Quick-entry tracking optimized for keyboard flow and categorized work logs.
Starting and Stopping
Type a task name in the quick entry field at the top and press Enter to start tracking. The app shows a live timer and highlights the active entry in the list.
To stop, either:
- Click the Stop button
- Start tracking a different task (the previous one stops automatically)
- Use the system tray menu to stop tracking
The @ Categorization System
Trackself uses the @ symbol to separate a category from a description:
Category@DescriptionExamples:
| You type | Category | Description |
|---|---|---|
Email@reply to team | reply to team | |
JIRA-123@fix login bug | JIRA-123 | fix login bug |
Meetings@weekly standup | Meetings | weekly standup |
The category (left side of @) is used for grouping and reporting. If you use Jira, the category can be a Jira issue key like PROJ-123.
You don't have to use @ — typing a plain name like Quick break works fine too.
Autocomplete
As you type, Trackself suggests matching tasks from your history. This makes it fast to resume a previous task without retyping everything.
- Suggestions appear in a dropdown below the entry field
- The best match auto-completes inline (shown as grayed-out text)
- Press Tab to accept the suggestion
- Press Escape to dismiss suggestions without leaving the field
- Keep typing to narrow down results
Autocomplete keeps repeated task entry fast.
Keyboard Navigation
The quick entry field supports efficient keyboard shortcuts for power users:
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
| Tab | Jump to the next structural boundary (e.g., across the @ delimiter) |
| Shift+Tab | Jump to the previous boundary |
| Enter | Start tracking the entered task |
| Escape | Close the suggestion dropdown |
| Backspace | Delete character before cursor or selected text |
Tab navigation is delimiter-aware — it jumps between the category and description parts of a task name, making it quick to edit either side.
Adding Past Entries
Forgot to track something earlier? Click Add earlier activity to create a time entry for a past period.
This opens the task editor where you can set exact start and end times.
Editing Entries
Click any entry in the activity list to open it in the task editor. From here you can change:
- Task name — with full autocomplete support
- Start and end times — the editor warns you if your change overlaps with another entry
- Notes — add additional details or context
Edit times, notes, and billable state in one place.
Billable Hours
Entries can be marked as billable or non-billable. In the task editor, you'll see a toggle with three options:
- Auto — inherits the default from the project/category
- Billable — explicitly marks the entry as billable
- Non-billable — explicitly marks the entry as not billable
A small icon on each entry in the activity list indicates its billable status.
Date Grouping
Your activity list is organized by date, with the most recent day at the top. Each date group can be expanded or collapsed by clicking its header. The current day is expanded by default.