Logging time

roberty1y · ‎07-31-2021

I just got an hourly contract for the first time. A lot of the work I'll be doing will be research on other sites before I start writing. Is it possible to log this using the time tracker? I haven't started using the tracker yet, but I understand it only logs screen activity directly on the job, rather than preparation.

02d3e798 · ‎07-31-2021

If its chargeable work you can log it. It takes a screenshot usually about once every 10 mins.

It will log the active window on your PC and monitors keyboard and mouse usage, sometimes thats relevant sometimes its not but you need to use one of those inputs (mouse or keyboard in the timeframe) for it to log your work. I say that because say you are on a Zoom call and just talking for 20 mins if you haven't touched the mouse or keyboard it will not log some or all of that time as chargeable.

ashrafkhan81 · ‎07-31-2021

I spend a lot of time thinking and planning for the job almost on all the jobs, this is entirely offline but I keep the tracker on during this phase there is no activity on the computer but since I am spending time for the project I keep the tracker on.

I also keep the tracker on tracker on during any calls, or long emails in have to write to clients.

Basically any activity that I do specifically for the project, gets logged in.

I never had the problem with clients when when time with no activity is shown on diary. But I make sure the activity log is maintained so the client knows what I was doing.

I'd think research is an important of writing so you should definitely keep the tracker on..make sure you update the notes on tracker.

In addition to the count of mouse and keyboard clicks the tracker also captures screen shots randomly. So the client will know what websites you were visiting.

2a05aa63 · ‎07-31-2021

Robert Y wrote:
I just got an hourly contract for the first time. A lot of the work I'll be doing will be research on other sites before I start writing. Is it possible to log this using the time tracker? I haven't started using the tracker yet, but I understand it only logs screen activity directly on the job, rather than preparation.

Yes. Everything related to work needs to be tracked.

wlyonsatl · ‎08-01-2021

Robert,

As long as you are using your mouse and/or keyboard during each TimeTracker-tracked 10-minute work segment, which you will likely be doing a lot of if your research is online, TimeTracker will notice that.

At any time you can review what TimeTracker has logged on any project by going to the Work Diary for that project. You'll see a green graphic that reflects activity during each tracked 10-minute segment and the screenshot TimeTracker took for each segment. The more green you see in the graphic, the better.

It will be a happy day when Upwork finally links the time its system already tracks for Upwork Zoom or VOIP calls with clients with TimeTracker as incontestible time segments for billing purposes, but that might be a long time coming.

02d3e798 · ‎08-01-2021

For me that video call issue is one of the worst points of the time tracker, it must cost Upwork a lot of money in unbilled time for all the freelancers that do not know or spot that this is the case when on say a call for 30 mins to an hour. Hopefully one day they will analyze that data and realise how much money they and freelancers have lost and fix it.

The system knows the active window name and it isn't hard to program a few lines to say if the active window name includes x (like teams or zoom or even .... upwork etc) then count the time as active.

I would imagine many calls happen early in a job so they are probably losing about 23% on most calls for every 10 mins not logged (freelancer 20%, client 3%) in fees.

roberty1y · ‎08-01-2021

Andrew, Ashraf, Viacheslav, thank you for your help and advice. I just got this job with a tight deadline before I went to bed last night, and I didn't have time to research the time track facility on my own.