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User Guide
Windows walkthrough for all runtime-selectable editions: Standalone, Salesforce, and Dynamics 365. Includes macOS setup and shared-data notes.1. Getting started
System requirements
- Windows 10 or Windows 11 (64-bit), or macOS 13 or later on Apple Silicon
- The .NET runtime is bundled with the application - nothing extra to install
- Allow space for the extracted application, your time entries, exports, and backups
- Time tracking and licence validation work offline. Update checks and application downloads require an internet connection.
Installation
Windows: download the portable ZIP; no installer is required.
- Download the Windows ZIP
- Extract to any folder (e.g.
C:\Tools\WorkforceTimeTracker\) - Run
WorkforceTimeTracker.exe
macOS: download the Apple Silicon DMG, open it, and drag the app to Applications. Follow the macOS installation guide for Gatekeeper approval and optional Accessibility permission.
2. Main interface overview
The Windows main window combines the timer, client selector, and today's log. The screenshots and detailed control instructions below describe Windows. On macOS, use the native window controls and the labelled Start, Stop, Calendar, CSV, Settings, About, and License buttons; the Windows compact view and overflow menu are not available there.
Windows - dark mode (default)
Windows - light mode
Title bar controls
On Windows, the title bar contains these quick-access controls. On macOS, use the native window controls to minimise and restore the application.
- Week calendar — Open the weekly calendar
- More — Open the menu for auto-tracking, theme, pinning, compact view, opacity, exports, settings, customers, backups, and administration
- Minimise — Minimise to the taskbar without switching views or stopping a running timer. Restore the window using its taskbar button.
- Close — Exit the application. If a session is active, choose whether to save it, discard it, or cancel closing.
Main area
- Client selector — Type or select a client name from the dropdown
- Notes field — Add a brief description for the time entry (e.g. "Admin Configuration")
- Timer display — Shows elapsed time for the current session
- Status indicator — Displays "Ready", "Tracking", or "Paused"
- Recent clients — Quick-select buttons for recently used client names
- Today's log — Lists all time entries recorded today
- Weekly summary — Shows total hours and billable amount for the current week
3. Tracking time on Windows
Starting a timer
- Type or select a client name in the client selector dropdown
- Optionally enter a description in the notes field
- Click the green play button or press
F5(Windows) to start tracking
The timer display updates in real time. On Windows, today's saved total appears above the log, in the taskbar title, and in the tooltip when you hover over the application name.
Pausing and stopping
- Pause — Click the orange pause button. The timer freezes but the session remains active. Resume by clicking play again.
- Stop — Click the red stop button. This saves the entry to today's log and resets the timer.
Switching clients
To switch to a different client mid-day, simply stop the current timer and start a new one with the new client name. You can also click any name in the "Recent" section to pre-fill the client field.
4. Today's log and summaries on Windows
The "Today's Log" section shows all time entries for the current day. Each entry displays the client name, notes, and duration.
Managing entries
- Edit an entry — Click an editable entry in the log to open the edit dialog. You can adjust client name, notes, start time, and end time. Submitted and approved entries are locked.
- Add a manual entry — Click "+ Add" to create an entry for time you forgot to track (e.g. a meeting you didn't log in real-time).
- Copy summary — Click the clipboard icon to copy today's formatted time breakdown to your clipboard, ready to paste into status reports or messages.
- Clear today — Click the delete icon to remove all of today's entries (confirmation required).
Weekly summary
The bar at the bottom of the window shows your total hours for the current week and, if a billable rate is configured, the total billable amount.
5. Exporting to Excel
On Windows, choose More > Export to Excel... to generate an Excel workbook. Settings control which worksheets are included:
- Time Entries — Individual entries with date, client, notes, start, stop, duration, and billable status
- Summary — Total and billable hours grouped by date and client
- Metadata — Export time, application version, user, company, and export settings
The workbook is named worklog.xlsx and is saved to your configured export folder, or your data folder by default. You are asked before overwriting an existing workbook. CSV export is also available from the Windows More menu and the macOS CSV button.
