io.github.theluckystrike/time-tracker-timesheet-billable-hours

Official14 toolsLive

by theluckystrike · JavaScript

Track billable time from your AI chat: timers, entries, reports, CSV export. All data stays local.

This MCP server tracks billable time from an AI chat session. It provides timers, time entries, and reports, including CSV export and invoice line items. The workflow supports starting timers, logging missed time, applying an hourly rate per project, and querying hours by week or project.

🛠️ Key Features

Timers and running billable-time tracking
Time entry logging (including forgotten time)
Hourly rate application per project
Report generation
CSV export
Invoice line items generation
Local storage as plain JSON on your own machine

🚀 Use Cases

“Start a timer on the acme redesign” during chat
“My hours this week by project”
“Invoice lines for acme in August”

⚡ Developer Benefits

Data stored as plain JSON locally
Supports exporting results as CSV and invoice line items

⚠️ Limitations

Limited to billable-time tracking workflows described in the readme excerpt

Topics

claude, cursor, invoice, mcp, mcp-server, model-context-protocol, price-tracker, spreadsheet, time-tracker, typescript

Topics

claudecursorinvoicemcpmcp-servermodel-context-protocolspreadsheetaccountingai-toolsbookkeepingclaude-desktopfreelanceinvoicinglocal-firstmcp-serverspdfself-hostedtime-trackingvatproductivity

Captured live from the server via tools/list.

license_status

Report this endpoint's licence state for your token as JSON: the product, the tier free or pro, why it is not Pro, and the checkout URL. Call it to explain a free-tier refusal. No arguments, nothing changes.

Parameters

No parameters.

Raw schema

{
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {},
  "$schema": "http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#"
}

license_activate

Turn Pro on for this connection with key, an MCPL1.<payload>.<signature> issued at checkout for this server or the bundle. Data under your token stays; a wrong or expired key changes nothing. license_status confirms it.

Parameters1

key

string

required

License key from checkout, MCPL1.<payload>.<signature>

Raw schema

{
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {
    "key": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "License key from checkout, MCPL1.<payload>.<signature>"
    }
  },
  "required": [
    "key"
  ],
  "additionalProperties": false,
  "$schema": "http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#"
}

timer_start

Start a stopwatch for work on a project and return the start time. Only one runs at a time: a new one stops and logs the previous, naming it. rate is an hourly rate in MAJOR units for this timer only.

Parameters5

project	string	required	Project or client name, e.g. 'acme-website'. A partial name that matches exactly one existing project is used as that project.
task	string	optional	What you are working on right now
tags	array	optional	Free-form tags, e.g. ['dev','meeting']
rate	any	optional	Hourly rate for this timer only; a number (90) or the words the user said, e.g. rate '90 euros an hour'. Defaults to the project rate set by project_set_rate.
currency	string	optional	Currency of the rate: EUR, USD, GBP, PLN, or words like 'euros'. Defaults to the project currency, else USD.

Raw schema

{
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {
    "project": {
      "type": "string",
      "minLength": 1,
      "description": "Project or client name, e.g. 'acme-website'. A partial name that matches exactly one existing project is used as that project."
    },
    "task": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "What you are working on right now"
    },
    "tags": {
      "type": "array",
      "items": {
        "type": "string"
      },
      "description": "Free-form tags, e.g. ['dev','meeting']"
    },
    "rate": {
      "anyOf": [
        {
          "type": "number",
          "minimum": 0
        },
        {
          "type": "string"
        }
      ],
      "description": "Hourly rate for this timer only; a number (90) or the words the user said, e.g. rate '90 euros an hour'. Defaults to the project rate set by project_set_rate."
    },
    "currency": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Currency of the rate: EUR, USD, GBP, PLN, or words like 'euros'. Defaults to the project currency, else USD."
    }
  },
  "required": [
    "project"
  ],
  "additionalProperties": false,
  "$schema": "http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#"
}

timer_stop

Stop the running timer and log it as one entry. Returns the duration, the money at the rate in force and the new entry id. With no timer running it says so and writes nothing.

