Philosophy
Clocktopus is built on a simple idea: follow good practices, and tracking just happens.
The Core Principle
Instead of adding another tool to your workflow, Clocktopus piggybacks on something developers already do: commit code. No timers to start. No apps to switch. No end-of-week reconstruction of “what did I do?”
When you follow good development practices — focused work, regular commits, proper git hygiene — accurate time tracking becomes a natural side effect.
For Developers
Clocktopus encourages practices that make you a better developer while eliminating timesheet busywork.
- Single task focused — One thing at a time. Deep work over scattered attention.
- Unified timeline across projects — No context switching gymnastics. Your work flows naturally.
- Respects planned working hours — The system is built around healthy work boundaries.
- Encourages git commit conventions — Frequent, atomic commits become a natural habit.
- PR reviews are tracked too — Review submissions count as timeline events, just like commits.
- No timesheet admin — It just happens. Zero friction, zero app switching.
Zero Friction
No timers to start or stop. No app to open. No end-of-week scramble to remember what you worked on.
Retroactive Accuracy
Forgot to track something? The commits already captured it. Your history is your timesheet.
Better Git Hygiene
The system rewards frequent, atomic commits. Good practices become natural habits.
Transparent Record
No disputes about billable hours when there's an objective trail of actual work.
For Companies
Objective data, less admin overhead, and natural enforcement of good practices.
- Verify detailed timesheets — Every entry backed by objective commit data.
- Work linked to actual changes — Time entries map directly to code changes and PR reviews.
- Beautiful reports — Clear visibility into where time goes across projects and team members.
- Enforce conventions through design — The tool naturally encourages focused work and good git practices.
Audit Trail
Every time entry is provably linked to actual code changes. Essential for client billing disputes.
Reduces Timesheet Fraud
Hard to claim 8 hours of work when there's only one commit. The data speaks for itself.
Better Project Estimation
Historical data on how long things actually take vs estimates. Improve your planning over time.
Lower Admin Overhead
No more chasing people for late timesheets. No manual data entry errors to fix.
What Gets Tracked
Clocktopus tracks meaningful development activities that represent real work.
Git Commits
Every push to your connected repositories creates timeline events. The time between commits is calculated and logged automatically.
PR Reviews
Pull request reviews are tracked the same way as commits. Submitting a review creates a timeline event, capturing this often-overlooked work.
The key insight: If you're focused on one task at a time, every activity — whether it's a commit or a PR review — naturally falls into place on your single timeline. No special handling needed.
The Promise
Clocktopus won't make you a better developer by itself. But if you're already following good practices — or want to start — it rewards that discipline with effortless, accurate time tracking.
Focus on your code. We'll handle the timesheet.