Get Paid for Every Minute: How the Best Agencies and Solopreneurs Use Notion for Accurate Project Time Tracking
✨ This post includes a Notion template and video tutorial.
Mastering Time Tracking in Notion
Time tracking is a crucial component of project management, especially if you charge your clients an hourly rate. Accurately tracking time ensures transparency, improves accountability, and enables better project planning and billing. With Notion, you can create a powerful and flexible time tracking system tailored to your specific needs that seamlessly integrates into your project management system.
Many users have complained about the lack of task time tracking in Notion. Now, there's a workaround!
If you already manage your clients’ projects in Notion, why not track your billable hours there too and keep everything in one place?
Why Use Notion for Time Tracking?
Notion’s versatility makes it an excellent option for time tracking. Unlike traditional time tracking tools, Notion offers complete customization to align with your workflows. Whether you’re managing clients, tracking hours for specific tasks, or analyzing your team's productivity, Notion can streamline it all within a single workspace, for a single price.
The Core Components of a Time Tracking System
A robust time tracking system in Notion can be built using three interconnected databases: Customers (or Projects), Tasks, and Time Tracking. Here's a breakdown of how these databases work together.
1. Customers Database
This database houses all your client information, including email addresses, estimated revenue, and contact details. By linking tasks and time logs to specific clients, you can maintain a structured overview of the progress.
- Use built-in templates with self-referential filters for easy setup.
- Customize task tags and names to suit your workflow, such as "Communication," "Project Delivery," or "Post-Implementation Support."
PRO TIP: Use the automation button to populate default tasks for new clients or projects if your process is rather similar for all the clients. Customize these tasks to fit your business needs.
2. Tasks Database
This database allows you to assign and track tasks for each client. By linking tasks to the relevant customer, you can view progress and completion rates for each client.
- Progress is calculated based on task completion rates, keeping you informed of project status.
3. Time Tracking Database
The time tracking database is where you record and analyze the time spent on each task. You can log time manually or use a "Start Tracking" button to streamline the process.
- Time logs are grouped by day, providing daily summaries of work.
- Each client page shows aggregate time data for specific tags like "Communication" or "Project delivery".
Benefits of Using Notion for Time Tracking
- Customization: Tailor the system to fit your specific workflows and business needs.
- Centralization: Keep all client, task, and time data in one place.
- Scalability: Whether you’re a solo freelancer or managing a team, this system scales with your business.
- Insightful Analytics: Use aggregated data to evaluate productivity and optimize resource allocation. Use Notion charts for visual reports.
Ready to Get Started?
By leveraging Notion’s flexibility and automation capabilities, you can build a time tracking system that not only saves you time but also enhances your productivity and project management.
Whether you’re billing clients, managing team workloads, or analyzing project progress, Notion can be your all-in-one solution for time tracking.
✨ Download this Notion template here:
This system can integrate seamlessly with your existing Notion project management setup. You can customize database properties to track and analyze time for your entire team. Many semi-advanced Notion users rely on this system, particularly when working with hourly-paid freelancers.
Do you need an expert to integrate such a system into your existing workflow?
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