Parameters1

note

string

optional

Optional note stored with the entry

Raw schema

{
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {
    "note": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Optional note stored with the entry"
    }
  },
  "additionalProperties": false,
  "$schema": "http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#"
}

timer_status

Report the running timer and today's total hours. Today is the local calendar day, so a timer started at 23:30 yesterday contributes only the minutes since midnight. No arguments, and it writes nothing.

Parameters

No parameters.

Raw schema

{
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {},
  "$schema": "http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#"
}

entry_add

Log time already worked as one entry and return its id, duration and amount. Give start plus end or minutes. rate is hourly in MAJOR units and is frozen on the entry, so a later rate change never moves it.

Parameters10

project	string	required	Project or client name. A partial name that matches exactly one existing project is used as that project.
task	string	optional	What the work was
start	string	required	ISO 8601 start time, e.g. 2026-09-02T09:00:00
end	string	optional	ISO 8601 end time (or use minutes)
minutes	number	optional	Duration in minutes (alternative to end)
note	string	optional	Optional note
tags	array	optional	Optional tags
billable	boolean	optional	Default true; set false for non-billable work
rate	any	optional	Hourly rate for this entry; a number (90) or the words the user said ('90 euros an hour')
currency	string	optional	Currency of the rate: EUR, USD, GBP, PLN, or words like 'euros'. Defaults to the project currency, else USD.

Raw schema

{
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {
    "project": {
      "type": "string",
      "minLength": 1,
      "description": "Project or client name. A partial name that matches exactly one existing project is used as that project."
    },
    "task": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "What the work was"
    },
    "start": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "ISO 8601 start time, e.g. 2026-09-02T09:00:00"
    },
    "end": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "ISO 8601 end time (or use minutes)"
    },
    "minutes": {
      "type": "number",
      "exclusiveMinimum": 0,
      "description": "Duration in minutes (alternative to end)"
    },
    "note": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Optional note"
    },
    "tags": {
      "type": "array",
      "items": {
        "type": "string"
      },
      "description": "Optional tags"
    },
    "billable": {
      "type": "boolean",
      "description": "Default true; set false for non-billable work"
    },
    "rate": {
      "anyOf": [
        {
          "type": "number",
          "minimum": 0
        },
        {
          "type": "string"
        }
      ],
      "description": "Hourly rate for this entry; a number (90) or the words the user said ('90 euros an hour')"
    },
    "currency": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Currency of the rate: EUR, USD, GBP, PLN, or words like 'euros'. Defaults to the project currency, else USD."
    }
  },
  "required": [
    "project",
    "start"
  ],
  "additionalProperties": false,
  "$schema": "http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#"
}

entry_list

List logged entries as a table of id, day, start, project, task, hours, billable, tags and note, newest first, with total hours. Free reads the last 7 days and says so; Pro reads the whole history.

Parameters4

from	string	optional	ISO date/time lower bound
to	string	optional	ISO date/time upper bound
project	string	optional	Filter by project name
limit	integer	optional	Maximum rows, newest first (default 50)

Raw schema

{
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {
    "from": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "ISO date/time lower bound"
    },
    "to": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "ISO date/time upper bound"
    },
    "project": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Filter by project name"
    },
    "limit": {
      "type": "integer",
      "exclusiveMinimum": 0,
      "description": "Maximum rows, newest first (default 50)"
    }
  },
  "additionalProperties": false,
  "$schema": "http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#"
}

entry_delete

Delete one logged entry by id and report the project and hours removed. It never touches a running timer. A billed entry goes too, losing the invoice record, so correct one with entry_edit instead.

Parameters1

string

required

Entry id from entry_list

Raw schema

{
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {
    "id": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Entry id from entry_list"
    }
  },
  "required": [
    "id"
  ],
  "additionalProperties": false,
  "$schema": "http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#"
}

entry_edit

Change one logged entry by id; only the fields you pass move. minutes keeps start and moves end, an end at or before start is refused, tags REPLACES the list, and rate is hourly in MAJOR units.

