Time Tracker for Azure DevOps

Keep projects on track with clear, reliable time visibility—right where your teams work.

Watch it in action

Click to watch a quick demo of Time Tracker in action.

Why teams choose Time Tracker

• Frictionless logging: Team members add hours directly on Work Items in seconds.
• Instant visibility: See daily activity and trends on a clean calendar view.
• Accountability made easy: Time Logs show who logged what, when, and on which task.
• Plan with confidence: Track remaining capacity by project and avoid over‑allocations.
• Works with your process: Respect your existing states/flows; optionally block logging on closed items.

What you get today

• Calendar (Manager view): A simple, at‑a‑glance heat map that highlights focus areas and gaps.

• Time Logs (Work Item view): A clear list of entries with notes and totals across any date range.

• Effort dialog (Contributor view): Fast entry with hours and an optional note—no spreadsheets, no switching tools.

• Reports (Overview): Summaries that help you steer work and spot trends quickly.

Built for project managers

• Clarity: Understand progress without chasing updates.
• Predictability: Spot risks early with visible workload and trends.
• Simplicity: No extra systems to maintain; lives inside Azure DevOps.
• Adoption: Minimal change for teams—designed to be used every day.

Seamless in Azure DevOps

• Lives inside Work Items and team hubs—no context switching.
• Respects your permissions and organization policies.
• No external systems required.

Getting Started - Complete User Guide

Step 1: Install the Extension

1. Open your Azure DevOps organization
2. Go to Organization settings → Extensions
3. Find GOTime and install it to your organization
4. The extension will be available immediately after installation

Step 2: Activate Your License

After installation, you need to activate a license to use the extension:

1. Navigate to Extension Settings:

   • Go to your Azure DevOps organization settings
   • Navigate to Extensions > GOTime
   • Or access directly via: Organization Settings > General > Extensions > GOTime Settings

2. Get Your Free Trial License (First Year Free):

3. Verify License Status:
   • Check the license status indicator (should show "License Active")
   • Review license details including expiration date and user count

Step 3: Configure Settings (Administrators)

As an administrator, you can configure extension settings:

1. Blocked Task States:

   • Define work item states where time logging is blocked
   • Common states: "Done", "Closed", "Resolved", "Completed"
   • Enter one state per line (case-insensitive)
   • Click "Save Blocked States" to apply
   • This prevents users from logging time to closed or completed work items

2. Effort Logging Settings:

   • Allow effort logging without capacity/activity: Enable this to allow users to log effort even if they don't have capacity or activity configured in the active sprint
   • When enabled: Users can log effort without capacity configuration, but still cannot log to past dates or closed/completed work items
   • When disabled: Users must have capacity/activity configured in the active sprint to log effort

3. Project-Specific Settings:

   • Select a project from the dropdown
   • Configure project-specific effort logging settings
   • Project settings override global settings for the selected project

4. Admin Users:

   • Add users who can delete time entries
   • Only these users will be able to remove time logs from the system
   • Search and add users by typing their name

Step 4: Log Time on Work Items

Once the license is activated, team members can start logging time:

1. Open a Work Item (Bug, Task, User Story, etc.)
2. Navigate to the "Time Logs" tab (added by the extension)
3. Click "Log Time" button or use the quick action
4. Fill in the Effort Dialog:
   • Date: Select the date for the time entry (defaults to today)
   • Hours: Enter the number of hours worked (supports decimals like 1.5, 2.25)
   • Note: Optional note field (max 50 characters)
5. Click "Save" to record the time entry
6. The time entry will appear in the Time Logs tab immediately

Important Notes:

• You can only log time to work items assigned to you (unless no assignee is set)
• Time logging to blocked states (Done, Closed, etc.) is not allowed
• Past dates cannot be logged (depending on settings)
• Capacity/activity configuration may be required (depending on settings)

Step 5: View Calendar (Manager View)

The Calendar view provides a visual overview of team activity:

1. Navigate to the Calendar:

   • Go to Boards > GOTime (in the left navigation)
   • Or access from the hub menu

2. Calendar Features:

   • Heat Map: Visual representation of time logged per day
   • Date Range: Adjust the period using the period settings (default: last 14 days)
   • Work Items Display: See work items with time entries for each day
   • Color Coding: Different colors indicate activity levels
   • Filter by Project: Focus on specific projects (if multiple projects)

