A time entry is the basic unit of time tracking. It's one row in your timesheet: what you worked on, for how long, and when. Each entry typically includes a start time, end time (or duration), project or client, task description, and sometimes tags or categories.
Components of a Time Entry
Every useful time entry needs:
- Duration - How long you worked (e.g., 2 hours 15 minutes)
- Project or client - Who the work was for
- Description - What you actually did
- Date - When the work happened
- Billable status - Whether this time can be invoiced
Optional but helpful:
- Tags - Categories like "design", "meeting", "bugfix"
- Hourly rate - For calculating billable amount
- Notes - Additional context for you or the client
Manual vs Automatic Entry
Manual entry means typing in the details after the fact. It's flexible but relies on memory. You might forget tasks or underestimate time.
Automatic entry uses a timer that runs while you work. Start the timer, do the work, stop it. The exact duration gets recorded. More accurate, less guesswork.
Some freelancers use both: timers for focused work, manual entry for meetings or quick tasks.
Best Practices
- Be specific - "Updated homepage hero section" beats "website work"
- Track as you go - Don't reconstruct your day from memory
- Round consistently - 6-minute increments (0.1 hours) are standard
- Review before invoicing - Catch duplicates or errors
The quality of your time entries determines the quality of your invoices. Vague entries make clients question charges. Detailed entries show the value delivered.
Chronobill makes creating time entries fast with smart autocomplete for projects and descriptions, plus one-tap timers for instant tracking.