6. Settings and configuration
On Windows, choose More > Settings... to open the settings panel.
On macOS, use the Settings... button in the main window.
The Settings window with user and tracking configuration.
User section
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Display Name | Your name as shown in exports and reports |
| Company | Your organisation name for export headers |
| Contact email saved in your user profile |
Tracking section
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Timezone | Timezone used for entry timestamps. Defaults to your system timezone. |
| Rounding (minutes) | Round completed sessions up to the next interval; 1 rounds up to whole minutes |
| Default billable | Whether new entries are marked as billable by default |
| Require description | If checked, the stop button requires a notes field entry before saving |
| Billable rate | Enable hourly rate tracking to show amounts. Configure a default rate and optional per-client rates; disable hourly rate tracking to hide the amounts. |
7. Windows themes (dark and light mode)
On Windows, choose More > Switch theme to switch between dark and light appearance. Your preference is saved between sessions.
- Dark mode — Reduced eye strain for extended use, especially in low-light environments
- Light mode — Higher contrast for bright environments or personal preference
The main window and More menu follow the selected theme, including menu dividers and the opacity slider.
8. Compact mode on Windows
Compact mode keeps the client selector, notes field, timer, and window controls visible in a smaller window. It hides the recent-client list, today's log, and weekly summary.
On Windows, choose More > Compact view to switch between expanded and compact layouts. The menu item is checked while compact view is active. Your preference is saved between sessions. Minimise is a separate title-bar control and works in either view.
9. Always-on-top and system tray
Always-on-top
On Windows, the window stays above other applications by default. Choose More > Pin window on top to toggle this behaviour.
System tray
When the application is hidden in the Windows system tray, for example after starting minimised, double-click its tray icon to restore the window. The title-bar Minimise button uses the taskbar instead.
Use the title-bar Close button to exit the application.
10. Keyboard shortcuts (Windows)
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
F5 | Start or resume timer |
F7 | Pause timer |
F6 | Stop and save entry |
Ctrl+N | Add manual entry |
Ctrl+E | Export to Excel |
Ctrl+Shift+C | Copy today's summary |
11. Data storage and backup
Settings, customers, and time entries are stored as JSON files. On Windows the default data folder is beside the executable; on macOS it is ~/Library/Application Support/WorkforceTimeTracker/. A configured shared-data folder can replace these defaults.
timeentries.json— All your time tracking entriessettings.json— User preferences, display name, hourly rate, licence keycustomers.json— Client name listorgsettings.json— Edition and organisation preferences
Backup
Close the app before copying your data folder to a safe location. When moving between Windows and macOS, install the matching platform's application and transfer the data files, not the executable. Keep backups private: settings can contain personal details and your licence key.
Data format
Files are standard JSON and can be opened in any text editor. This ensures your data is never locked in a proprietary format.
workforcetimetracker.com/version.json for updates, normally no more than once every four hours; manual checks can run sooner. On macOS, About provides a manual update check. Downloading an update makes a further network request. There is no update-check off switch in Settings. Licence signatures are validated locally.
12. Licensing
Free trial
The application includes a 14-day free trial. All features are available during the trial period. No payment information or account creation is required.
Activating a licence
- Purchase a licence at workforcetimetracker.com
- You will receive a licence key via email
- Open Settings in the application
- Enter your licence key in the Licence field
- Click Save — the licence is validated locally using cryptographic verification
Expiration and renewal
When a subscription expires, a 14-day grace period begins. After the grace period, renew to continue licensed actions such as starting new sessions and exporting. Expiration does not delete your stored time entries.
Pricing
- Monthly: EUR 5 per user per month
- Annual: EUR 50 per user per year (EUR 4.17/month equivalent)
Workforce Time Tracker is an independent third-party product. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to Salesforce, Inc. "Salesforce" is a registered trademark of Salesforce, Inc.
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