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Different ways to log work in Tempo Timesheets

Overview

Tempo Timesheets on Cloud offers several ways to record time against Jira work items. Each method creates the same thing: a worklog. Choose the method that fits where you do your work. Your Jira and Tempo permissions decide what you can log.

Permissions: Logging time on work items requires Work On Issues and Browse Projects for the project. Logging time for others requires Log Work for Others. Deleting a Jira work item also removes its worklogs.

Quick comparison

Method

Best for

Where it happens

Log Time form (w key)

Fast manual entry from anywhere in Tempo or Jira

Any Jira page

My Work (list and calendar)

Daily planning and logging, including drag-and-drop

Tempo > My Work

Tempo automation (activity suggestions)

One-click logging from calendar events and IDE activity

My Work

Tempo panel on a Jira work item

Logging and editing time while working in an issue

Jira work item

Timesheet

Filling in a week or period, logging for several days at once

Tempo > Timesheet

Tempo tracker (timer)

Recording time as you work

Jira work item, Jira dashboard gadget, mobile app, Chrome extension

Tempo Mobile app

Logging on the go

iOS and Android

Time Tracker by Tempo for Chrome

Tracking time in a browser, outside Jira

Chrome

REST API

Bulk loading, integrations, scripts

Any system that calls the API

1. Log Time form

Press w from anywhere in Tempo or Jira to open the Log Time form. Enter the work item, time spent, date, and description, then submit. You can also reach the form from the Tempo panel on a work item or from My Work.

Note: pressing w in some browsers also toggles the Watch option on a Jira work item.

2. My Work

My Work is the daily hub. It has a list view and a calendar view.

  • Log time in the list or calendar view. Drag a work item from the side panel onto your calendar to log time for that day.

  • Edit or delete. Select a worklog to edit it. Delete it from the same view.

  • Plan time. Log Time and Plan Time are both available on a work item. Plans show intended work, not logged work.

For details, see Logging Time in My Work and Planning Your Time in My Work.

3. Tempo automation (activity suggestions)

Tempo automation collects activity from connected providers and shows it as suggestion cards in My Work. You log time to a suggestion with one click.

  • Providers: Google Calendar, Microsoft 365 Calendar, VS Code, and JetBrains. Jira is always connected.

  • Time is not logged automatically. Automation only suggests entries.

  • You can filter providers in My Work.

For setup, see Logging Time with Tempo Automation and Connecting and Disconnecting Your Activity Providers.

4. Log time in a Jira work item (Tempo panel)

Open a Jira work item, then click Open Tempo to expand the Tempo panel. From the panel you can:

  • Click Log Time and complete the form.

  • Edit existing worklogs.

  • Log time from the Activities tab (calendar events and IDE activity linked to the work item).

  • View all worklogs on the work item, filtered by quarter by default.

The panel appears only if the active user uses Tempo and has permission to work on the item. If Tempo is not set as the time-tracking provider for the Jira instance, you cannot log time in the Tempo panel. See Logging Your Time in a Jira Work Item.

5. Timesheet

The Timesheet shows a full period. Use it to:

  • Log time on the same work item for several days at once.

  • Log time for other team members (requires Log Work for Others).

  • Review how much time is logged against the required hours, then submit for approval.

See Logging Time in the Timesheet and Timesheet Approvals.

6. Tempo trackers (timers)

A tracker is a stopwatch tied to a Jira work item. Start it, pause it, and log the tracked time when you finish.

  • In a work item: open the Tempo panel, click Add in the Trackers section, start it, then click the checkmark to open the Log Time form. Start time, end time, and time spent fill in automatically. Time is rounded down to the nearest minute.

  • On a Jira dashboard: add the Tempo tracker gadget. It shows your existing trackers and lets you create new ones.

  • Trackers keep running even if the work item is closed. Delete a tracker without logging time from the X in the Tempo panel.

See Logging Time with a Tempo Tracker.

7. Tempo Mobile app

Tempo Mobile for Cloud is free on iOS and Android. Sign in with the same email and password you use for your Jira site (SSO).

  • Log and plan time, start and pause trackers, and edit or delete worklogs.

  • Connect Google Calendar to see events in My Work. Microsoft 365 is not available in Tempo Mobile.

  • Review and submit your timesheet. Approvers can approve or reject from the Inbox.

  • Mobile does not cover everything in desktop Tempo. Check the functionality comparison before relying on it for a specific task.

See Tempo Mobile.

8. Time Tracker by Tempo for Chrome

Use the Chrome extension to run a tracker in your browser, outside Jira, and assign it to a Jira work item.

  1. In Tempo, go to Apps and click Install on the Chrome tile. Add the extension from the Chrome Web Store.

  2. Click the Tempo icon in Chrome and select Authenticate with Tempo. Choose your Jira site and click Accept.

  3. If the tracker does not appear on a page, refresh the page.

Chrome needs site access for the Tempo API and your Jira site. You can limit this in Manage Extension > Site access. See Time Tracker by Tempo for Chrome.

9. REST API

Use the Tempo REST API (version 4) to create, read, update, and delete worklogs from scripts or integrations. Typical uses are loading historical time, syncing from another system, and feeding reporting tools.

Worklog endpoints (examples):

  • POST /4/worklogs: create a worklog.

  • POST /4/worklogs/issue/{issueId}/bulk: create several worklogs on one issue.

  • GET /4/worklogs, GET /4/worklogs/user/{accountId}, GET /4/worklogs/project/{projectId}: search worklogs.

  • POST /4/worklogs/search: search with a request body, which avoids long query strings.

  • PUT /4/worklogs/{id}: update a worklog. PUT replaces the full resource, so send every field you want to keep.

  • DELETE /4/worklogs/{id}: delete a worklog.

Authentication:

  • Individual user: create a Tempo OAuth 2.0 token in Tempo > Settings > Data Access > API integration, then send it as a Bearer token.

  • Application: create OAuth 2.0 credentials in Tempo > Settings > Data Access > OAuth 2.0 authentication. Use the authorization code flow to get a user token, then refresh it when it expires.

Base URLs: use https://api.eu.tempo.io for clients in Europe, https://api.us.tempo.io for the Americas, or https://api.tempo.io if unsure. A base URL for a different cluster than your data returns an authorization error.

Conventions: users are identified by Atlassian accountId. Dates use YYYY-MM-DD. Delete returns 204 with no body.

Rate limits and best practice: the gateway allows 5 requests per second for all connection types. Requests above that limit return 429. Query in short windows (by day or week), for one user at a time, and use pagination (default limit 50, maximum 5000). Wait at least 1 second between requests. For 5xx errors, retry up to three times with pauses of 5, 10, and 15 seconds. Do not retry 4xx errors. Repeated overload can get your IP blocked.

Full reference: apidocs.tempo.io (for example, createWorklog and getWorklogs). Related KB: Best Practices for Tempo Cloud REST API.

Which method should I use?

  • Quick entry while you're in Jira: Log Time form (w) or the Tempo panel.

  • Planning your week: My Work and the Timesheet.

  • Time you already spent in meetings or your IDE: Tempo automation suggestions in My Work.

  • Measuring time as you work: a tracker in a work item, on a dashboard, in the mobile app, or in the Chrome extension.

  • Loading large volumes or integrating with other systems: the REST API.