> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.getthread.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Track your time with TimePad

> Log time on a thread in Inbox with TimePad: start the timer, use Write Entry to draft the note with Magic AI, set automation preferences, and save internally or to your PSA.

**TimePad** is where you record the time you spend on a thread — start and end times, work role
and work type, and your work notes, all in one panel.

It's also wired into **Magic AI**: **Write Entry** reads the conversation and drafts a concise,
professional summary of what you did, so logging time is faster and the entries read consistently.

## Use the timer

<Steps>
  <Step title="Start tracking">
    Click the play button when you begin working. The timer counts in hours, minutes and seconds.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Write the entry">
    When you're done, click **Write Entry**. Magic AI analyses the thread and drafts a description of the work performed.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Review and save">
    Read the draft, edit anything that isn't right, then save. The draft is a starting point — you own what gets recorded.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Enter time by hand

Click the `00:00:00` display — or whatever time is showing — and type. The field reads shorthand:

| You type | You get           |
| -------- | ----------------- |
| `30`     | 30 minutes        |
| `130`    | 1 hour 30 minutes |

**Adjust start and end times** by clicking into either field, editing, and pressing <kbd>Return</kbd> to save.

**Fine-tune with the arrow keys** — click into the timer field and press <kbd>↑</kbd> or <kbd>↓</kbd> to move in 15-minute steps rather than retyping.

## Automate it

Go to your name in the bottom left → **Preferences → TimePad**.

| Setting                                                        | What it does                                                                     |
| -------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Start the timer when I reply to a thread                       | Begins tracking whenever you send a reply                                        |
| Open TimePad when I start the timer                            | Opens the panel as soon as tracking begins, so you can add details straight away |
| Stop the timer when I close a thread                           | Ends the active timer when you close the thread                                  |
| Remind me to add a time entry when I close a thread            | Prompts you to save before closing, so entries don't get missed                  |
| Automatically pause TimePad when I navigate away from a thread | Pauses if you switch threads or leave the page, and resumes when you come back   |

Between them you can run TimePad fully manually or have it handled in the background.

## Field reference

| Field          | Description                                                                                                       |
| -------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Start time** | When work began. Set manually, or auto-filled when you start the timer.                                           |
| **End time**   | When work ended. Updates when you stop the timer, or adjust it before saving.                                     |
| **Work Role**  | The role you performed — Customer Support, Technician, Consultant. Pulled from your PSA's board defaults.         |
| **Work Type**  | How the work was performed — Remote, Onsite, Administrative. Also from board defaults.                            |
| **Notes**      | What you worked on: billing detail, troubleshooting, internal context. Supports rich text, links and attachments. |
| **Resolution** | Ticking this marks the thread resolved when the entry saves.                                                      |

### Saving

The **Save** button offers three destinations:

* **Save Internally** — keeps the entry in Thread only.
* **Save Externally** — pushes it to your connected PSA.
* **Save Externally & Email Contact** — pushes it to the PSA *and* emails the note to the customer contact.

<Warning>
  **Save Externally & Email Contact** sends mail to the customer. Check the note reads the way you
  want a client to read it before choosing it.
</Warning>

Set the button's default action in **Thread Admin → Workspace**.

## Best practices

* Use **Write Entry** where you can — the notes come out standardised and complete.
* Always include a brief note describing the work, even on short entries.
* Check **Work Role** and **Work Type** match your PSA board's defaults, or the entry may not map cleanly.
* Tick **Resolution** only when your work actually closes out the thread's issue.

## Next step

If your PSA is Autotask, turn on [chat and TimePad insights](/integrations/how-to-enable-chat-and-timepad-insights-in-autotask) so the data flows through. Work-role defaults are covered in [default work role and type logic](/inbox/default-work-role-type-logic).


## Related topics

- [Workspace Defaults: Time Zone and TimePad Settings](/inbox/workspace.md)
- [Status Automations: Auto-Update Thread Statuses](/inbox/status-automations.md)
- [Your daily workflows](/start-here/roles/technician/daily-workflows.md)