// guide
Manual vs automatic time tracking
Manual tracking relies on a person starting a timer or entering hours. Automatic tracking records computer activity in the background, which the team can review afterward.
Choose based on the work you need to record, the review your team can sustain and the data people agree to share.
// manual entries
When manual tracking fits
Manual entries let a person name the work and record its duration. Harvest, for example, supports duration or start-and-end-time entry modes in its timesheet settings.
Consider this approach when work happens away from a computer or when people can reliably assign time to a client as they work. Agree on when entries are due and how to correct a forgotten timer. A completed timesheet still needs review.
// background capture
When automatic tracking fits
Background capture gives computer-based teams an activity record to review instead of relying on timer habits. Rize describes this workflow in its automatic tracking documentation and provides a separate time-entry review guide.
Chronologue records apps, sites, window titles and activity levels while a person is signed in to the desktop app. Its AI answers link claims to the underlying activity. See the recorded data and features.
Review the record with the person who did the work. A foreground app does not explain every meeting, offline task or client decision. Computer activity alone does not establish output quality or billable time.
// choosing a workflow
Check the record before choosing
- Pick a representative workday that includes meetings, focused work and tasks away from the computer. Ask the person to compare the record with the work they remember.
- Check who can see activity, whether screenshots are optional and how long data stays available. Read our privacy policy before a trial.
- Review the time before using it for payroll or invoices. Decide how people can explain gaps and correct records.
- Compare the full team cost, including minimum seats and billing period. The Chronologue pricing page explains both.
// questions
Common questions
What is the difference between manual and automatic time tracking?
Manual tracking relies on a person starting a timer or entering hours. Automatic tracking records computer activity in the background, which the team can review afterward.
Does automatic tracking prove that time is billable?
No. An app or website record gives context about computer use. Your team still needs to check the project, the work performed and the billing agreement before approving billable hours.
Does automatic time tracking require screenshots?
It depends on the tool and workspace settings. Chronologue screenshots are optional. Check the data collected, access permissions and retention policy before enabling tracking.
Sources checked on 26 October 2026. Vendor documentation describes those products; it does not establish comparative accuracy or time savings.
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