Parameters11

id	string	required	Entry id from entry_list
project	string	optional
task	string	optional
start	string	optional	ISO 8601
end	string	optional	ISO 8601
minutes	number	optional	New duration in minutes, keeps start
note	string	optional
tags	array	optional
billable	boolean	optional
rate	any	optional	Hourly rate override for this entry, a number or words like '90 euros'
currency	string	optional	Currency of the rate, e.g. EUR

Raw schema

{
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {
    "id": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Entry id from entry_list"
    },
    "project": {
      "type": "string"
    },
    "task": {
      "type": "string"
    },
    "start": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "ISO 8601"
    },
    "end": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "ISO 8601"
    },
    "minutes": {
      "type": "number",
      "exclusiveMinimum": 0,
      "description": "New duration in minutes, keeps start"
    },
    "note": {
      "type": "string"
    },
    "tags": {
      "type": "array",
      "items": {
        "type": "string"
      }
    },
    "billable": {
      "type": "boolean"
    },
    "rate": {
      "anyOf": [
        {
          "type": "number",
          "minimum": 0
        },
        {
          "type": "string"
        }
      ],
      "description": "Hourly rate override for this entry, a number or words like '90 euros'"
    },
    "currency": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Currency of the rate, e.g. EUR"
    }
  },
  "required": [
    "id"
  ],
  "additionalProperties": false,
  "$schema": "http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#"
}

project_set_rate

Set the hourly rate and currency used to turn tracked hours into money for a project or client. Returns the new rate and, when re-rating is asked for, how many already logged entries changed.

Parameters5

project	string	required	Project or client name. A partial name that matches exactly one existing project is used as that project.
hourly_rate	any	required	Hourly rate: a number (85) or the words the user said ('90 euros an hour'). '1,200 USD' is 1200; '12,50 EUR' is 12.50; anything ambiguous is refused.
currency	string	optional	Currency: a code (EUR, USD, GBP, PLN) or a word ('euros', 'pounds', 'zl'). Defaults to the shared business profile's default_currency, else USD.
apply_to_existing	boolean	optional	Re-rate time already logged for this project: every entry is re-stamped with the new rate, including entries that already carry one. Default false: the new rate applies to future entries only, because each entry captures the rate in force when it was logged.
only_missing	boolean	optional	Only meaningful with apply_to_existing. True restores the old fill-the-gaps behaviour: only entries that carry no rate of their own are touched. Default false, which re-stamps every entry of the project.

Raw schema

{
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {
    "project": {
      "type": "string",
      "minLength": 1,
      "description": "Project or client name. A partial name that matches exactly one existing project is used as that project."
    },
    "hourly_rate": {
      "anyOf": [
        {
          "type": "number",
          "minimum": 0
        },
        {
          "type": "string"
        }
      ],
      "description": "Hourly rate: a number (85) or the words the user said ('90 euros an hour'). '1,200 USD' is 1200; '12,50 EUR' is 12.50; anything ambiguous is refused."
    },
    "currency": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Currency: a code (EUR, USD, GBP, PLN) or a word ('euros', 'pounds', 'zl'). Defaults to the shared business profile's default_currency, else USD."
    },
    "apply_to_existing": {
      "type": "boolean",
      "description": "Re-rate time already logged for this project: every entry is re-stamped with the new rate, including entries that already carry one. Default false: the new rate applies to future entries only, because each entry captures the rate in force when it was logged."
    },
    "only_missing": {
      "type": "boolean",
      "description": "Only meaningful with apply_to_existing. True restores the old fill-the-gaps behaviour: only entries that carry no rate of their own are touched. Default false, which re-stamps every entry of the project."
    }
  },
  "required": [
    "project",
    "hourly_rate"
  ],
  "additionalProperties": false,
  "$schema": "http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#"
}

report

Timesheet report: total tracked hours and billable money for a period, optionally grouped by (group by) project, day, task or tag - hours per project, how much to bill. Omit group_by for the plain total per currency.

Parameters6

from	string	required	ISO date/time start of the period. On the free tier the window is clamped to the last 7 days; Pro reports over the full history.
to	string	required	ISO date/time end of the period. On the free tier the window is clamped to the last 7 days; Pro reports over the full history.
group_by	string	optional	project \| day \| task \| tag. Optional: omit it for the plain total per currency, with no breakdown. Money is grouped by currency and EUR is never added to USD.
format	string	optional	table (default), json or csv. Every format carries one amount per currency, never a mixed-currency sum.
project	string	optional	Optional project filter
unbilled_only	boolean	optional	Default true: hours already put on an invoice (entry_mark_billed) are excluded, so the report answers 'what is still to bill'. Pass false for the full timesheet including invoiced work.

