Rules classify entries and drive billing or cost logic used in reports.
Project Rules let you classify your tracked time entries into named projects or groups. They control how project keys appear in Reports and which bill and cost rates are used for profitability calculations.
How Rules Work
Each rule defines how project keys should be matched. When an entry matches a rule, that rule can affect:
- Display grouping — The label shown for the matched work in reports.
- Rate inheritance — The billable default, bill rate, and cost rate used for profitability.
Rules come in two types:
- Exception rules — Match one exact project key. These take priority over general rules.
- General rules — Match by prefix or glob pattern. These are evaluated in order; more specific rules should usually be kept above broader ones.
Rule Scopes
Rules can be created at two levels:
- Personal — Apply only to your own data. Any workspace member can create personal rules.
- Workspace — Apply to all members in the workspace. Only admins can create workspace rules.
When both personal and workspace rules exist, they are merged into a unified view. You can filter the list using the scope tabs: All, Personal, or Workspace.
Quick-Start Presets
The page offers Quick start presets that prefill the rule form:
- All records — A baseline catch-all general rule using glob
*. It is intended as the broad fallback for display and rate defaults, including uncategorized work. - Single Project Key — An exception rule for one exact key.
- Project Family — A general rule that starts with a prefix matcher.
- Pattern Match — A general rule that starts with a glob matcher.
- Internal/Admin Non-billable — A general rule prefilled as a non-billable starter for internal work, with prefix
admin-. - Start blank — Opens an empty rule form so you can configure everything yourself.
The All records preset is marked with a Baseline badge in the UI.
The Rules List
Rules are displayed as cards in the list. Each card shows:
- Label — The display name for the project.
- Kind — Whether the rule is an exception or general rule.
- Scope — Whether the rule is personal or workspace-level.
- Match pattern — The exact key, prefix, or glob that this rule matches against.
- Billable and rate summary — The current billable default and any configured bill or cost rates.
- Effect badges — For general rules, cards may show Display only or Rates only when applicable.
Rule Actions
Each rule card has action buttons (availability depends on scope and your role):
| Action | Description |
|---|---|
| Edit | Open the rule in the form for editing |
| Duplicate | Create a copy when the current rule is read-only to you |
| Delete | Remove the rule if you have permission |
| Move Up / Move Down | Change the evaluation order of general rules |
The ordering of general rules matters. Exception rules always take priority over general rules, and the baseline * rule should usually stay as the broad fallback.
Rules with no currently matched keys can appear in a separate Unmatched rules (still evaluated) section. These rules are still active; they just have not matched any currently seen keys.
Creating and Editing Rules
The rule form lets you configure all aspects of a rule.
Rule Type
- Exception — Matches an exact project key. Use this when you want to override the behavior for a specific project.
- General — Matches a prefix or glob pattern. Use this for broader categories of projects.
Rule Scope
- Personal — The rule applies only to your data.
- Workspace — The rule applies to everyone in the workspace (admin only).
When creating workspace rules as an admin, you can check "Apply to both scopes" to create a paired personal and workspace rule simultaneously.
The rule form handles scope, matching, and rate setup in one place.
Match Pattern
For exception rules, enter one project key. For general rules, add one or more matchers:
- Prefix — Matches keys that start with the value, such as
client-. - Glob pattern — Supports wildcard matching such as
client-*.
The form can also suggest useful prefixes based on keys already present in your data.
Label
A human-readable display name for the project or group. This is what appears in reports when the rule contributes display grouping.
Effect Mode
General rules include an Effect mode setting:
- Both — The rule affects both display grouping and rate inheritance.
- Display only — The rule only affects grouping and labels in reports.
- Rates only — The rule only affects billable defaults and rates.
If a general rule is set to Display only, the billable and rate controls are hidden because that rule does not contribute rate inheritance.
Rate Fields
Configure billing and cost rates for profitability calculations:
- Bill rate — What you charge the client per hour.
- Cost rate — What it costs you per hour (salary, overhead, etc.).
- Currency — The currency for both rates.
These fields set the current rate, which applies from today onward.
For saved general rules, use Edit bill rate history or Edit cost rate history to manage historical changes over time with the Historical Rate Editor.
Historical Rate Editor
The Historical Rate Editor lets you manage rate changes over time for a project rule. Rates are rarely static — clients renegotiate, salaries change, and costs fluctuate. This editor keeps a full timeline of rate history.
Operations
| Operation | Description |
|---|---|
| Add | Add a new rate segment starting from a specific date |
| Edit | Modify the rates on an existing segment |
| End | Set an end date on a rate segment |
| Split | Split a rate period into two segments at a specific date |
Historical rates keep changes over time auditable before they affect reporting.
Preview Before Applying
Before any rate change is applied, a mandatory preview shows you exactly what will change. The preview displays a diff of the rate timeline so you can verify the change is correct before confirming.
Rate changes use append-only semantics — history is never deleted, only extended. This ensures a complete audit trail for financial reporting.
Constraints
- Valid-from dates cannot be set in the future.
- When a rule has paired personal and workspace scopes, you can apply changes to both scopes simultaneously.
Reporting Gap Banner
If you arrive at the Project Rules page from the Reports page through a diagnostic link, a banner at the top explains why you are here. This usually means some entries had no matching bill or cost rate, so a fallback rate of 0 was used and profitability results are incomplete.