TallyTime

Track work fast and export clean timesheets in seconds.

TallyTime is a lightweight time tracking tool for freelancers, contractors, and employees who need a simple, reliable timesheet to hand to a manager or client. Users start and stop timers, add a short work description, and generate a CSV timesheet from local or browser-based tracking data. It reduces manual spreadsheet cleanup and helps people produce accurate, shareable records with minimal friction.

Business Goals

  • Reach 1,000 monthly active users within 6 months of launch.
  • Convert at least 25% of activated users to weekly repeat usage within 60 days.
  • Achieve a 40% export-to-save rate on tracked sessions within the first 90 days.
  • Keep support burden below 2 tickets per 100 active users per month by shipping a self-serve product.
  • Maintain a 4.5/5 average user satisfaction score on in-app feedback within 6 months.

User Goals

  • Start tracking work in under 10 seconds without opening a spreadsheet.
  • Capture what I worked on while the timer is running, even if I switch tabs or apps.
  • Generate a CSV timesheet that I can send to my boss with one click.
  • Review, edit, and correct entries before export.
  • Use the tool locally or in a browser without setting up a complex account.

Non-Goals

  • Payroll processing or invoicing.
  • Automatic legal/compliance timesheets for regulated industries.
  • Full project management, task boards, or team collaboration.
  • Native mobile apps in the initial release.

Freelancer Priya, 34 - Priya bills clients hourly and needs a fast way to track work across multiple projects without maintaining a separate spreadsheet. She wants a simple export she can attach to invoices or submit to an agency manager.

Freelancer Priya, 34

  • As a freelancer, I want to start and stop a timer with a project label, so that I can capture billable hours accurately.
  • As a freelancer, I want to edit a session description after I finish working, so that my timesheet is clear and client-ready.
  • As a freelancer, I want to export all tracked time as CSV for a date range, so that I can submit it with my invoice.

Employee Daniel, 41 - Daniel works on internal projects and needs to provide weekly time logs to his boss. He does not want a heavyweight system and prefers something that runs quietly in the background.

Employee Daniel, 41

  • As an employee, I want a timer that keeps running while I work in other tabs, so that I do not lose track of my time.
  • As an employee, I want quick pause and resume controls, so that interruptions do not pollute my timesheet.
  • As an employee, I want a weekly CSV summary, so that I can send a clean report every Friday.

Consultant Mei, 29 - Mei handles several short engagements each day and frequently switches between tasks. She needs a compact system that helps her remember what she did and when, without manual data cleanup.

Consultant Mei, 29

  • As a consultant, I want multiple entries per day with notes, so that I can separate client work by task.
  • As a consultant, I want validation for missing project names or overlapping sessions, so that my exported timesheet is trustworthy.
  • As a consultant, I want local storage and offline use, so that I can keep tracking even when my connection is unstable.

Time Tracking Core · High priority

  • Provide a simple, persistent timer that records work sessions with a short description and optional project label.
  • Users can start, pause, resume, and stop a timer from one primary control.
  • Each session stores start time, end time, duration, description, and optional project/client label.
  • Only one active timer can run at a time per browser profile or local workspace.
  • If the browser closes or refreshes, the active timer state is restored from persisted storage.
  • If a session is stopped without a description, prompt the user before saving or mark it incomplete for review.

Session Management · High priority

  • Let users review, edit, and organize tracked entries before export.
  • Display sessions in a day-by-day or week-by-week list with totals.
  • Allow inline editing of description, project label, date, start time, and end time.
  • Support deleting sessions with an undo confirmation for accidental removal.
  • Prevent overlapping entries by default and warn users when manual edits create conflicts.
  • Show warnings for unusually long sessions, such as over 12 hours, to catch mistakes.

CSV Export · High priority

  • Generate a clean CSV file that can be used as a timesheet for managers, payroll admins, or clients.
  • Export all sessions or a selected date range.
  • Include configurable columns such as date, start time, end time, duration, project, description, and notes.
  • Use a consistent timezone strategy and clearly display it in the export settings.
  • Provide filename templates like TallyTime_2026-06-17_2026-06-23.csv.
  • Validate that exports contain no blank required fields before generating the file.

Local and Background Operation · Medium priority

  • Keep time tracking reliable when the product is running in the background or used locally.
  • Support background operation in a browser extension or PWA-style experience.
  • Persist active tracking state locally using IndexedDB or localStorage depending on architecture.
  • Rehydrate the timer after browser restart if the active session was running.
  • Display a visible tracking indicator when recording is active.
  • Handle offline mode without blocking start, stop, edit, or export actions.

Settings and Preferences · Low priority

  • Give users lightweight control over how time is recorded and exported.
  • Let users choose rounding rules such as none, nearest 5 minutes, or nearest 15 minutes.
  • Let users set a default workday timezone and week start day.
  • Allow configurable CSV column order and default export range.
  • Support a compact mode for users who want a minimal tally-counter interface.
  • Include simple data reset and backup options.