Raw schema

{
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {
    "from": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "ISO date/time start of the period. On the free tier the window is clamped to the last 7 days; Pro reports over the full history."
    },
    "to": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "ISO date/time end of the period. On the free tier the window is clamped to the last 7 days; Pro reports over the full history."
    },
    "group_by": {
      "type": "string",
      "enum": [
        "project",
        "day",
        "task",
        "tag"
      ],
      "description": "project | day | task | tag. Optional: omit it for the plain total per currency, with no breakdown. Money is grouped by currency and EUR is never added to USD."
    },
    "format": {
      "type": "string",
      "enum": [
        "table",
        "json",
        "csv"
      ],
      "description": "table (default), json or csv. Every format carries one amount per currency, never a mixed-currency sum."
    },
    "project": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Optional project filter"
    },
    "unbilled_only": {
      "type": "boolean",
      "description": "Default true: hours already put on an invoice (entry_mark_billed) are excluded, so the report answers 'what is still to bill'. Pass false for the full timesheet including invoiced work."
    }
  },
  "required": [
    "from",
    "to"
  ],
  "additionalProperties": false,
  "$schema": "http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#"
}

export_csv

Call this tool to export the timesheet to a CSV file (excel-friendly) you can hand to a bookkeeper: one row per entry with hours, billable, rate, currency and amount. Returns the file path written.

Parameters4

from	string	optional	ISO date/time lower bound. On the free tier the export is clamped to the last 7 days; Pro exports the full history.
to	string	optional	ISO date/time upper bound. On the free tier the export is clamped to the last 7 days; Pro exports the full history.
project	string	optional	Optional project filter
path	string	optional	Target file path; a relative path resolves against the working directory. Defaults to a timestamped file in the local data directory, and the full path is returned.

Raw schema

{
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {
    "from": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "ISO date/time lower bound. On the free tier the export is clamped to the last 7 days; Pro exports the full history."
    },
    "to": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "ISO date/time upper bound. On the free tier the export is clamped to the last 7 days; Pro exports the full history."
    },
    "project": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Optional project filter"
    },
    "path": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Target file path; a relative path resolves against the working directory. Defaults to a timestamped file in the local data directory, and the full path is returned."
    }
  },
  "additionalProperties": false,
  "$schema": "http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#"
}

entry_mark_billed

Close the loop after an invoice is issued: stamp the tracked hours that went on it with the invoice number, so report and invoice_summary stop offering them and the same hours are never billed twice.

Parameters6

ids	array	optional	Exact entry ids, normally the entry_ids invoice_summary returned. Pass either ids or project plus from and to. Entries already billed are left alone and listed back to you.
project	string	optional	Project or client, used with from and to instead of ids; every billable entry in that range is stamped.
from	string	optional	ISO date/time start of the billed period, used with project
to	string	optional	ISO date/time end of the billed period, used with project
invoice_number	string	required	The invoice these hours were put on, e.g. INV-2026-0001
billed_at	string	optional	ISO timestamp of the stamp, defaults to now

Raw schema

{
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {
    "ids": {
      "type": "array",
      "items": {
        "type": "string"
      },
      "description": "Exact entry ids, normally the entry_ids invoice_summary returned. Pass either ids or project plus from and to. Entries already billed are left alone and listed back to you."
    },
    "project": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Project or client, used with from and to instead of ids; every billable entry in that range is stamped."
    },
    "from": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "ISO date/time start of the billed period, used with project"
    },
    "to": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "ISO date/time end of the billed period, used with project"
    },
    "invoice_number": {
      "type": "string",
      "minLength": 1,
      "description": "The invoice these hours were put on, e.g. INV-2026-0001"
    },
    "billed_at": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "ISO timestamp of the stamp, defaults to now"
    }
  },
  "required": [
    "invoice_number"
  ],
  "additionalProperties": false,
  "$schema": "http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#"
}

invoice_summary

Turn tracked billable time into invoice lines for one project: hours, hourly rate, amount per task and the total, one line per rate so two rates never average. Hours already marked billed are left out. Free: last 7 days.

