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von Kronux Team invoicing

Time Tracking for Invoicing: A Freelancer's Guide

Invoicing is easier when you have the numbers. “12 hours on Project X” with a clear breakdown beats vague estimates. Time tracking gives you that—if you do it right. Here’s how to set up tracking that actually supports invoicing.

Why Time Logs Matter for Invoicing

  • Evidence — Clients may ask “what did you do?” A log shows exactly.
  • Accuracy — You invoice what you worked, not what you guessed.
  • Trust — Detailed breakdowns build confidence. Clients see you’re transparent.
  • Disputes — If a client questions hours, you have data. No scrambling.

What to Track

For invoicing, you need:

  • Client or project — Every block tagged
  • Date and duration — When and how long
  • Brief description (optional) — “Homepage design,” “API integration,” “Revisions”
  • Billable vs. non-billable — Some work (emails, admin) might not be billed. Tag it.

Automatic vs. Manual for Billing

Manual timers work if you’re strict. Start when you switch to a client, stop when you stop. Automatic tracking is easier—it captures everything, and you categorize by client later. Either way, the key is consistency and a category per client.

Exporting for Invoicing

Your time tracker should export to CSV or integrate with invoicing tools (FreshBooks, Harvest, QuickBooks). A typical workflow: review blocks weekly, mark billable, export by client, import or paste into your invoicing system. Tools that keep data local should still export—your data, your format.

Privacy When Billing

If you track automatically, your tool sees app names and sometimes window titles. Client names might appear. For invoicing, you need that data—but you don’t need it in the cloud. Local-first tracking keeps logs on your Mac. You export what you need for invoices; nothing sits on a third-party server.

Tips

  1. Categorize daily or weekly — Don’t wait until invoice time. Clean logs regularly.
  2. Use rules — “Email to @client.com = Client A.” Automate what you can.
  3. Round fairly — Some people round to 15 min. Be consistent. Document your policy.
  4. Keep exports — Save CSV or PDF backups. Useful for taxes and disputes.

Time tracking for invoicing isn’t just about logging—it’s about having clean, defensible data when it’s time to get paid.