Setting up the Time Tracking app

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Use the Time Tracking app to monitor how much time agents spend on tickets. Once you've set up the app, see Using the Time Tracking app to learn how to use it.

If you're looking for help using Zendesk Explore to generate reports about your time tracking, see Time Tracking app: metrics you need to be measuring.

This article covers the following topics:

• Important considerations
• Installing and configuring the Time Tracking app
• Understanding Time Tracking custom ticket fields

Important considerations

• When the installation is complete, the Time Tracking app automatically creates two custom ticket fields to store time: Time spent last update and Total time spent. These fields need to be added to your ticket forms. See Understanding Time Tracking custom ticket fields.
• The Time spent last update and Total time spent fields are hidden from agents in roles with permission to use the app. If you use several apps, there might be a slight delay when loading the app in the Apps panel, briefly exposing these fields.
• The Time spent last update and Total time spent fields can be updated via the API. In very rare cases, agents have used this to modify time in these fields.
• When managing tickets in bulk, changes made to the Time spent last update and Total time spent fields in the bulk editor aren't recorded.
• If an agent quickly updates and submits a ticket (manually or via a macro) before the Time Tracking app can fully load in the Apps panel, it could result in time not being recorded.
• Agents can find ways to skip the app's loading process and its normal functions. There have been cases where agents have leveraged the limitations of the app to manipulate the times on tickets.
• The Time Tracking app doesn't work outside of a ticket in areas such as side conversations, the bulk ticket editor, and the Zendesk Support mobile app.
• If you uninstall the app, recorded time values on a ticket will no longer be visible in Zendesk Support, even if you reinstall the app.

Installing and configuring the Time Tracking app

You can download and install the Time Tracking app from the Zendesk Marketplace. With this app, you can track how much time agents spend working on tickets. Light agents can't use this app.

To install the Time Tracking app

1. In Admin Center, click Apps and integrations in the sidebar, then select Apps > Channel apps.
2. Click Zendesk Marketplace.
3. Find the Time Tracking app, then click the title.
4. On the app details page, click Install.
5. From the drop-down, choose the account you want to install the app to, then click Install.
6. On the app settings page, configure any settings you want, as described below. You can return to this settings page at any time by clicking Apps > Manage > Time Tracking:
   • Title: Displays the name of the app. You can edit this to be any name you want.
   • Display timelogs to agents: Determines if agents can see a log of time spent on that ticket so far, including the agent and status for each time interval.

     

   • Hide the app from agents: Only displays the app to agents with the admin role. If the app is hidden, agents without the admin role cannot see or edit the timer.
   • Auto pause: Automatically pauses the timer when the agent navigates away from the ticket, such as by switching to another ticket tab. The timer resumes automatically when the agent navigates back to the ticket.
     Note: Auto pause will not occur when an agent's workstation is inactive or when they navigate to a different browser tab. This setting is specifically configured for switching between ticket tabs within Zendesk.
   • Display timer controls: Determines whether agents see the play and pause buttons next to the timer, allowing them to manually control when the timer starts and stops.
   • Reset current time: Determines whether agents can see the refresh button next to the timer, allowing them to start the timer over.
   • Resume on changes: When changes are made to any fields, the agent will be asked if the timer should be resumed.
   • Edit time submission: When you enable this setting, the window below appears when an agent submits a ticket. Agents can review and edit the time they spent on a ticket if, for example, they spent significant time discussing the issue with a colleague outside of Zendesk.

     With this feature enabled, agents are required to confirm their time in order to submit the ticket. They have 15 seconds from when the window opens to cancel.

     
   • Simplified time submission: Enables agents to edit and submit their time spent in minutes, rather than hours, minutes, and seconds. For example, with this setting enabled, an agent could enter "5" for five minutes. Without this setting enabled, the agent must enter it in the format "00:05:00". This setting only applies if you've also enabled the Edit time submission setting.
   • Enable role restrictions: Select which roles can use the Time Tracking app. The app will not appear and will not track time for roles you don't select if you have this setting enabled.
     Note: If you enable role restrictions, roles without access to the app will see the custom fields the app creates in their tickets. By design, roles with access to the app won't see the custom fields. For details, see Understanding Time Tracking custom ticket fields.
     
   • Enable group restrictions: Enables you to select which groups have access to the app.
   • Block large time spent submissions: Blocks submission of a ticket if an agent is trying to submit a ticket with a time spent value greater than two weeks.

   When you've finished configuring settings, click Install.

7. If your Zendesk plan includes multiple ticket forms, you must update all your forms to include two new custom ticket fields created by Time Tracking. For details, see Understanding Time Tracking custom ticket fields.

Understanding Time Tracking custom ticket fields

Installing Time Tracking automatically creates two custom ticket fields: Time spent last update and Total time spent. To view the fields, in Admin Center, click Objects and rules in the sidebar, then select Tickets > Fields.

By design, agents with access to the app won't see the custom fields on their tickets. If you enable role restrictions, roles that don't have access to the app will see the custom fields on their tickets.

If your Zendesk plan includes multiple ticket forms, you must manually move the new fields to all your ticket forms. If you don't add the new fields to all your ticket forms, you will receive an error message. See Time Tracking app error message.

To add the custom fields to your ticket forms

1. In Admin Center, click Objects and rules in the sidebar, then select Tickets > Forms.
2. Click the name of a ticket form to open it.
3. Drag the Time spent last update and Total time spent fields from the list on the right onto your ticket form.

   For more information, see Creating multiple ticket forms.