How Do Timers and Time Tracking Work in Canopy?
Timers in Canopy let you track time spent working for clients, tasks, and service items, and convert that time into billable entries and invoices.
Why This Matters
Tracking time helps firms understand profitability, efficiency, and pricing accuracy. Even for flat-rate services, time tracking provides visibility into work in progress and helps compare billable value vs. actual billed amounts so you can identify efficiency gaps or adjust rates.
Table of Contents
Start and Run a Timer
You can start a timer from anywhere in Canopy without interrupting your workflow.
Start a Timer From the Time Module
Click Time in the left navigation.
Click Start New Timer.
A timer pane appears and time begins immediately.
Timer Controls
Pause – Temporarily stop the timer
Save – Stop the timer and save the entry
Delete – Discard the timer
Good to Know
A green dot indicates an active timer.
Only one timer can run at a time.
Starting a new timer automatically pauses any active timer.
The active timer always appears at the top of the Time menu.
Add Timer Details
While a timer is running—or after saving—you can associate it with relevant work.
You can optionally add:
Contact
Task
Subtask
Notes
Associate a Contact
Click the Contact dropdown.
Search for and select the contact name.
Associate a Task or Subtask
Select a Task from the dropdown.
Only tasks linked to the selected contact appear.
Select a Subtask (optional).
Only subtasks tied to the chosen task appear.
Add Notes
Use Notes to describe the work performed during the time entry.
Important
If time will be billed to a client, it must be associated with a Contact at minimum.
Save, Pause, or Delete a Timer
Pause a Timer
Click the Pause icon.
The indicator dot turns gray.
Click Play to resume.
Save a Timer
Click Save.
Complete any additional details:
Contact
Service item
Task or subtask
Team member assignee
Notes
Click Save again.
The entry is saved to the Time Entries Dashboard.
Delete a Timer
Click Delete to discard the timer entirely.
Start a Timer From a Task
Timers can also be started directly from the Task Workspace for a more streamlined experience.
Start a Timer From a Task
Open a task from the Task Workspace or click a task name from the Time Entries Dashboard.
Locate the clock icon at the top of the task.
Click the clock to:
Start a new timer, or
View saved time
Good to Know
When starting a timer from a task, the contact and task are auto-filled.
You can pause, save, or discard the timer just like any other timer.
Track Time on Subtasks
Start timers directly on subtasks.
The subtask dropdown is automatically populated.
Parent task time and subtask time are tracked together.
At the top of the task, you’ll see totals for:
Parent task time
Subtask time
Total time logged
Budget Hours and Tasks
Budget Hours are an estimated number of hours expected for a task.
Budget hours can be added when creating or editing a task.
Time entries roll up against these budget hours to help track progress and overruns.
Add or Edit Budget Hours
Open the Task Workspace.
Click the three-dot menu.
Enter a value for Budget Hours.
Save changes.
View and Manage Time Entries
The Time Entries Dashboard lets you view, filter, and edit past time entries.
Access the Time Entries Dashboard
Click Time.
Select Time Entries.
Dashboard Sections
Overview
Total hours worked
Billed vs. unbilled hours
Unbilled hours exclude time marked as non-billable
My Timers
Active and paused timers
Saved Time
Previously saved time entries
Filter and Sort Time Entries
Filter by contact, task, team member, invoice number, and more.
Sort columns as needed.
Remove filters or sorts by clicking the X next to the column name.
Edit a Time Entry
In Saved Time, click the value under Duration.
Update:
Billable or non-billable status
Duration (formatted as
#h ##m)
Click Update.
Add a Manual Time Entry
If you forgot to run a timer, you can add time manually.
Add From the Time Entries Dashboard
Click Add Time Entry.
Enter the relevant details.
Save the entry.
Add From Anywhere in Canopy
Click the Global + button.
Select Time Entry.
Summary
Timers in Canopy give firms flexible ways to track time, associate work with clients and tasks, and convert that time into billable entries. Whether you use timers live or add time retroactively, the Time Entries Dashboard provides clear visibility into productivity and billing performance.
Need help?
Contact Support or ask Penny, our AI Support Bot, for assistance.