Parameters4

project	string	required	Project or client to invoice
from	string	required	ISO date/time start of the billing period. Free covers the last 7 days; Pro invoices any period from the full history.
to	string	required	ISO date/time end of the billing period. Free covers the last 7 days; Pro invoices any period from the full history.
unbilled_only	boolean	optional	Default true: hours already put on an invoice (entry_mark_billed) are left out, so the same hours are never billed twice. Pass false to see the whole period including invoiced work.

Raw schema

{
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {
    "project": {
      "type": "string",
      "minLength": 1,
      "description": "Project or client to invoice"
    },
    "from": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "ISO date/time start of the billing period. Free covers the last 7 days; Pro invoices any period from the full history."
    },
    "to": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "ISO date/time end of the billing period. Free covers the last 7 days; Pro invoices any period from the full history."
    },
    "unbilled_only": {
      "type": "boolean",
      "description": "Default true: hours already put on an invoice (entry_mark_billed) are left out, so the same hours are never billed twice. Pass false to see the whole period including invoiced work."
    }
  },
  "required": [
    "project",
    "from",
    "to"
  ],
  "additionalProperties": false,
  "$schema": "http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#"
}

servers/time-tracker/README.md16 KBView on GitHub

Track time from Claude with a free, no-install server

Featured on Awesome MCP Servers - directory listing | live hosted endpoint, free tier, no signup.

Track billable time without leaving your AI chat. Say "start a timer on the acme redesign", keep working, then ask for "my hours this week by project" or "invoice lines for acme in August". It keeps a running timer, lets you log time you forgot to track, applies your hourly rate per project, and turns the result into a report, a CSV file or a set of invoice line items. Everything is stored as plain JSON on your own machine.

Built by theluckystrike.

In the official MCP Registry (io.github.theluckystrike/time-tracker-timesheet-billable-hours).

Listed on the AI Product Index - live remote endpoint at mcp.zovo.one/s/time-tracker, free tier, no signup.

time-tracker demo

Track billable time from chat and turn it straight into a report or invoice line items, zero setup, all local.

60-second install

npm publish for @theluckystrike/mcp-time-tracker is pending. Until then, the .mcpb one-click bundle or a clone+build is the working path, both are verified below.

One-click (.mcpb): download time-tracker.mcpb from the latest release and double-click it in Claude Desktop: https://github.com/theluckystrike/mcp-servers/releases/latest

(claude_desktop_config.json):

json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "time-tracker": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@theluckystrike/mcp-time-tracker"]
    }
  }
}

Claude Code:

claude mcp add time-tracker -- npx -y @theluckystrike/mcp-time-tracker

(.cursor/mcp.json):

json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "time-tracker": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@theluckystrike/mcp-time-tracker"]
    }
  }
}

The npx form above starts working the moment the package is published. Until then, use the .mcpb bundle above, or build from source with exactly these three commands:

git clone https://github.com/theluckystrike/mcp-servers.git && cd mcp-servers
npm install
npm run build -w packages/mcp-license -w servers/time-tracker

Then point your client's command at node with one arg: the absolute path to servers/time-tracker/dist/index.js.

To run in Pro mode set MCP_LICENSE_KEY in the same config block, or call license_activate once with your key.

