Remote teams
Hours that log themselves
Members start the timer wherever they work, and their timesheets fill in without a Friday reminder.
- All features
- Automatic Time Tracking
TimesheetsFree, Standard and Elite
Automatic Time Tracking
Automated time tracker that fills timesheets for you
Staffic is an automated time tracker for teams that work on computers. A member starts one timer in the desktop app, and Staffic records the time, keyboard and mouse activity, apps and URLs until they stop it. Every session lands in their timesheets on its own, with idle time shown separately on the Standard and Elite plans.
- Free for up to 3 members
- No credit card
- Starts when
- A member starts the desktop timer
- Activity
- From keyboard and mouse input, every plan
- Idle time
- Shown as neutral time on Standard and Elite
- Manual time
- Standard and Elite, logged with a reason
- Desktop apps
- Windows, macOS and Linux
In short
What is Staffic Automatic Time Tracking?
Staffic Automatic Time Tracking is how the Staffic desktop app records work once a member starts the timer. It logs each session's start and end, project, task and activity level from keyboard and mouse input. It also lists the apps and URLs in use and syncs everything to the member's timesheets. On Standard and Elite, time without input shows as neutral time, and members can add manual time for work away from the computer.
How it works
Start the timer once, Staffic records the rest
Time tracking is automatic once the member starts the timer, and it runs until they stop it.
- 01Pick a task and startThe member chooses a project and task in the desktop app and starts the timer.
- 02Work as usualTime, keyboard and mouse activity, apps and URLs are recorded in the background while they work in their other apps.
- 03Stop when you're doneStopping the timer ends the session. The desktop app syncs it to Staffic, or later if the computer was offline.
- 04Review and correctSessions appear in the timesheets. Admins can delete time that shouldn't count, and manual time fills the gaps on Standard and Elite.
Automated time tracker
Automated time tracking from one start button
Everything below runs on its own while the desktop timer is on. Nothing is recorded while it's off.
Each session carries its start and end time, project, task and activity level, plus the apps and URLs the member used. The desktop app syncs it to Staffic, and time tracked offline syncs when the app reconnects.
- Time on the project and task the member picked
- Activity from keyboard and mouse input
- Apps and URLs on every plan
Members don't type in hours. Each tracked session appears in their daily, weekly and bi-weekly timesheets with its project and task, and the totals add up per day and per period.
- Daily, weekly and bi-weekly timesheets, every plan
- Monthly and custom views on Standard and Elite
- Totals per member and day
While the timer runs, the desktop app notes keyboard and mouse input. Staffic turns it into an activity level for each session and an average per member, so stretches with no input stand out.
- Activity level on every session
- Average activity per member in reports (Standard and Elite)
- An activity level, not the keys typed
Tracked time without keyboard or mouse input counts as idle. As idle time tracking software, Staffic keeps it in the member's hours and shows it as neutral time beside active time on Standard and Elite.
- Neutral time shown beside active time
- Idle time marked in Timesheet Approval (Elite)
- Meeting Idle Time Track switch on Standard and Elite
The timer also lists the apps and websites a member used in each session, such as Cursor, Slack or figma.com in the demo. It runs on every plan, and admins can switch Application Tracking and URL Tracking off.
- Apps per tracked session
- Websites per tracked session
- Usage report on Standard and Elite
On Standard and Elite, the desktop app can also capture screenshots while the timer runs: 2 per 10 minutes by default, and Elite admins can pick 1, 2 or 3. Each capture shows the project, task and activity level of its 10-minute block.
- Captured only while the timer runs
- Activity level on every capture
- Kept for 365 days
When a member forgot the timer or worked without the app, they can add manual time with a project and a reason, if your admin allows it. Each entry is up to 24 hours, can't overlap tracked time and shows in the Manual Time report.
- Standard and Elite plans
- Allowed or blocked in Settings, Timesheet
- Every change logged with its reason
Showing What the timer records.
Control and privacy
Automatic tracking with clear limits
Nothing is recorded until a member starts the timer, and admins decide what the timer collects.
