How do I track time on projects in MONA?
Click Start timer in the top bar, pick a project, and click Stop when done, or add hours with New entry on the Time page. Summary shows hours, pay, and billed per person and project.
Quick answer: click Start timer in the top bar on any page, pick the project, and click Stop when you are done. To add hours after the fact, open Time in the sidebar and click New entry. The Summary tab shows hours, pay, and billed amounts by person and project, and Export downloads a PDF or CSV timesheet.
This article covers time tracking in the browser. If you want MONA to draft your hours from the apps you work in, see How does MONA track my time automatically?.
How do I use the top-bar timer?
- Click Start timer in the top bar. It is on every page; on a phone it is the clock icon.
- Pick the Project. If you start the timer from a project page, that project is filled in.
- Optional: pick a Service (optional) so the right hourly rate applies, and type a Title for what you are working on.
- Tick Billable if the time is for a client.
- Click Start timer. The top bar shows the elapsed time on every page. The timer lives on MONA’s servers, so it survives a reload or switching computers.
- Click Stop. MONA saves the entry and confirms how much was logged to which project.
You can run one timer at a time. Starting a new one stops and saves the running one first. On the Entries tab, the running timer card has a Billable or Non-billable switch you can flip before you stop.
How do I add time by hand?
- Click Time in the sidebar, then New entry.
- Pick the Project and, optionally, a Service (optional).
- Add a Title and an optional Description (optional).
- Set the Date, then either a Start and Stop time (MONA fills in Hours from the span) or type Hours directly, like 1.5. Typed hours win, so you can subtract a lunch break.
- Tick Billable for client time and click Log time.
Switch the dialog to Expense to log a purchase with a receipt instead. If your studio has contractors set up, people allowed to log on their behalf see Who did the work.
What is on the Time page?
| Tab | Who sees it | What it is for |
|---|---|---|
| Entries | Everyone | Your week of time, with Week or All entries, This week, and the weekly total |
| Timesheets | Everyone | Submit a period of hours for approval |
| Summary | Everyone | Hours, pay, and billed amounts for any date range |
| Review | Owners and admins | Approve or send back entries when approvals are on |
Owners and admins also see who is on the clock right now.
Summary switches between By person and Margin by project. By person shows Hours, Pay rate, Pay, Bill rate, Billed, and Margin. Pay is each person’s pay rate on all their time; Billed is billable time at the client rate. Margin by project adds Unbilled pay. Members see only their own hours, and money columns appear only for people allowed to see rates.
Export on the page header and on Summary offers PDF or CSV (spreadsheet) for exactly what is on screen.
How does billable by default work?
There are three layers:
- The boxes on the Time page start unticked, so nothing is billed by accident.
- Each project can override that. Open the project, click the Billing tab, and in New time set New time is to Billable to the client, Not billable (studio time), or Studio default. Owners and admins only. Existing entries do not change.
- The studio setting in Settings, then Time, New entries are billable by default, decides time MONA logs for you in chat and the hours it suggests. Turn it off if your team logs time to bill the studio rather than clients.
Anyone can still tick or untick Billable on a single entry.
Who sees whose time and rates?
- Members see and export only their own entries. They never see or set billing rates; their time uses the studio’s rate (the service’s hourly price, then the person’s bill rate).
- The owner, admins, the Accountant seat, and members with finance access see everyone’s time and rates.
- Rates are set per person in Settings, then Team: the member’s rate cell opens Hourly rates with Cost ($/hr), what the studio pays them, and Bill ($/hr), the default client rate. Only owners and admins edit them.
To change who sees money, see How do I create custom roles and permissions in MONA?.
How do I approve time and turn it into an invoice?
- Approvals. In Settings, then Time, switch on Team time entries need approval. It is off by default. Owners and admins then work the Review tab. Step by step in How do I approve my team’s time?.
- Invoice it. Open the project’s Billing tab and click Invoice unbilled. MONA drafts an invoice from billable time and expenses not yet invoiced, and those entries then show as on an invoice. See Invoices and purchase orders.
What is the Monthly Hours Report?
On the 1st of every month at 8am Eastern, MONA sends the studio owner last month’s hours broken down by teammate and by project, with billable hours, amounts billed, and anything still waiting for review. It arrives as a chat, an email, and a notification. It runs only for studios that logged time recently, skips empty months, and does not use your credits.
It is on by default on Pro, Studio, Unlimited, and Enterprise (and the older Premium plan). To turn it off, the owner or an admin opens Agents and switches off Monthly Hours Report.
Can I log time by asking MONA?
Yes. In any chat, say “log 3 hours on Henderson for design development,” “start a timer on the Chen kitchen,” “stop my timer,” “what are my hours for September,” or “send me a PDF of my hours.” MONA uses your studio’s billable default unless you say otherwise.
What it does not do (yet)
- One running timer per person. Starting a second one stops and saves the first.
- Members cannot see or change billing rates, by design. Ask an owner or admin.
- The timer does not pause. Stop it for a break and start a new one after, or fix the hours on the entry.
Want a hand?
If you are moving from Harvest, Toggl, or a spreadsheet and want rates and project defaults set up right, book 30 minutes with the founder at calendly.com/mona-justin/30min.
Related articles
- How does MONA track my time automatically?
- Invoices and purchase orders
- How do I create custom roles and permissions in MONA?
- Services and design fees
- How do I manage tasks and deadlines in MONA?
Frequently asked questions
Can I track time without installing anything?
Yes. The timer and the Time page work in any browser. The MONA for Mac app is optional and only adds automatic suggestions from the apps you work in.
Can my team see each other’s hours?
Members see and export only their own entries. The owner, admins, the Accountant seat, and members with finance access see the whole team.
Who can see and set billing rates?
The owner, admins, the Accountant seat, and members with finance access. Owners and admins set each person’s Cost and Bill rates in Settings, then Team. Members never see rates; their entries use the studio’s rate automatically.
Is time billable by default?
On the Time page, the Billable box starts unticked unless the project says otherwise. For time MONA logs for you in chat or suggests from your activity, the studio setting New entries are billable by default in Settings, then Time decides.
How do I invoice my tracked time?
Open the project’s Billing tab and click Invoice unbilled. MONA drafts an invoice from the billable time and expenses that are not on an invoice yet. You can also ask MONA in chat to invoice the unbilled time on a project.
Can I require approval before time is invoiced?
Yes. In Settings, then Time, turn on Team time entries need approval. Owners and admins then approve or reject entries on the Review tab of the Time page.
What is the Monthly Hours Report?
A summary MONA sends the owner on the 1st of each month at 8am Eastern: last month’s hours by teammate and by project, billable hours, amounts billed, and anything still waiting for review. It is on by default on Pro, Studio, Unlimited, and Enterprise for studios that log time.
Can I log time by asking MONA?
Yes. Say log 2 hours on Henderson for design development, start a timer on Chen, or stop my timer. MONA can also show your hours, export a PDF, and submit your timesheet.