Timesheets Settings and Preferences

Timesheets is designed to adapt to how you work. These settings control how time is suggested, when your timesheet is filled in, and how your data is calculated in reports.

Access them here: Timesheets Settings & Preferences

Automations

Automation settings control how and when RescueTime suggests and fills in your time. These are the settings with the biggest impact on your day-to-day Timesheets experience.

Timesheets Settings Preferences and Connections page showing the Automations section with Project Autocompletion Method set to History and AI, and Scheduled Autocompletion Delivery set to End of my work day, each with an edit icon

Project autocompletion method

This determines how RescueTime generates suggested time entries for your timeline. Click the edit icon next to the current setting to open the options.

History default

Suggestions are based on your past project assignments. RescueTime analyzes which activities you've previously assigned to which projects and uses those patterns to generate new suggestions. The more consistently you review your timeline, the more accurate suggestions become over time.

History & AI

Your history is checked first. For activities that don't yet have a recognized pattern, the AI assistant generates a suggestion. This can be useful in the early days before you've built up enough history for pattern-based matching to work well.

All suggestions, whether from history or AI, are flagged for review.

Off

No suggestions are generated and scheduled autocompletion is disabled. Your entire timesheet must be built manually on the timeline.

AI and data privacy. When History & AI is enabled, the names of apps and websites you use may be sent to OpenAI's API to generate suggestions. This data is used only to associate activity with projects and is not used to train models. See the privacy notice in the settings modal for full details, including links to RescueTime's Privacy Policy and OpenAI's API Terms of Service.

Scheduled autocompletion delivery

This controls when RescueTime automatically generates suggestions and fills your timeline. Click the edit icon next to the current setting to change it.

End of my work day

Suggestions for the current day are generated one hour before the end of your workday. Your timeline will be ready to review by the time you finish your day.

The next morning

Suggestions for the previous day are generated one hour before the start of your next workday. Useful if you prefer to review yesterday's timesheet first thing in the morning.

Off

No automatic suggestions are generated, and your entire timesheet must be built manually. You can still trigger a one-off autocompletion job from the settings page. Three are allowed per day.

AI requires scheduled delivery to be enabled. If you've selected History & AI as your autocompletion method, Scheduled Autocompletion Delivery must be enabled. Disabling scheduled delivery disables AI suggestions even if History & AI is selected.

Open your timesheet automatically

Use the link on the settings page to create an alert that automatically opens your timeline after a predetermined amount of work. This is a useful way to build a consistent habit of reviewing and finalizing your day. RescueTime prompts you when you've hit your threshold, so you don't have to remember to check.

Suggestion block size minimum

Sets the smallest time block RescueTime will suggest. Any activity shorter than this threshold won't be included in automated suggestions, though you can always add short blocks manually on your timeline.

Option Best for
5 minutes Detailed billing or client work where short bursts of activity matter
10 minutes Catches meaningful work without over-fragmenting your timeline
15 minutes default Simpler, faster review with fewer suggestions, easier to scan

💡 This setting only affects what RescueTime adds through autocompletion. You can always add a time block of any length manually to your timeline.


Reporting

These settings affect how your time is calculated and displayed in reports and exports.

Timesheets Settings reporting section showing Default billing rate and currency set to unset, and Default rounding set to 0.01 hrs, each with an edit icon

Default billing rate and currency

Sets a fallback billing rate used in reports when no more specific rate has been configured. This is the rate of last resort; it only applies if nothing is set at the task, project, or client level.

Rate precedence

When calculating the Bill column in a report, RescueTime uses the first rate it finds in this order:

  1. Task rate
  2. Project rate
  3. Client rate
  4. Default rate from the settings page

💡 If the Bill column in your reports shows $0.00 or is empty, it means no rate has been set at any level for those projects. Set a default rate here as a starting point, then override it per project or client as needed.

Default rounding

Controls how time totals are rounded in reports and exports. Rounding is applied to each row individually before totals are calculated, not to the final sum. The default is 0.01 hours (approximately 36 seconds per row).

Available options fall into two categories:

Precision-based: rounds to nearest value

Option Equivalent
0.1 hours 6 minutes
0.01 hours default ~36 seconds
0.001 hours ~3.6 seconds

Time-based: always rounds up

Option Example
Hour 1.2 hrs → 2.0
15 minutes 1.1 hrs → 1.25
6 minutes 1.05 hrs → 1.1

Time-based rounding always rounds up. If you have many short entries, this can meaningfully inflate your totals. Use precision-based rounding if you need totals that closely match your actual logged time. For a full explanation of how rounding affects report totals, see Generating Timesheets Reports.


Connected Apps

Available integrations

You can connect Timesheets with other tools to bring external activity into your timeline. Integrations add events like completed tasks and commits as activity on your timeline, which can then be assigned to projects just like your regular tracked time.

  • Asana: Pull completed Asana tasks onto your timeline
  • GitHub: Add commits and pull request activity to your timeline
  • Trello: Bring completed Trello card activity into your timeline

To connect an integration, go to Account Settings → App Connections → Explore Apps

💡 Integration activity appears on your timeline to the right of your regular tracked activity. Drag and drop project time over it to add it to a project.

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