- Recording starts and stops with the member's timer in the desktop app
- Staffic stores an activity level from keyboard and mouse input, not the keys a member types
- Admins switch keyboard and mouse, app and URL tracking on or off in Settings, Activity
- Switch tracking off for a single member on Standard and Elite
- Members see their own sessions, activity and manual time in the web app
Set it up
How to set up automatic time tracking in Staffic
Five steps from install to the first automatic timesheet. Steps 3 and 4 need the Standard or Elite plan.
- 01
Install the desktop app
Each member installs Staffic on Windows, macOS or Linux and signs in with their Staffic account.
Download Staffic - 02
Choose what the timer records
Switch Application Tracking, URL Tracking and Keystroke And Mouse Track on or off for the organization.
Settings › Activity - 03
Set meeting idle time
Turn on Meeting Idle Time Track so quiet time in Google Meet, Slack huddles and Discord calls isn't counted as idle.
Settings › Activity - 04
Allow manual time
Let members add their own manual time, or leave it to admins.
Settings › Timesheet - 05
Start the timer
Members pick a project and task and start tracking. Their first sessions appear in the daily timesheet.
See Daily Timesheet
Compare
Automatic tracking, manual time or clock-ins
Three ways hours get into Staffic. Here is what each one records.
Swipe the table to compare
| Compare | Automatic trackingThis page | Manual timeAdded by hand | Clock In/OutStart and end of the day |
|---|---|---|---|
| How time gets in | Recorded while the desktop timer runs | Typed in with a start, end and reason | First and last tracked time of each day |
| Activity, apps and URLs | Recorded | Not recorded | Not shown |
| Plans | Every plan, including Free | Standard and Elite | Standard and Elite |
| Best for | Work on the computer | Calls and work away from the desk | When each day started and ended |
| Link | You are here | Manual time | Clock In/Out |
Specs and terms
Automatic Time Tracking at a glance
The facts behind the feature, and what each number on the Automatic Time Tracking page means.
Specifications
- Starts
- When the member starts the desktop timer
- Recorded per session
- Start, end, project, task, activity level, apps and URLs
- Activity
- Share of tracked time with keyboard or mouse input
- Idle time
- No input for 50 seconds or more; kept in tracked hours as neutral time (Standard and Elite)
- Stops on its own
- After 5 minutes without input, or when the computer sleeps or locks
- Meetings
- With Meeting Idle Time Track on, quiet time in Google Meet, Slack huddles and Discord calls isn't idle
- Offline
- Sessions sync when the desktop app reconnects
- Manual time
- Standard and Elite; up to 24 hours per entry, not in the future, no overlap
- Desktop apps
- Windows, macOS and Linux
- Settings
- Settings > Activity for tracking, Settings > Timesheet for manual time
- Average Activity73%
- The share of a member's tracked time with keyboard or mouse input, for the dates you picked.
- Active Time4 h 22 m
- Tracked time minus neutral time.
- Neutral Time1 h 39 m
- Tracked time without keyboard or mouse input. It stays in the member's hours and is shown separately.
- Activity on a capture71%
- The activity level of one 10-minute block, shown on its screenshot.
- Change in TimesheetAdded 1 h 00 m
- Manual time added to or deleted from a timesheet, listed in the Manual Time report with its reason.
Who it’s for
Automatic tracking for teams at the computer
For teams whose work happens on a computer and who'd rather not fill in timesheets by hand.
Agencies and studios
Time per task, no timers to babysit
Each session lands on the task the member picked, with its apps and URLs, so client work is easy to check.
Freelancers
A record of every working hour
Your timesheet builds itself while you work. On Standard you can add manual time for calls away from the computer.
Customer stories
What our users say
Stop juggling tools. Staffic gives your team time tracking, projects, payroll and performance analytics in one platform.
Try Staffic for free“Staffic.io brings transparency without micromanagement. Our team feels trusted, and productivity has never been higher.”
Pricing
How much does Staffic Automatic Time Tracking cost?
