By Olivia Grant, project-billing support lead with 9 years of experience helping service businesses audit time entries and client invoices
Last reviewed: July 22, 2026
FreshBooks business users sign in to track project time, review team hours, and turn unbilled entries into client invoices. Invoice recipients normally use the billing document sent by the business rather than the main account login.
This independent guide is not affiliated with FreshBooks.
The job is to move correctly recorded work into an accurate invoice. Before billing, confirm the business, project, service, billing method, and whether each time entry is marked billable.
What FreshBooks Time Tracking Does
FreshBooks is cloud accounting software with invoicing, expenses, payments, projects, time tracking, and reporting tools for small businesses and independent professionals.
Time Tracking records work completed by the business or its team. Entries can be created with a running timer or added manually, then marked billable, edited, or deleted. FreshBooks keeps those entries until the business is ready to invoice them.
Projects organize that work around a client or engagement. FreshBooks can generate an invoice containing project-related time based on the billing method selected for the project.
The distinction matters.
A time entry records work. A project groups the work. An invoice requests payment for selected billable entries.
Choose the Correct FreshBooks Route
| What you need to do | Correct starting point |
|---|---|
| Manage projects and business records | FreshBooks business login |
| Start or enter work time | Time Tracking |
| Review staff hours | Time Tracking > All |
| Set the rate applied to time | Project billing method |
| Turn unbilled time into an invoice | Generate Invoice |
| Pay an invoice as a client | Invoice link supplied by the business |
| Investigate a wider interruption | FreshBooks status page |
| Resolve account access | FreshBooks Help Centre |
FreshBooks also provides mobile time tracking on iOS and Android. On iOS, the documented route begins with Time Tracking, followed by the plus button and either Start Timer or Log Time.
Do this first: verify that you are inside the correct FreshBooks business. Skip editing project records until the business name and client have been checked.
Log In to the Existing Account
Open FreshBooks through its company website and use the established sign-in method for the account. A new profile should not be created merely because the original login fails; another account will not automatically contain the existing projects, time entries, clients, rates, or invoices.
Business users who work across several FreshBooks businesses should check which one is active before starting a timer. Mobile account settings include a My Businesses area for switching between businesses available to the user.
This is a concrete source of billing mistakes. A timer can run normally while being saved under the wrong business, leaving the intended project with no record and another account with unrelated time.
Priority one is the business. Skip the timer until that is right.
When FreshBooks will not load for several users or devices, check its public status page before changing project data or account credentials.
Track Time With a Timer or Manual Entry
FreshBooks supports two basic methods:
Start Timer: Begin tracking while work is in progress.
Log Time: Enter work that has already been completed.
A useful time entry should identify the client, project, service, duration, billable status, and any notes needed to explain the work. On iOS, those details can be added while the timer is running.
Keep notes specific. “Work completed” does not tell the client or reviewer what happened. A short description such as “Revised homepage wireframe after client review” gives the entry a clear business purpose.
Do not leave a timer running overnight or through unrelated work. Stop it when the billable activity ends, then review the duration before saving.
Short check. Read the hours.
A technically valid timer can still produce an unreasonable invoice if its start or stop time was wrong.
Services and Billing Methods
FreshBooks services are used with time tracking to show what kind of work was performed and whether it should be billed at an hourly or flat rate. Services can also be assigned to income accounts, helping the business categorize revenue in reports.
Billing methods determine the rate applied to time worked. FreshBooks uses them to calculate the value of tracked hours and communicate that value on the eventual invoice.
Review the billing method before the project accumulates significant time.
A business may charge:
- one hourly project rate;
- different service rates;
- different rates for individual team members;
- a flat project amount, depending on the selected project setup.
The available structure and exact labels should be confirmed inside the current account.
A wrong billing method can be quiet for weeks. Team members continue logging hours, but the problem becomes visible only when the generated invoice applies an unexpected rate.
Priority two is rate verification. Skip mass invoicing until one sample project has been checked from entry through invoice total.
Review Time Entries Before Billing
FreshBooks provides an All sub-tab in Time Tracking where the business can review entries created by the account owner and team members. This view can be used to search entries and distinguish billed, unbilled, and non-billable time.
Review entries for:
- correct client;
- correct project;
- service;
- duration;
- billable status;
- team member;
- duplicate records;
- useful notes.
An entry marked non-billable will not behave like billable client work. An entry attached to the wrong project may be omitted from the intended invoice or charged to another client.
Team time needs particular attention. FreshBooks allows invited team members to track time, and all team roles can record time even though their broader account permissions differ.
That does not mean every entry is ready to bill. The account owner or project manager should review unusual durations, missing descriptions, and entries added to the wrong service.