Tools

Tool	What it does
`timer_start`	Start a timer on a project (optional task, tags, rate, currency). Starting a new one stops and logs the old one. A partial project name that matches exactly one existing project is used as that project.
`timer_stop`	Stop the running timer, write the entry, return the duration.
`timer_status`	What is running, for how long, and today's total.
`entry_add`	Log time you already worked (start plus end or minutes), with an optional rate and currency: rate "90 euros an hour" bills as EUR 225.00 for 2.5 h. Partial project names resolve like `timer_start`.
`entry_list`	Compact table of entries, filtered by date range and project.
`entry_edit`	Change any field of an entry.
`entry_delete`	Delete an entry by id.
`project_set_rate`	Set the hourly rate and currency used for money totals (currency accepts codes or words: EUR, euros, pounds, zl). `apply_to_existing: true` re-rates time already logged for that project; add `only_missing: true` to touch only entries that carry no rate.
`report`	Hours and money for a period, optionally grouped by project, day, task or tag; omit `group_by` for the plain total per currency. Table, JSON or CSV. Hours already invoiced are left out; pass `unbilled_only: false` for the full timesheet.
`export_csv`	Write entries to a CSV file and return the path.
`invoice_summary`	Invoice-ready line items for one project: hours, rate, amount, total, in the currency the time was logged in. One line per task and rate, so no line ever shows a blended rate nobody agreed. Returns the `entry_ids` behind the lines, and skips hours already invoiced (`unbilled_only: false` includes them). Free for the last 7 days, Pro for any period from full history.
`entry_mark_billed`	Stamp the hours that went on an invoice with its number (`ids` from `invoice_summary`, or `project` + `from` + `to`), so `report` and `invoice_summary` stop offering them and the same hours are never billed twice.
`license_status`	Free or Pro, and where to upgrade.
`license_activate`	Activate a Pro key (verified offline).

Also exposed: the resource timetracker://today (today's summary) and the prompt daily_standup (writes a standup update from yesterday's and today's tracked time).

What you can say

No tool names required. These are the sentences that were actually tested against the server; the tool column is what answered them.

You say	Tool
"Start a timer for the Acme website project."	`timer_start`
"Stop the timer and tell me how long I worked."	`timer_stop`
"What's running right now, and for how long?"	`timer_status`
"Log 2.5 hours yesterday for Acme, design review, at 90 euros an hour."	`entry_add`
"Show me my Acme entries for this week."	`entry_list`
"That last entry should say API refactor, not design review."	`entry_edit`
"Delete the entry I just logged twice."	`entry_delete`
"Set my rate for Acme to 90 EUR an hour."	`project_set_rate`
"How many hours did I bill this month, grouped by project?"	`report`
"Give me invoice lines for Acme in August."	`invoice_summary`
"I invoiced those hours as INV-2026-0001."	`entry_mark_billed`

Two more worth knowing: "export my time to a CSV for my bookkeeper" (export_csv) and "write my standup update from yesterday and today" (the daily_standup prompt).

Worked example

This is a real transcript from the audit in docs/USER_VALUE_R2.md, numbers unchanged.

code

You: Log 2.5 hours yesterday for Acme, design review, at 90 euros an hour.

  entry_add { project: "Acme", ... }
  -> "Acme" resolved to the existing project "Acme website"
  -> rate "90 euros an hour" parsed as EUR 90.00/h

Assistant: Logged 2.50 h for Acme website - design review at EUR 90.00/h = EUR 225.00.

You: How much do I bill Acme this week? Give me invoice lines.

  invoice_summary { project: "Acme website", from: "2026-08-31", to: "2026-09-02" }

Assistant: Invoice summary - Acme website
  design review    2.50 h   EUR 90.00/h   EUR 225.00
  TOTAL            2.50 h                 EUR 225.00

One call each. The rate carries its currency all the way through: the report never prints a bare "225", and it never turns into "$225" by accident.

A second worked example, the weekly report and the daily_standup prompt:

code

You: How many hours did I put into Acme this week, grouped by task?

  report { project: "Acme website", from: "2026-08-27", to: "2026-09-02", group_by: "task" }

Assistant: Acme website, 2026-08-27 to 2026-09-02
  design review   2.50 h   EUR 225.00
  TOTAL           2.50 h   EUR 225.00

You: Write my standup update.

  (prompt) daily_standup

Assistant: Yesterday: 2.50 h on Acme website (design review).
Today: nothing logged yet.

Billed hours close

An hour that has been invoiced is finished. entry_mark_billed {ids, invoice_number} writes billed_at and billed_invoice onto those entries; from then on report and invoice_summary skip them by default, so next month's "invoice Acme" cannot re-bill work already paid for. The whole timesheet is still there: pass unbilled_only: false to any of them. invoice_summary returns the entry_ids it used precisely so they can be handed straight to entry_mark_billed once the invoice exists.

report and invoice_summary answer overlapping questions on purpose: report is for "how much time and money," grouped any way you like; invoice_summary is for "give me the lines I can put on an invoice," which is a narrower, invoice-shaped view of the same entries for one project.

