Getting Started with Time Reports Pro: The Complete Guide

Welcome to the central hub for Time Reports Pro. Whether you are looking to automate your billing, track team productivity, or simply stop wasting time on manual spreadsheets, you’ve come to the right place.

1. What is Time Reports Pro?

Time Reports Pro turns your Google Calendar™ into a powerful database. Instead of constantly switching between a time-tracking app, a spreadsheet, and your calendar, we bring the tools to you.

By adding Custom Fields (like "Client," "Rate," or "Status") directly to your calendar events, you can instantly generate professional documents without manual data entry.

  • Stop manual data entry: No more copying dates and times into Excel.

  • Audit-proof records: Your calendar is your official time clock.

  • Professional results: Generate formatted Google Sheets ready for clients or payroll.

2. How It Works (The 3-Step Success Path)

Step 1: Customize Your "Event Boxes" (Fields)

Think of Fields as extra boxes to fill out for your events. While a normal calendar only has a "Title" and "Notes," we allow you to track the data that actually matters.

  1. Open the add-on sidebar in Google Calendar.

  2. Click Setup New Calendar (or Manage Calendars).

  3. Choose your field types based on your goals:

  • Dropdown Field: Best for choosing from a fixed list of Clients or Projects.

  • Color Field: Best for high-level Status tracking (e.g., Red = Urgent).

  • Product Catalog: Essential for Invoicing. This field connects your time to money by adding hourly rates.

  • Toggle: A simple "Yes/No" switch for things like "Billable?" or "Completed?"

Learn More: Not sure which one to pick? View our Guide to Custom Field Types.


Step 2: Tag Your Events

Once your fields are set up, you simply "tag" your work as you go.

  1. Click any event on your Google Calendar grid.

  2. In the sidebar, you will see your new custom boxes. Select the Client, check the Billable toggle, or pick a service from your Product Catalog.

  3. Hit Save.

Pro Tip: If it's a recurring event (e.g., a weekly consulting call), you can save these settings for the whole series at once!

Step 3: Generate Your Reports

When you are ready to report, go to the Home Card in the sidebar. We offer four powerful ways to visualize and export your data:

Invoice Generator 💰

Turn your billable events into a professional client invoice.

  • Best for: Freelancers and agencies who bill by the hour or flat fee.

  • How: Select your calendar and date range. The app identifies events with Product Catalog items and calculates the totals automatically.

  • Learn how to create your first Invoice →

Automated Timesheets ⏱️

Generate a payroll-ready breakdown of your hours.

  • Best for: Employees, contractors, and managers needing audit-proof time logs.

  • How: Select your sources (Personal or Team). Use Time Rounding to clean up messy data (e.g., snapping 2:12 PM to 2:15 PM).

  • Learn how to create a Timesheet →

Visual Analytics Dashboard 📊

See exactly where your time goes with interactive charts.

  • Best for: Spotting trends, analyzing productivity, and stakeholder reports.

  • How: "Map" your fields to the dashboard. For example, Group By "Client" to see which account consumes the most time.

  • Learn how to build your Dashboard →

Spreadsheet Export (Raw Data) 📝

Get a simple, clean list of every calendar event.

  • Best for: Custom data analysis, migrating data, or simple archiving.

  • How: Select the specific columns you want (Standard Google data + your Custom Fields).

3. Real-World Workflows

🎸 For Music Teachers & Tutors

Stop chasing payments and calculating lesson hours manually.

  • Setup: Create a Dropdown for "Student Name" and a Toggle for "Attendance."

  • Result: At the end of the month, run an Invoice Report. Instantly see which lessons "John Doe" attended, multiplied by your rate, and download it as a PDF.

💼 For Consultants & Freelancers

Prove your work and get paid faster with transparent reporting.

  • Setup: Create a Color Field for "Project Stage" (e.g., Sage = Research, Tomato = Execution).

  • Result: Generate a Timesheet at the end of the week. Send your client a professional breakdown of every hour spent, with rounding applied for accuracy.

🏢 For Teams & Facility Managers

Maximize utilization and standardize reporting across the organization.

  • Setup: Use Team-Wide Fields to ensure every member tracks "Room ID" or "Department" the exact same way.

  • Result: Run an Analytics Report for the entire team to see usage stats across shared resources like studio spaces or equipment.

Ready to get started? Open the add-on sidebar in your Google Calendar™ and click Create Spreadsheet to run your first report in seconds.