3. Using the Calendar:

   • Hover over dates to see details
   • Click on dates to view work items with time entries
   • Use the period settings to adjust the date range
   • Export data if needed

Step 6: Generate Reports

Generate comprehensive time tracking reports:

1. Navigate to Reports:

   • Go to Boards > GOTime Report (in the left navigation)

2. Configure Report Parameters:

   • Date Range: Select start and end dates
   • Users: Select specific users or all users
   • Projects: Optionally filter by specific projects

3. Run the Report:

   • Click "Run Report" to generate the report
   • View summary statistics:
     • Total hours by user
     • Total hours by project
     • Daily breakdowns
     • Work item summaries

4. Export Reports:

   • Export to Excel or PDF format
   • Share with stakeholders
   • Use for billing, project tracking, or resource planning

Step 7: Manage Data (Administrators)

Administrators can manage time tracking data:

1. Export All Data:

   • Export all time logs and settings as JSON
   • Useful for backup or migration purposes
   • Includes all time entries, settings, and metadata

2. Import Data:

   • Import previously exported data
   • Restore from backup
   • Migrate data between organizations

3. Delete All Time Logs (Use with caution):

   • Permanently delete all time logs and indexes
   • Cannot be undone
   • Requires confirmation

Capacity and Activity Management

Understanding Capacity

The extension integrates with Azure DevOps capacity planning:

• Daily Capacity: Based on your team's capacity settings in Azure DevOps
• Remaining Capacity: Shows how many hours you have left for the day
• Capacity Enforcement: Optional setting to enforce capacity limits

Effort Logging Without Capacity

You can configure the extension to allow effort logging even without capacity/activity configuration:

• Global Setting: Apply to all projects
• Project-Specific Setting: Override global setting for specific projects
• Restrictions Still Apply: Past dates and closed/completed work items are still blocked

Troubleshooting

License Issues

Problem: "License Invalid" or "License Error" message

Solutions:

• Verify your license is activated in Settings
• Check license expiration date
• Ensure you're using the correct organization/host
• Request a new demo license if expired
• Contact support@rdcpartner.com for assistance

Problem: "License already issued for these organizations/hosts"

Solutions:

• You already have an active license for this organization
• Check your license status in Settings
• If you need to regenerate, contact your administrator or support

Time Logging Issues

Problem: Cannot log time to a work item

Solutions:

• Check if the work item is assigned to you
• Verify the work item state is not blocked (Done, Closed, etc.)
• Check if you're trying to log to a past date (may be restricted)
• Verify capacity/activity settings (if enforcement is enabled)
• Check project-specific settings

Problem: "Limit exceeded" error

Solutions:

• You've reached your daily capacity limit
• Check your capacity settings in Azure DevOps
• Verify project daily capacity limits
• Consider adjusting capacity or effort logging settings

General Issues

Problem: Extension not appearing in navigation

Solutions:

• Refresh your browser
• Verify the extension is installed and enabled
• Check organization permissions
• Try logging out and back in

Problem: Data not loading

Solutions:

• Check your internet connection
• Verify license is active
• Clear browser cache
• Try a different browser
• Contact support if problem persists

Best Practices

For Administrators

1. Configure Blocked States Early: Set up blocked states before team starts using the extension
2. Set Capacity Settings: Configure team capacity in Azure DevOps for accurate tracking
3. Review Settings Regularly: Periodically review effort logging and capacity settings
4. Monitor Usage: Use reports to monitor team adoption and usage patterns
5. Backup Data: Regularly export data for backup purposes

For Team Members

1. Log Time Daily: Log time at the end of each day for accuracy
2. Use Descriptive Notes: Add brief notes to time entries for clarity
3. Check Capacity: Monitor your remaining capacity for the day
4. Verify Work Item State: Ensure work items are in the correct state before logging
5. Review Calendar: Regularly review the calendar view to track progress

Support and Resources

• Email Support: support@rdcpartner.com
• Documentation & Screenshots: AtlasOpss/gotime-screenshots
• Issues: Report issues via email or GitHub

Make time tracking a habit teams actually keep—and decisions you can trust.