Automatic Time Tracking is included on every plan, Free included. You pay per active user only when your team grows past 3 members.
Compare every planFree$0forever, for up to 3 membersEvery core feature, Automatic Time Tracking included
Standard$5.50$1per user / month, billed yearlyOffer price until Sep 12, 2027Everything in Free without the 3 member limit, plus Screenshots, Monthly Timesheets and 7 more
Elite$5.80per user / month, billed yearlyAdds Live Feed, Screen Recordings, Timesheet Approval and 5 more
Prices in USD per active user. Billed monthly, Standard is $7.50 and Elite is $9.80 per user.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Answers about automatic time tracking and idle time in Staffic.
Read the docsWhat is automatic time tracking?
Automatic time tracking records work time without anyone typing in hours. In Staffic, a member starts one timer in the desktop app, and it records the time, project, task, activity, apps and URLs until they stop it. Each session then appears in their timesheets on its own.
How does automatic time tracking know when someone is working?
It starts when the member starts the timer and checks for keyboard and mouse input while it runs. Time with input counts as active, and tracked time without input shows as neutral time on the Standard and Elite plans. Nothing is recorded while the timer is off.
Is automatic time tracking accurate?
Yes, for time spent at the computer: each session records its real start and end time instead of hours remembered at the end of the week. Activity levels and neutral time show how much of that time had input. Manual time is listed separately with a reason, so you can tell recorded and added hours apart.
How does idle time detection work?
The desktop app checks for keyboard and mouse input while the timer runs, and any stretch with no input for 50 seconds or more counts as idle. Companies track idle time with system idle time tracker software like this, because it only needs the app on the work computer. In Staffic, idle time stays in the member's hours and shows as neutral time on Standard and Elite.
Can employees add manual time when needed?
Yes, on the Standard and Elite plans, when an admin allows it in Settings, Timesheet. Members add the start and end time, a project, an optional task and a reason, up to 24 hours per entry. Admins can add time for anyone, and each addition shows in the Manual Time report.
Does automatic tracking work in the background?
Yes. Once the timer is running, members work in their other apps as usual, and the desktop app records time, activity, apps and URLs in the background. It stops on its own after 5 minutes without input, or when the computer sleeps or locks.
Can I review and edit automatic time entries?
Yes. Admins see every session in the timesheets, can delete time that shouldn't count, and can add manual time on Standard and Elite. Each change appears in the Manual Time report with the member, the date and the reason, and on Elite managers can approve or reject each timesheet.
How is automatic tracking different from a timer?
A plain timer records only when you start and stop. Staffic's automated time tracker starts the same way, but while it runs it also records keyboard and mouse activity, apps and URLs. As a computer idle time tracker, it also separates time without input, and it files each session under its project and task.
How much does it cost to use Automatic Time Tracking?
Every plan includes Automatic Time Tracking. Free covers up to 3 members. Standard is $5.50 per user per month billed yearly ($1.00 during the current offer, until September 12, 2027) or $7.50 billed monthly, and Elite is $5.80 per user per month billed yearly or $9.80 billed monthly.
Explore more
Explore more features
Timesheets
Employee Time Tracking
Staffic tracks employee time on projects and tasks with desktop apps, then turns it into timesheets, reports and approvals. Free for up to 3 members.
Manual Time
Add the hours the timer missed with a project and a required reason, and see every manual add and deleted hour in the Manual Time report.
Settings
Settings is where admins choose what Staffic tracks, set timesheet rules and build Access Control roles, with each switch marked by its plan.
Time & Activity Report
The Time & Activity Report shows each member's time worked, average activity, active time and neutral time for every day you pick.
Apps
See which desktop apps each member used in every tracked session, with its project, task and time. Included on every plan, including Free.
Screenshots
Screen monitoring that captures screenshots only while the timer runs, each filed with its time range, project, task and activity level.
Free for up to 3 members
See the work, not just the hours.
Create your workspace, invite your team, and the first timesheet builds itself.
- No credit card
- 7-day trial on paid plans
- Windows, macOS, Linux
