Why Freelancers Should Track Their Time at Project Level

Logging working hours as a freelancer is much more than a tedious obligation – it is an essential tool for accurate invoicing, optimizing workflows, and can even serve as a form of self-care.

Invoicing and Transparency

The most obvious reason for time tracking is invoicing. To bill a client correctly, you need to know how much time was actually spent. Especially if you are paid by the hour, this is crucial. It is also worthwhile to track time at the task level. This allows you to provide clients not only with a total sum but also a transparent breakdown of how much effort went into individual tasks. This builds trust and transparency – for yourself and for your client.

Better Project Estimation

The more detailed your records, the more accurate your future estimates will be. When you need to provide a cost estimate, you can rely on your past data. From previous projects, you learn which tasks are especially time-consuming – allowing you to give more reliable quotes in the future.

Proof in Case of Disputes

Sometimes clients may question billed hours. If you have carefully tracked your work, you can provide a complete record of which activities took how much time. This demonstrates professionalism and protects you from unfounded claims.

Control of Your Own Working Hours

“Self and constantly” – a phrase many freelancers know all too well. Without boundaries, work and personal life blur. Time tracking helps you keep your working hours in check and set conscious limits. Only those who avoid permanent overwork remain productive, creative, and healthy in the long run.

Optimizing Your Workflows

Tracking time at the task level helps you better understand your own work patterns. You might discover that certain tasks take disproportionately long or that you are more productive at specific times of day. These insights help you optimize your workflows and use your time more effectively.

Clear Separation of Unpaid Work

Many freelancers also perform tasks that are not directly billable – like answering emails, writing proposals, or preparing meetings. By consistently tracking your time, you become aware of how much effort goes into such side activities. This allows you to decide whether to include them in your estimates or set clearer boundaries.

Motivation and Progress Tracking

Time tracking can also motivate you: Seeing how many hours you have already invested in a project makes your progress visible. This psychological effect helps you stay committed even during long-term projects.

How ProjectTimeTracker Supports You

Create Time Entries at Project Level

With ProjectTimeTracker you can record your working time across multiple projects. Create time entries for every activity within the corresponding project in the app. This ensures transparency and makes generating invoices effortless.

Export Time Entries

You can export your time entries directly from the app. AirDrop them from your iPhone to your MacBook, upload them to the cloud, or send them via email. Open the exported file in Excel or similar tools to get a table of your working hours. This serves as proof for clients and provides transparency for yourself.

Workload Statistics

Freelancers often face fluctuating workloads. Monitoring weekly and monthly working hours is crucial to avoid overwork and stress. ProjectTimeTracker visualizes your working time in charts – helping you identify trends and care for your health.

Project-Specific Statistics

Project statistics include total working time and charts by day, week, month, and year. If you tag each time entry, you can see exactly how much time was spent on each activity. This not only helps with future estimates but also with optimizing your workflow. For example, as a software developer you might create tags like “Planning”, “Design”, “Development”, “Meetings”… If you notice organizational tasks dominating your time chart, it’s a sign to question priorities.

Conclusion

For freelancers, time tracking is more than a chore – it’s a strategic tool. It ensures transparent invoicing, better estimation, accountability in disputes, conscious control of working hours, workflow optimization, and a clear separation of unpaid tasks.

With ProjectTimeTracker, you get a tool that combines all these benefits in an easy-to-use app. This way, you stay in control of your time and can focus on what really matters: your work.

👉 Start now with the ProjectTimeTracker App and discover how simple time tracking can be for freelancers.

Download now on the App Store