Fast First Session Setup

  • Open the app or browser extension and land on a single tracking screen.
  • Enter a short task description and optional project or client label.
  • Click Start to begin tracking immediately.
  • Work normally while the timer continues in the background.
  • Click Stop when finished, review the session, and confirm save.
  • Generate a CSV export from the week view within 2 minutes of first use.

1. Start Tracking

  • The user starts a timer from the main screen with one primary input for work description and one optional project label.
  • If the description is empty, prompt with a lightweight inline reminder before starting.
  • Only one active timer is allowed; starting a new timer first stops or prompts about the current one.
  • Show elapsed time prominently in hours and minutes, updating in near real time.

2. Work in Background

  • The timer continues while the user switches tabs, closes panels, or uses other applications if supported by the architecture.
  • Persist running session state every few seconds so a refresh does not lose the active timer.
  • If the app detects clock drift or a resumed browser after sleep, recalculate the elapsed time from stored timestamps.
  • Show a small persistent status indicator so the user knows tracking is still active.

3. Stop and Review

  • When the user stops the timer, the session is saved into a review queue or directly into the log depending on completeness.
  • If required fields are missing, keep the session in a draft state until the user fills them in.
  • Surface obvious errors such as zero-length sessions, overlapping edits, or end time before start time.
  • Offer an undo action immediately after stop to recover accidental clicks.

4. Edit and Organize

  • The user reviews sessions in a timeline or weekly list and corrects any details before export.
  • Inline edit fields without opening a separate workflow.
  • Group sessions by day and show daily totals at the top of each section.
  • Flag duplicate or overlapping entries with a clear warning and a one-click fix suggestion.

5. Export CSV

  • The user selects a time range and downloads a CSV timesheet with clean column headers and totals-ready formatting.
  • Provide a preview of the exact columns and sample rows before download.
  • Respect the selected timezone and rounding preferences in the exported values.
  • If export fails, keep the user on the page and show a specific error with retry guidance.

Power Features and Edge Cases

  • Weekly and monthly summary views with total tracked hours and billable totals.
  • Rounding rules for agencies that require 5, 6, or 15 minute increments.
  • Project templates for recurring clients or internal work categories.
  • Keyboard shortcuts for start, stop, save, and export.
  • Offline-first support with sync later if the product includes account-based storage.
  • Manual time entry for missed sessions, with overlap checks and audit markers.

Simple, Trustworthy Interface

  • A single dominant Start/Stop control with elapsed time visible at all times.
  • A clean tally-counter feel with minimal chrome and high contrast typography.
  • Keyboard-accessible controls and full screen reader labels for timer state and actions.
  • Responsive layout that works on laptop screens and in a narrow extension popup.
  • Fast interactions under 100 milliseconds for local actions like editing or stopping a timer.
  • Clear active-state indicators so users never wonder whether tracking is running.

Priya starts her day with three client tasks and usually tracks time in a spreadsheet later, which means she forgets details and loses minutes. With TallyTime, she opens a compact tracker, types a short note, hits Start, and gets back to work while the timer keeps running quietly in the background.

At the end of the day, she reviews a clean list of sessions, fixes one task label, and exports a CSV in the format her manager expects. Instead of spending 20 minutes reconstructing her day, she sends the report in under 2 minutes and feels confident the numbers are accurate. That saves her time, reduces billing disputes, and gives her boss a consistent, readable timesheet every week.

User-Centric Metrics

  • Average time to start a timer under 10 seconds.
  • At least 85% of users successfully export a CSV within their first session.
  • Fewer than 5% of exported sessions contain validation errors.
  • Weekly active users return rate above 45% by month 3.
  • Average user rating of export usefulness at least 4.5 out of 5.

Business Metrics

  • 30% of signups complete a first export within 24 hours.
  • 25% month-1 retention among activated users.
  • 10% of active users upgrade or subscribe if a paid tier is introduced.
  • Organic referral rate of 15% from shared timesheet workflows or recommendations.

Technical Metrics

  • 99.9% availability for the web app or extension UI.
  • Timer state restoration success rate above 99% after refresh or browser restart.
  • Local actions such as start, stop, edit, and export respond in under 200 ms on modern laptops.
  • No loss of active session data across normal browser sleep and resume flows.

Tracking Plan

  • track_session_started
  • track_session_paused
  • track_session_resumed
  • track_session_stopped
  • track_session_edited
  • track_csv_exported
  • track_validation_error_shown

Technical Needs

  • Frontend in React with TypeScript for a fast single-screen interface.
  • State management using Zustand or Redux Toolkit for timer and session state.
  • Persistence using IndexedDB for local-first storage and fallback localStorage for tiny metadata.
  • CSV generation using a library such as Papa Parse or a small custom formatter.
  • If extension-based, use Manifest V3 with background service worker and popup UI.
  • Testing with Playwright for core flows and Vitest for unit coverage.
  • Optional backend with Node.js and PostgreSQL only if account sync is added later.

