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Time Tracking

Align includes built-in time tracking that lets team members log hours against entries and releases. Managers can review and approve time logs, and compare planned vs actual effort.

Logging Time​

Time can be logged in two ways:

From an Entry​

  1. Open any entry.
  2. Click Log Time in the sidebar.
  3. Enter the date, hours spent, and an optional description.
  4. Click Save.
Log time from entry
The log time panel within an entry, showing date picker, duration input, and description field.

From the Time Tracking Dashboard​

  1. Click Time Tracking in the left sidebar.
  2. Click New Log.
  3. Select the project, entry, date, and hours.
  4. Click Save.
Time tracking dashboard
The main time tracking view with the weekly summary grid and a list of recent logs.

Approval Workflow​

Your organisation may require time logs to be approved before they count toward reports.

  1. Submit your time logs at the end of the week by clicking Submit for Approval.
  2. Your manager receives a notification.
  3. The manager reviews the submitted logs and clicks Approve or Reject (with a reason).
  4. Approved logs are locked and included in billing and reporting.
Time approval queue
The manager's approval queue showing pending time submissions grouped by team member.

Planned vs Actual Reporting​

Releases include an Effort section showing:

  • Planned hours — set when scoping the release or individual entries.
  • Actual hours — summed from approved time logs.
  • Variance — difference and percentage.
Planned vs actual report
A bar chart comparing planned and actual hours for each entry in a release, with variance highlighted in red/green.

Exporting Time Data​

  1. Go to Time Tracking → Reports.
  2. Select a date range and optionally filter by project or team member.
  3. Click Export CSV to download the data for invoicing or payroll.
Time export dialog
The time export dialog with date range, project filter, and export format options.