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Track End-User Guide

Learn the essentials of Toggl Track, from logging time to running reports and managing your account. 

Based on your request, here is an onboarding guide tailored for a new individual user (freelancer, student, or personal productivity enthusiast) who doesn't need team features.

Welcome to Toggl Track! This guide is designed to help you master time tracking for your own personal workflow—whether you are freelancing, studying, or just want to see where your time goes.

1. The Basics: How to Track Time

The Timer Page is your main command center. There are two primary ways to capture your time here.

Timer Mode (Real-Time Tracking)

This is the default mode, best for when you are about to start a task.

  • How to use: Navigate to the Timer page and click the pink "Play" button in the top right corner.

  • Stop the timer: When you are finished, click the red "Stop" button.

Tip: You can add details (description, project, tags) while the timer is running or after you stop it.

Manual Mode (Adding Past Time)

Use this if you forgot to start the timer or want to log a completed activity (e.g., "Read a book for 30 mins").

  • Switching modes: Click the Plus (+) icon next to the play icon (or press the M key on your keyboard).

  • How to use: Enter the start and stop times (or duration) and click "Add".

Tip: Press M on your keyboard to quickly toggle between Timer Mode and Manual Mode.

2. Organizing Your Time

To get useful reports later, you need to categorize your time entries. You don't just want to know that you worked; you want to know what you worked on.

Projects

Projects are the main way to group your time entries (e.g., "Web Design," "Thesis," "House Chores").

  • Create a Project: Go to the Projects tab in the left sidebar and click "New Project."

  • Assigning: When tracking time, type the project name in the timer bar to select it.

  • Color Code: Give each project a distinct color to make your reports visually easy to scan.

Tags

Tags add an extra layer of context across different projects (e.g., "Deep Work," "Meeting," "Admin," "Billable").

  • Why use them: You might have a "Web Design" project and a "Thesis" project. You can use a "Deep Work" tag on entries for both to see how much focused work you did total.

Clients (Optional)

Even if you are a solo user, "Clients" can be useful.

  • Freelancers: Use this for actual clients.

  • Personal Users: You can use "Clients" as a broad category folder (e.g., Client = "University" for projects "Math" and "History").

3. Analyzing Your Data (Reports)

Once you have tracked time for a few days, the Reports section becomes powerful.

Summary Report

  • Best for: A high-level overview. "How much time did I spend on Design this week?"

  • Features: View charts and graphs breaking down time by Project or Client.

Detailed Report

  • Best for: Reviewing specific entries or billing.

  • Features: Shows a line-by-line list of every time entry. You can filter by date, project, or tag.

4. Key Concepts & Settings

Organizations

  • What they are: An Organization is a "container" for all your data.

  • For Solo Users: You likely only need one organization.

  • Warning: Organizations are silos. If you accidentally create a second organization, time tracked there will not show up in your main organization's reports. Always check which organization is active in the top-left of the sidebar.

Desktop & Mobile Apps

You don't have to keep the browser tab open.

  • Mobile (iOS/Android): Great for tracking habits or tasks away from the desk.

  • Desktop (Mac/Windows): These apps often have features like "Idle Detection" (reminds you to discard time if you walked away) and "Pomodoro Timer."

5. Managing Your Account

Keep your account secure and up to date by accessing your Profile Settings.

Log In Options

You can log in using your email and password, or use third-party authentication for convenience:

  • Google or Apple Sign-In: Link your Google or Apple account for one-click access.

  • Passkeys: Set up a passkey to log in using biometric data (FaceID, TouchID) or your device's PIN, skipping the password entirely.

Resetting Your Password

If you ever forget your password:

  1. Go to the Password Reset Page.

  2. Enter your email address.

  3. Check your inbox for a reset link.

  • Note: If you use Google or Apple Sign-In, you won't have a separate Toggl password to reset unless you created one specifically.

Updating Personal Details

Navigate to the Profile page to update:

  • Timezone: Ensures your reports align with your local time.

  • Email Address: Keep this current to receive important account notifications.

6. Quick Tips for Success

  • Be Descriptive: Instead of just "Working," write "Writing blog post intro." Future-you will thank you when reviewing reports.

  • Use Shortcuts: Learn keyboard shortcuts to start/stop timers instantly.