Do not alter accurate staff time simply to make an invoice total look cleaner. Correct errors, then preserve the legitimate record.
Generate an Invoice From Tracked Time
FreshBooks can generate an invoice from unbilled time recorded across one or multiple projects. The selected time entries are added to the invoice and marked billed automatically. Eligible unbilled project expenses can also be included during the process.
Invoices can be generated from Time Tracking, from a project, or through the invoice-generation workflow documented by FreshBooks.
Before sending the invoice, inspect:
- The client.
- The included projects.
- The date range.
- Every time entry.
- Rates and taxes.
- Added expenses.
- Payment terms.
- Online payment options.
Generating the invoice marks included time as billed, but the resulting invoice should still be treated as a draft until its contents have been checked.
This is where experienced users catch quiet errors. One unbilled entry from an older project can be pulled into the document, or an expense can appear alongside time even though it was meant to be absorbed by the business.
Review first. Send second.
Missing Time on the Invoice
When expected hours do not appear, trace the entry backward.
Check whether the time is:
- attached to the correct client;
- assigned to the intended project;
- marked billable;
- already billed on another invoice;
- outside the selected period;
- recorded under another FreshBooks business.
The All view in Time Tracking is useful because it exposes billed, unbilled, and non-billable entries in one place.
Do not create a replacement time entry immediately. The original may exist under a different project or may already have been invoiced. Duplicating it can cause the client to be billed twice.
When an entry was billed on the wrong invoice, review the invoice and payment state before making changes. Editing a draft is different from correcting a document that has already been sent or paid.
Team Members and Contractors
FreshBooks lets invited team members collaborate on projects, share files, and track time. The business can assign team members to projects and set billing rates used for their work.
Contractors have a different relationship. FreshBooks says a contractor has a separate account, with the employer automatically added as a client. The contractor can track time and collaborate only on projects to which they have been added, and can invoice the client for tracked time.
This can create confusion when hours seem to be missing from the employer’s normal team view. Confirm whether the person was invited as a team member or is operating through a contractor account.
The labels matter because access and billing behavior differ.
Do not share one owner login among several workers. Invite people through the appropriate role so entries retain a clear connection to the person who performed the work.
Mobile Time Tracking and Sync Checks
FreshBooks provides mobile time-tracking controls on iOS and Android. The iOS flow supports starting a timer, logging time manually, and attaching the entry to a client, project, and service.
Before recreating a time entry that appears missing on the web:
- confirm the same FreshBooks account is open;
- confirm the same business is selected;
- refresh the mobile app;
- reopen Time Tracking;
- search the All view;
- check whether the entry is assigned to another project.
Mobile use adds convenience, but it also increases the chance that a timer is started under the wrong business or left running while the user changes tasks.
Check mobile entries daily. Skip waiting until month-end, when incorrect durations and vague notes are harder to reconstruct.
Mileage Tracking Is Separate
FreshBooks mobile apps also provide mileage tracking, but mileage is not the same as a normal time entry. On iOS, users open the account menu, select Mileage Tracking, enable it, and review location-service settings. Android uses a Mileage Tracking area reached from the Dashboard or More menu.
Mileage records business travel. Time Tracking records work duration.
A trip should not be converted into hours merely because both relate to a client visit. Record each type using its intended tool, then determine how the business bills or claims it.
Tax treatment varies by country, trip purpose, and local rules. FreshBooks records the information, but a qualified tax professional should determine whether mileage is deductible or billable in a specific case.
FreshBooks FAQ
Can FreshBooks track employee time?
Yes. Invited team members can record time.
Can I start a timer on my phone?
Yes. FreshBooks supports mobile time tracking on iOS and Android. On iOS, open Time Tracking, select the plus button, and choose Start Timer or Log Time.
Why is tracked time missing from my invoice?
The entry may be non-billable, already billed, outside the selected date range, assigned to another project, or stored under a different business. Review the All sub-tab before entering the hours again.
Does generating an invoice mark time as billed?
Yes. FreshBooks says selected unbilled time entries are added to the invoice and marked billed automatically.
Can project expenses be added with time?
FreshBooks allows eligible unbilled project expenses to be included while generating an invoice from tracked time. Review each expense before sending the resulting document.
Can every team role track time?
Yes. FreshBooks says all team roles can track time, although their other account permissions differ.
Is mileage the same as billable time?
No. Mileage tracking records trips, while time tracking records work duration. How either item should be billed or treated for tax purposes depends on the business arrangement and applicable rules.
Can a contractor have a separate FreshBooks account?
Yes. FreshBooks documents a contractor setup in which the contractor has a separate account, the employer is added as a client, and access is limited to assigned projects.