Integration Points

  • Google sign-in or GitHub sign-in if accounts are enabled later.
  • Chrome Extension APIs for background operation and storage.
  • Browser download APIs for exporting CSV files.
  • Optional calendar import from Google Calendar or Outlook to prefill work blocks.
  • Optional cloud sync via Supabase or Firebase if multi-device support is added.

Data Storage & Privacy

  • Store tracking data locally by default so users can run the product without an account.
  • Clearly disclose what data is stored, exported, or synced, with user consent before any cloud upload.
  • Support delete-all-data and export-all-data actions to align with GDPR and CCPA expectations.
  • Avoid collecting sensitive work content unless users explicitly type it into session notes.
  • If analytics are enabled, keep them event-based and exclude freeform note contents from tracking.

Scalability & Performance

  • The core workflow should remain usable with at least 10,000 sessions in local history.
  • CSV generation should handle large exports, such as 5,000 rows, without freezing the UI.
  • Background timer logic must stay accurate across browser idle states and system sleep.
  • If server sync is added, design for offline-first conflict resolution and eventual consistency.

Potential Challenges

  • Accurate background timing can drift if the browser suspends scripts; mitigate by storing timestamps and recalculating elapsed time on resume.
  • Overlapping or duplicate sessions can corrupt reports; mitigate with validation rules and conflict warnings before save and export.
  • Users may confuse local-only storage with synced accounts; mitigate with clear onboarding copy and storage indicators.
  • CSV formatting can break in spreadsheet apps due to locale differences; mitigate with strict UTF-8 encoding, quoted fields, and timezone labels.
  • Extension permissions may feel intrusive; mitigate by requesting only the minimal permissions needed and explaining each one clearly.

Team & resourcing - Small team - 2 engineers, 1 designer, part-time PM

Phase 1: MVP Timer and Export · Weeks 1-4

  • Single-screen timer UI
  • Start, stop, pause, resume
  • Local session list with edit and delete
  • CSV export with configurable columns
  • Persistent local storage and basic validation

Phase 2: Background Reliability · Weeks 5-7

  • Browser background support or extension popup flow
  • Timer restore after refresh or restart
  • Offline handling and visible active-state indicator
  • Undo after stop and conflict warnings
  • Keyboard shortcuts and accessibility pass

Phase 3: Review and Reporting · Weeks 8-10

  • Weekly and monthly summary views
  • Rounding preferences and timezone settings
  • Filtered export by date range and project
  • Improved empty-state onboarding
  • Analytics event instrumentation and dashboards

Phase 4: Optional Sync and Polish · Weeks 11-14

  • Optional account sign-in
  • Cloud backup and multi-device sync
  • Import from calendar or existing CSV
  • Performance tuning for large histories
  • Final QA, security review, and launch readiness

Paste this into Cursor, Bolt, Lovable, or v0 to start building.

Build a lightweight time tracking web app called TallyTime that helps a user start a timer, add a short description of what they are working on, keep tracking in the background, review sessions, and export a clean CSV timesheet.

Use React + TypeScript with a simple local-first architecture. Prefer Next.js or Vite for the frontend, Zustand for state, IndexedDB for persistence, and Papa Parse or a small custom CSV generator. If you choose a browser-extension style implementation, use Chrome Extension Manifest V3 with a popup UI and background service worker. The app should run well locally with no backend required for MVP.

Core screens and flows:
1. Main timer screen with one dominant Start/Stop control, elapsed time display, work description input, and optional project/client label.
2. Session history screen grouped by day/week with inline edit, delete, undo, and totals.
3. Export screen or modal for choosing date range, timezone, rounding rules, and CSV columns before download.
4. Settings for default timezone, week start day, and data reset/export-all.

Data model:
Session: id, startTime, endTime, durationSeconds, description, projectLabel, notes, status, createdAt, updatedAt, timezone, roundingRule.
Preferences: defaultTimezone, weekStartDay, roundingIncrement, csvColumns, compactMode.
Include validation to prevent overlapping sessions, zero-length sessions, blank required descriptions, and malformed exports.

Requirements:
Timer must restore correctly after refresh or browser restart using persisted timestamps. Show an active tracking indicator whenever a session is running. Support pause, resume, stop, and manual edit. Keep the UI minimal, fast, and accessible with keyboard navigation and screen reader labels. Add download CSV functionality that outputs UTF-8 comma-separated files with clear headers such as date, start time, end time, duration, project, description, and timezone.

Implementation details:
Use a clean tallied-counter style layout with high contrast typography and responsive design. Add unit tests for timer math, overlap validation, and CSV generation. Add Playwright tests for the start-stop-export flow. Make the app feel polished but simple, with no unnecessary dashboards or collaboration features.

Build the MVP first, then leave clear extension points for optional cloud sync, login, and calendar import later.

Business Idea

I want to build a time tracking thing to easily generate time sheets that I can give to my boss. Make it a simple tally counter where I can start a timer and tell what I'm working on. It runs in the background. Maybe it's a Chrome extension, or maybe it's a landing page that I can just do that and run it locally so I can generate outputs. I want the output to be generated as a CSV file.

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