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

In Admin Center, click
Apps and integrations in the sidebar, then select Apps > Channel
apps.
Click Zendesk Marketplace.
Find the Time Tracking app, then click the title.
On the app details page, click Install.
From the drop-down, choose the account you want to install the app to, then click
Install.
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.

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

In Admin Center, click
Objects and rules in the sidebar, then select Tickets > Forms.
Click the name of a ticket form to open it.
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.




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