Auto-tracking

What is Auto-tracking, and how it works?

One of the main problems of manual time tracking is that we always tend to forget about triggering the timer when we start working or pausing it when we are done. Timemator can do it for you, fully automatically. We call it Auto-tracking. You can tell Timemator when it should trigger the timer by creating auto-tracking rules.

In general, it goes like this:

Depending on your workflow, you can set up auto-tracking rules for each of your tasks, so you will never need to start/pause the timer manually again.

How to enable Auto-tracking

To be able to run auto-tracking, Timemator needs your permission to use the accessibility API of your system. Follow the steps below to activate it.

• Open the Timemator settings window (Menu → Timemator → Setting…) and switch to the "Tracking" tab. In the Auto-tracking section, press the "Activate" button to proceed.
• Follow the steps described in the activation window to enable accessibility permission.
  • Open System Settings and go to Privacy & Security → Accessibility.
  • Activate the switch next to Timemator (you will be required to enter your password or Touch ID).
  • For systems older than macOS Ventura, click the lock icon first to make changes and then check the box next to Timemator.
  • Now you can close the settings window and return to Timemator.
• After you have completed all the steps, you should see a success message.
  That's it — Auto-tracking is activated! You can start to create your auto-tracking rules.

How to create auto-tracking rules

To create auto-tracking rules for an individual task:

• Go to the task list, move the mouse pointer over the selected task and click on the button with the lightning icon (auto-tracking rules)
• To create the first rule, click on the + button at the bottom of the rules area and select the type of rule you want to select. For example Working on a File (alternatively you can just drag & drop the file into the rules area)
• A new rule entry will appear in the list. Here you can select the file you want Timemator to trigger the timer based on.
• In the section below you can set up how Timemator should observe you working on the file before it finally starts the timer. This will prevent false triggering if you open this file accidentally or switched to it just for a short period.
• Press Save, and you’re done! Now you can open the file you’ve configured and watch auto-tracking in action!

Combination of rules

With a combination, you can group rules together. Timemator will start the timer only if ALL rules apply at the same time.

Trigger options

In the section below the rule list, you can specify what exactly should happen if any of the rules or combinations apply.

• You can either let Timemator start/pause the timer automatically or only let it notify you if you want more control over your time tracking.
• You can also let Timemator only start the timer, so you can pause it manually afterward.

Temporary block auto-tracking

Sometimes you open the working environment just temporarily (for example to look something up) but you don’t want to start time tracking for it. You can temporarily cancel auto-tracking

• if you click on the start button while Timemator pre-counts auto-tracking for your task (you will see a cancel-icon on mouse hover)
• of if Timemator has already automatically started the timer, press the pause button. Timemator will block auto-tracking for this task until the end of your working session

The blocked auto-tracking state will be indicated by an orange dot on the top-right corner of the status bar item or the OFF button within the task list. You can press the OFF button to unblock auto-tracking for the task back.

Deactivate auto-tracking

In case you want to temporarily take over control of your time tracking, you can deactivate auto-tracking

• for individual tasks by turning off the switch in the rules configuration of this task
  
  
  
• for all tasks by turning off the switch in the Auto-tracking section of the settings window