Automatic tracking

Record your time or activity on its own, for example from the apps and websites you use, without starting a timer.
On this pageWhat it is

What it is

Automatic tracking records what you work on without you pressing start and stop. The tool can log which apps, documents and websites you use, or the time spent on tasks and calendar events, and then suggest time entries to review. Toggl, Clockify and Motion offer versions of this, which vary in how much they capture and how you approve the result.

Why it matters

Manual timers are easy to forget, so records end up incomplete or reconstructed from memory at the end of the week. Automatic capture produces a fuller picture, which helps with billing clients accurately and with seeing where time goes. It matters for agencies, freelancers and teams that bill by the hour or measure capacity. It raises privacy questions, so staff should know what is recorded.

What to check

  • What exactly is recorded, and can you pause or delete it.
  • Do you review entries before they count, or are they added automatically.
  • Does it work on desktop, mobile or both.
  • Who can see the data, and can individuals keep some entries private.

Tools with Automatic tracking

  • Toggl logo
    Toggl
    From $9/mo yearly
    Log hours across devices with reporting and billing features for freelancers, agencies and teams.

    Master your workweekFree planAffiliate link

    Sign up on Toggl
  • Motion logo
    Motion
    From $19/mo
    Automatically schedules tasks and meetings onto your calendar with integrated time tracking for teams.

    Master your workweekAffiliate link

    Sign up on Motion

In Master your workweek ranking order; the number is each tool's place. Some of this is collected from public sources and not yet checked by us.

Also in other categories

Tools filed under other categories that have Automatic tracking.