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Time Entry Controls Overview

Time Entry Controls in ClickTime help Administrators decide how to govern who can see/select Projects and which Tasks are allowed on those Projects. Use this hub to choose the right control, then jump to the detailed article.

Plan availability: Project Controls and Task Availability are available on the Team plan or higher.

Jump to:

Which control do I need?

Use this quick decision tree:

  • I need to limit who can see or select certain Projects (e.g., Finance-only projects):
    → Use Project Controls (visibility by Division or Person).
  • I need to limit which Tasks can be used on a Project (e.g., disallow “Admin” on Client X):
    → Use Task Controls & Availability (allowed Task list per Project).
  • I need both (private projects and curated task lists per project):
    → Configure Project Controls first, then set Task Availability.

Project vs. Task controls (comparison)

Project Controls

  • Primary purpose: Limit who can see/select a Project.
  • Configured in: Company → Preferences (Project List Controls), plus Project/Division/Person pages.
  • Modes: Minimum (open) • Moderate (by Division) • Maximum (by Person)
  • Typical use cases: Confidential projects, departmental work, client team silos.
  • Effect on time entry: Only visible Projects can be selected by the user.

Task Controls & Availability

  • Primary purpose: Limit which Tasks can be used on a Project.
  • Configured in: Company → Preferences (Task List), plus Project/Task pages.
  • Modes: Global Tasks (open) • Client/Project-scoped Tasks (enabled per Project)
  • Typical use cases: Short, relevant task pickers; policy compliance by project.
  • Effect on time entry: After selecting a Project, only enabled Tasks appear.

Project Controls (who can see Projects)

Goal: Restrict project visibility by Division (Moderate) or Person (Maximum).

  1. Go to Company → Preferences → set Project List Controls to:
    • Minimum: Everyone sees all active projects.
    • Moderate: Control which projects are visible to each Division.
    • Maximum: Control visibility on a person-by-person basis.
  2. With Moderate: choose visibility on the Project (select Divisions) and/or on the Division (choose projects).
  3. With Maximum: choose visibility on the Project (select People) and/or on the Person (choose projects).

For step-by-step screenshots and tips, see Creating & Editing Projects and Project Availability.

Task Controls & Availability (which Tasks are allowed)

Goal: Decide whether Tasks are global or must be enabled per Project; then enable the allowed list.

  1. Go to Company → Preferences → set Task List to:
    • Global: All Tasks are available on all Projects.
    • Client/Project: You choose which Tasks are allowed on each Project.
  2. If using Client/Project scoping, set allowed Tasks:
    • On Project (recommended): Project → Task Availability → select allowed Tasks.
    • On Task (alternate): Task → Task Availability → associate allowed Clients/Projects.

For visuals and examples, see Task Availability and Creating & Editing Projects.

Best practices

  • Start simple: Use open settings (Minimum / Global) while your catalogs are small; add controls as volume grows.
  • Mirror your org: Use Divisions that match real teams to make Moderate project controls easy to maintain.
  • Enable where work happens: Curate Task Availability from the Project so the list reflects actual scope.
  • Quarterly review: Audit Projects for stale visibility and Tasks; inactivate what you no longer use.

Troubleshooting

  • Project isn’t visible: Check Project List Controls mode and the Project’s Division/Person visibility. Ensure Project is Active.
  • Task isn’t selectable: If using Client/Project scoping, confirm the Task is enabled for that Project and the Task is Active.
  • I don’t see these settings: They require the Team plan or higher. Starter/Basic won’t show them.
  • I see “Non-Allocated” (or “Unspecified”) in time entry: This is controlled by the Include “Non-Allocated” in project list setting in Company Preferences: Time Entry Controls.

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