info:To determine the technical writer assigned to the Stage/Group associated with this page, see https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/engineering/ux/technical-writing/#assignments
info:To determine the technical writer assigned to the Stage/Group associated with this page, see https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/engineering/ux/technical-writing/#assignments
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# Time Tracking **(FREE)**
# Time tracking **(FREE)**
Time Tracking allows you to track estimates and time spent on issues and merge
With time tracking you can track estimates and time spent on issues and merge
requests within GitLab.
requests in GitLab.
## Overview
Use time tracking for these tasks:
Time Tracking allows you to:
- Record the time spent working on an issue or a merge request.
- Record the time spent working on an issue or a merge request.
- Add an estimate of the amount of time needed to complete an issue or a merge
- Add an estimate of the amount of time needed to complete an issue or a merge
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You don't have to indicate an estimate to enter the time spent, and vice versa.
You don't have to indicate an estimate to enter the time spent, and vice versa.
Data about time tracking is shown on the issue/merge request sidebar, as shown
Data about time tracking shows up on the issue and merge request sidebar:
below.
## How to enter data
## How to enter data
Time Tracking uses two [quick actions](quick_actions.md): `/spend` and `/estimate`.
Time tracking uses two [quick actions](quick_actions.md): `/spend` and `/estimate`.
If you use either quick action more than once in a single comment, only the last occurrence is applied.
If you use either quick action more than once in a single comment, only the last occurrence is applied.
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### Estimates
### Estimates
To enter an estimate, write `/estimate`, followed by the time. For example, if
To enter an estimate, type `/estimate`, followed by the time.
you need to enter an estimate of 1 month, 2 weeks, 3 days, 4 hours and 5 minutes,
write `/estimate 1mo 2w 3d 4h 5m`.
For example, if you need to enter an estimate of 1 month, 2 weeks, 3 days, 4 hours, and 5 minutes,
type `/estimate 1mo 2w 3d 4h 5m`.
Check the [time units you can use](#configuration).
Check the [time units you can use](#configuration).
Every time you enter a new time estimate, any previous time estimates are
Every time you enter a new time estimate, any previous time estimates are
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### Time spent
### Time spent
To enter time spent, write `/spend`, followed by the time. For example, if you need
To enter time spent, type `/spend`, followed by the time.
to log 1 month, 2 weeks, 3 days, 4 hours and 5 minutes, you would write `/spend 1mo 2w 3d 4h 5m`.
Time units that we support are listed at the bottom of this help page.
For example, if you need
to log 1 month, 2 weeks, 3 days, 4 hours, and 5 minutes, type `/spend 1mo 2w 3d 4h 5m`.
Check the [time units you can use](#configuration).
Every new time spent entry is added to the current total time spent for the
Every new time spent entry is added to the current total time spent for the
issue or the merge request.
issue or the merge request.
You can remove time by entering a negative amount: for example, `/spend -3d` removes three
To subtract time, enter a negative value. For example, `/spend -3d` removes three
days from the total time spent. You can't go below 0 minutes of time spent,
days from the total time spent. You can't go below 0 minutes of time spent,
so GitLab automatically resets the time spent if you remove a larger amount
so if you remove more time than already entered, GitLab ignores the subtraction.
of time compared to the time that was entered already.
You can log time in the past by providing a date after the time.
You can log time in the past by providing a date after the time.
For example, if you want to log 1 hour of time spent on the 31 January 2021,
For example, if you want to log 1 hour of time spent on the 31 January 2021,
you would write `/spend 1h 2021-01-31`. If you supply a date in the future, the
you would type `/spend 1h 2021-01-31`. If you supply a date in the future, the
command fails and no time is logged.
command fails and no time is logged.
To remove all the time spent at once, use `/remove_time_spent`.
To remove all the time spent at once, use `/remove_time_spent`.
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The following time units are available:
The following time units are available:
- Months (mo)
| Time unit | What to type | Default conversion rate |