How it stores data

Entries, projects and rates live in one JSON file: ${XDG_DATA_HOME:-~/.local/share}/mcp-servers/time-tracker/data.json.

Every write (starting or stopping a timer, adding, editing or deleting an entry, setting a rate) happens under an advisory lock file at .../time-tracker/.lock, held across the whole load-mutate-save cycle, so two overlapping calls cannot interleave and corrupt the file. The save itself writes to a temporary file and renames it into place, so a crash or a killed process mid-write leaves either the old file or the new one, never a half-written one. Reads (entry_list, report, timer_status, export_csv) do not take the lock.

To back up your data, copy the single data.json file (and .lock if present, though it holds no data). There is no database and no hidden second file.

If data.json is ever unreadable or not valid JSON, the server does not treat that as "no data yet". It moves the file aside byte-for-byte as data.json.corrupt-<timestamp>, writes a data.json.corrupt marker and makes every tool, reads included, return data file is corrupt; moved to ...; nothing was written. Restore a good data.json (the quarantined copy is right there) and delete the marker file to carry on. Nothing is overwritten in the meantime.

Dates, times and rates

Timestamps with no offset are your local time. 2026-09-02T09:00:00 means 09:00 where you are, not UTC. Pass an explicit offset (2026-09-02T09:00:00+02:00) or a trailing Z and it is honoured exactly.
Date-only bounds cover whole local days. from: "2026-09-01" is 00:00:00 local on the 1st and to: "2026-09-30" is 23:59:59.999 local on the 30th, so a month reported by dates includes its last day. Timestamps with a time are used as given.
Entries are clipped to the window. An entry that starts before from or ends after to counts for the part inside the period, not all of it and not none of it.
Entries are split at local midnight for day grouping. Work from 23:30 to 01:30 is 0.5 h on the first day and 1.5 h on the next, including across a month boundary. timer_status counts only the part of an entry, or of the running timer, that falls after midnight today.
Rate strings are parsed, never guessed. "1,200 USD" is 1200 (a comma followed by exactly three digits is thousands grouping), "12,50 EUR" is 12.50 (the unambiguous European decimal shape), and "1.200,50" is 1200.50. Anything that could mean either thing, such as "1,2345", is refused with a worked example instead of being read as the wrong number.
Rates are captured when the time is logged. entry_add and timer_stop store the effective hourly rate and currency on the entry, and reports and invoices use that stored rate. project_set_rate therefore applies to future entries only; pass apply_to_existing: true to re-rate the time already logged for that project. That re-stamps EVERY entry of the project, including entries that already carry a rate, and the response says how many changed and the project's new total. Add only_missing: true to touch only entries that captured no rate of their own.
Tag rows overlap. In group_by: "tag" an entry tagged dev and meeting appears in both rows; the total is computed from the entries once, so it is never the sum of the rows.

Limits and honest caveats

Free entry_list, report, export_csv and invoice_summary only see the last 7 days. Timers and entries themselves are unlimited and nothing is ever deleted, the window just narrows what a free call can read back.
Free tier supports hourly rates on 2 projects; a third rated project needs Pro.
Every report grouping is free, tag included: the tag total is a correctness fix, not a premium feature. group_by itself is optional, omit it for the plain total per currency.
Only one timer can run at a time. Starting a second one stops and logs the first, there is no concurrent-timer mode.
There is no reminder or idle-detection: if you forget to stop a timer, it keeps running until you stop it or start another.

Troubleshooting

npx hangs or fails to find the package: npm publish for this package is pending. Use the .mcpb bundle or the clone-and-build path above until it lands.
Using the .mcpb bundle: it installs into Claude Desktop directly; there is no separate path to configure.
Using the clone path: the server binary is servers/time-tracker/dist/index.js after npm run build. Point your client's command at node with that absolute path as the only argument.
Node version: requires Node >= 18. Check with node -v.
Nothing shows up / silent failures: this server writes logs to stderr only, never stdout (stdout is reserved for the MCP protocol). In Claude Desktop, check Settings -> Developer -> the server's log file; in Claude Code, run with --mcp-debug or check the terminal you launched it from.
A Pro key isn't recognized: run license_status to see what the server thinks your tier is, and confirm MCP_LICENSE_KEY is set in the same process the client launches (not just your shell).

