure working time using a timer - start tracking time when you start working on something and stop when you finish (or when you switch to a different activity). Add time manually later - approximate and enter all your time entries at the end of the day/week.

Is Google tracking free? ›

Google Analytics gives you the tools, free of charge, to understand the customer journey and improve marketing ROI.

How do freelancers track hours? ›

Toggl is a lightweight time tracking app for freelancers who like simplicity and want to easily track work hours spent on particular projects and tasks. Automatic time tracking: You can use the automatic tracker in Toggl on all platforms and with add-ons. The desktop timer also includes the Pomodoro timer.

How do you track time on Gmail? ›

How to track time in Gmail
  1. Create Clockify account. Sign up here for free.
  2. Install our browser extension for time tracking. Get extension for Chrome or Firefox.
  3. Start timer inside Gmail. Clockify timer button will automatically appear in all Gmail emails.
  4. Timer starts ticking. ...
  5. Run time reports and manage projects.

Is there a free timesheet? ›

Clockify is a free employee timesheet software with the features of time tracking, reporting, and simplified task management. It enables you to add as many users as you want in the free version. With this tool, you can see how many hours you and employees spend on work and what takes most of their time.

Does Clockify have GPS? ›

Clockify is a simple time clock and timesheet app with GPS clocking and location tracking. Perfect for remote field workers who need to track worksites. Start tracking time — It's Free!

How does a Clockify work? ›

The Clockify dashboard shows managers what their employees are working on, and they can track hours by project or team and run reports. Once an employee submits their time, a manager can approve their hours or make changes as needed before submitting the timesheet to payroll.

How do you log work hours? ›

At a glance: How you can track employee hours worked
  1. Pen and paper.
  2. Desktop or kiosk time clocks.
  3. Mobile apps.
  4. Geofencing and GPS tracking.
  5. Biometric clock-in.
  6. Browser plug-ins and URL tracking.
18 May 2022

How do I record hours worked in Excel? ›

How to Calculate Hours Worked in Excel - YouTube

How do you track time on sheets? ›

To use the Google Sheets integration, you need to: Install the Time Doctor desktop app and Chrome extension. Click on the timer button on the top of the Google Sheet to track time.

How do tracker apps work? ›

The app starts covertly monitoring the targeted device and sends you updates in real-time, which can be accessed via an online browser-based dashboard from anywhere. The app allows you to track and read the targeted phone's text messages, social media chats, and more.

How do you track employees daily activities? ›

Great Apps to Measure and Track Employee Productivity
  1. Asana. Asana is one of the leading cross-platform task tracking and project collaboration apps on the market. ...
  2. Basecamp. ...
  3. Google Apps. ...
  4. DropBox. ...
  5. Rescue Time. ...
  6. Toggl. ...
  7. Remember the Milk. ...
  8. Evernote.
28 Apr 2022

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