Clockify Keyboard Shortcuts
Clockify covers largely the same core job as Toggl Track — start a timer, categorize the entry, review it later — but its free-forever, unlimited-team-size positioning has shaped it toward slightly heavier timesheet and reporting tooling by default, which shows up in shortcuts oriented around switching between the Time Tracker and Timesheet weekly-grid views. The Timesheet view in particular, which lets you fill in hours across a weekly grid rather than tracking live in real time, is a workflow that matters more here than in some competitors, since a meaningful share of Clockify's team-oriented users are logging time after the fact for approval and billing purposes rather than running a live timer throughout the day. As with most browser-based time trackers, the desktop and browser-extension apps provide the genuinely global start/stop capability, while the pure web app version is limited to shortcuts that work only while the Clockify tab itself has focus. Billable rate tracking, configurable per-project or per-team-member, lets Clockify calculate earned revenue directly from tracked hours without needing to export data into separate accounting software first, which matters for freelancers and small agencies using the free tier as their sole time-and-billing system. Kiosk mode, a distinct feature for shared physical time-clock setups (like a shop floor or shared office device), functions completely differently from personal timer tracking — it's built for multiple employees to clock in and out from one shared screen rather than each tracking from their own personal device. Editing existing entries and locking timesheets before a cutoff date both matter for the realistic lifecycle of tracked time in a team setting, since correcting a mistake in an already-logged entry and preventing further edits to data that's already been approved or invoiced are both routine governance needs once time tracking feeds directly into client billing rather than staying purely personal.
Timer Control
| Action | Windows | Mac | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Start timer (desktop/extension, global) | Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S (varies by config) | Cmd+Option+Shift+S | Starts a new timer from anywhere on the system when using the desktop app or browser extension, avoiding the need to switch to a Clockify tab or window first. |
| Stop running timer (global) | Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S (toggle) | Cmd+Option+Shift+S | Stops the currently running timer, sharing the same toggle-style shortcut as starting one in the desktop/extension apps. |
| Clock in via Kiosk mode | Kiosk screen > select name > Clock In | — | Starts a time entry from a shared physical Kiosk device (like a shop-floor tablet), a distinct feature from personal timer tracking built for multiple employees clocking in from one shared screen. |
Timesheet Entry
| Action | Windows | Mac | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Add manual time entry | + Add time button (no dedicated key) | — | Adds a time entry with a specific start and end time typed in directly, rather than tracking it live, common for logging time after the fact. |
| Fill a day's hours in Timesheet view | Click cell + type duration | — | Enters a duration directly into a specific day/project cell in the weekly Timesheet grid, the primary interaction for teams filling in time retroactively rather than tracking it live throughout the day. |
| Submit timesheet for approval | Submit button (no dedicated key) | — | Submits the completed weekly timesheet to a manager for approval, part of Clockify's team-oriented billing and payroll workflow that goes beyond simple personal time tracking. |
| Set billable rate for project/member | Project or Member settings > Billable rate | — | Configures an hourly rate used to calculate earned revenue automatically from tracked time, letting freelancers and small teams estimate billing directly from logged hours without exporting to separate accounting software. |
| Edit an existing time entry | Click entry to open edit fields | — | Reopens a time entry that's already been logged so its duration, project assignment, or description can be corrected — a different action from starting a fresh entry since this one touches something already on the books. |
| Add a tag to a time entry | Tag field in entry row (no keyboard shortcut) | — | Applies a tag to a time entry for finer-grained categorization beyond project and task, useful for cross-cutting labels like billable status or a specific client sub-initiative that doesn't warrant its own separate project. |
| Lock timesheet entries before a date | Workspace settings > Time entry lock (no keyboard shortcut) | — | Configures a lock date before which team members can no longer edit their own time entries, protecting already-approved or invoiced data from later accidental changes. |
Navigation
| Action | Windows | Mac | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Switch between Tracker and Timesheet views | Sidebar navigation (no dedicated key) | — | Toggles between the live Time Tracker view (for real-time timing) and the Timesheet weekly grid view (for retroactive entry and approval), Clockify's two main ways of logging time depending on workflow. |
| Generate a time report | Reports tab > Generate | — | Produces a filtered report of tracked time across a chosen date range, project, or team member, exportable for client billing or internal review. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Clockify's free plan really unlimited for team size, unlike most competitors?
Yes, Clockify's free tier notably supports unlimited users and unlimited time tracking, which is unusual compared to most competing time-tracking tools that gate team size or history behind a paid tier — advanced features like timesheet approval workflows, billable rate reporting, and some integrations are reserved for paid plans, but core time tracking for any team size is free.
What's the difference between using the Time Tracker and the Timesheet view for logging hours?
The Time Tracker view is built for live, real-time tracking with a running timer you start and stop as you work. The Timesheet view is a weekly grid you fill in with durations per day and project, generally used for retroactive logging or for teams whose approval workflow expects a filled timesheet rather than raw timer entries.
Do global keyboard shortcuts work in the pure web app, or only the desktop app?
True system-wide global shortcuts require the desktop app or browser extension, since a plain web app tab can't register OS-level hotkeys that work when the browser itself isn't focused — the web app's own in-page shortcuts only function while the Clockify tab has active focus.
Can Clockify calculate how much I've earned directly from tracked hours?
Yes, if billable rates are configured per project or team member, Clockify calculates earned revenue automatically from logged time entries, which is useful for freelancers and small agencies who want billing estimates without needing to export tracked hours into a separate accounting tool first.
What is Kiosk mode, and how is it different from normal personal time tracking?
Kiosk mode is built for a shared physical device (like a tablet mounted at a shop entrance) where multiple employees clock in and out from the same shared screen by selecting their name, which is a fundamentally different setup from each person tracking time from their own personal device or browser session.
Are generated reports exportable, or only viewable within Clockify?
Reports can typically be exported (commonly as CSV or PDF, depending on plan) for use in external invoicing or record-keeping, rather than being viewable exclusively within the Clockify interface itself.
Does Clockify integrate with project management tools like Trello or Asana?
Yes — a browser extension adds a small timer button right onto task cards inside Trello, Asana, and Jira, so time starts logging against the right project the moment you click it, no trip over to the Clockify app required.
Can I lock past time entries so team members can't edit already-approved timesheets?
Yes, Clockify supports a time-entry locking policy that can prevent edits to entries before a certain date once they've been approved, which is useful for preserving the integrity of already-invoiced or payroll-processed time.
Can tags do something that project and task categorization alone can't?
Yes, tags let you apply a cross-cutting label — like billable versus non-billable, or a specific expense category — independently of which project or task an entry belongs to, which matters for reports that need to cut tracked time a different way than the project/task hierarchy alone can express.