Privacy

All data stays local: entries live in ${XDG_DATA_HOME:-~/.local/share}/mcp-servers/time-tracker/data.json. The server makes no network requests, has no telemetry, and needs no account. License keys are Ed25519 signatures verified offline against a public key compiled into the package, activation works with no internet connection.

Pairs with

mcp-invoice, turn invoice_summary output straight into a numbered PDF invoice.
mcp-spreadsheet, export a CSV with export_csv and query or reshape it.
mcp-price-tracker, if you also buy things for the client, watch those prices.
office-suite, every sibling server behind one install, one config entry.
Guide: Track billable hours in Claude Code and Cursor

FAQ

Yes. All three speak MCP over stdio with the same config shape; the tools and the data file are identical regardless of client.

Nothing is deleted. The entry stays in data.json forever; it just will not appear in entry_list, report, export_csv or invoice_summary results until you activate Pro, which opens full history.

Yes. Currency is set per project (or per entry, overriding the project default) and every total is grouped by currency, a report never adds EUR and USD together.

The server does not block overlaps; it logs what you tell it. entry_edit lets you fix a mistake after the fact.

No. There are no network calls anywhere in this server, including for license activation, which is verified with a local public key.

License

MIT

One business profile for the whole suite

Your identity is stored once, at ${XDG_DATA_HOME:-~/.local/share}/mcp-servers/profile/business.json, and every server in the suite reads it: the invoice issuer, the docx letterhead, the recurring issuer, expense-tracker's default VAT rate, time-tracker's and timezone's home zone, and the resume and contract letterheads. Set it once with business_set (invoice or docx) - you never repeat it anywhere else. An email address is only ever taken from that profile or from an explicit argument; when none is stored, documents show [add: email] and the tool says so rather than letting anyone improvise an address.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a free MCP time tracking server?

Yes. The time-tracker server at mcp.zovo.one is a free MCP time tracking server with no install: start and stop timers in chat, keep per-client totals, and produce weekly reports. Unlike SaaS trackers (WebWork, TrackingTime) it needs no account - paste the hosted URL and go.

How do I track time from Claude?

Connect https://mcp.zovo.one/mcp/time-tracker (tokenized URL from mcp.zovo.one/mcp/connect) and say: 'Start a timer for the Acme project.' Stop it later the same way; weekly summaries are one ask away.

Use these docs as an MCP server

Any MCP client (Claude, Cursor, Windsurf, VS Code) can read this repository's documentation directly via GitMCP - no install:

Docs MCP URL: https://gitmcp.io/theluckystrike/mcp-time-tracker

Install

Tools (14)

license_statuslicense_activatetimer_starttimer_stoptimer_statusentry_addentry_listentry_delete

Remote endpoint

Streamable HTTP

Hosted server - connect over the network, no local install.

url

https://mcp.zovo.one/mcp/time-tracker

Configuration

Environment variables

MCP_LICENSE_KEYsecret

Optional Pro license key (MCPL1....). Verified offline.

Add to VS Code Add to Cursor

claude_desktop_config.json

json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "time-tracker-timesheet-billable-hours": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "mcp-remote",
        "https://mcp.zovo.one/mcp/time-tracker"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Desktop config is stdio-only; this bridges via mcp-remote. Native remote: Settings > Connectors.

🛠️ Key Features

🚀 Use Cases

⚡ Developer Benefits

⚠️ Limitations

Topics

Topics

license_status

license_activate

timer_start

timer_stop

timer_status

entry_add

entry_list

entry_delete

entry_edit

project_set_rate

report

export_csv

entry_mark_billed

invoice_summary

Track time from Claude with a free, no-install server

60-second install

Tools

What you can say

Worked example

Billed hours close

How it stores data

Dates, times and rates

Limits and honest caveats

Troubleshooting

Privacy

Pairs with

FAQ

License

One business profile for the whole suite

Frequently asked questions

Is there a free MCP time tracking server?

How do I track time from Claude?

Use these docs as an MCP server

Install

Remote endpoint

Configuration

Related servers