For the moment, I am using notes for this, but exportable time fields would be handy.

An integration (reimplementation?) with SlimTimer would be fantastic. Reports on estimates vs actuals would be a killer feature.

In my opinion, this should be a key development priority. See also related topic:

http://www.rememberthemilk.com/forums/ideas/1027/

Don't say "reimplementation" :)

I'm looking into this from my end as well. RTM and ST have very similiar models for tasks/tags etc so that helps.

Should mention that I'm the developer of SlimTimer (slimtimer.com)

Hey, SlimTimer looks exactly like what I've been searching for.
Yes, integration would be very welcome.

http://www.slimtimer.com/images/screenshots/report.png

It's too funny to see 'Office Space' references in software documentations everywhere. I love that! :)

I would appreciate an interaction between RTM and SlimTimer too.

I created a SlimTimer account, and think it covers many of the (completed) task _tracking and reporting_ needs I have. However, I much prefer RTM for task _management_

My ideal solution would be to use RTM as my to do-list manager, then if I am in "reporting" mode press a button 'track time', and be transported to ST for tracking and time reports. This would require ST to import the task list from RTM, while RTM could import duration, completion etc info from ST.

Richard, Emily, any plans in that direction?

PS Richard: one essential option still needed in ST seems to be to be able to add tasks that were done while offline. I only seem to be able to track time of tasks I am doing right now. On the other hand, duration off such offline tasks now already can be reported in RTM, so some mutual alignment there would be great.

@ademoor
interesting ideas. I thought about it and my opinion is that RTM should inherit ST's timetracking method. May be the ST-like time display is integrated in RTM on the left side, or even show the ticking time in the taskrow. Whatever, the timetracking should be done in RTM by pressing buttons for start/stop tracking. I think it would be annoying to switch between these two nice applications all the time. ST's role would be creating reports on RTM data. It could easily import all the needed data from RTM, including the manually set durations of tasks you've spoken from.

@ademoor: There is a very crude "Edit Entries" interface in ST that allows you to manually add time entries. I'm working on making SlimTimer work offline so that should be there in the future.

Sounds good. What about the (API?) interaction with RTM, though?

I would love this feature!!!

I am getting a Pro account next week! This is just getting to be a great tool. I have gotten so much done since using it, and this feature would make it a ton better! I had never heard of SlimTimer so I ran over and intalled and the Bubbles thing so it shows in my task bar. 100% awsome. Intigration with this would be AMAZING!

The ability to activate a timer on tasks and generate reports of time spent (actual, not an estimate) on tasks would be great. In the past I've used slimtimer to help me with my timesheets at work, and it worked well but I disliked maintaining two task lists (I used RTM as my task manager and just copied over tasks that I needed to track time on). Now I use RTM's completedBefore and completedAfter search operators to get a coarse look at the work I've done for reporting on my timesheets, but having the actual number of hours would be awesome.

Integration between the two apps would be cool--especially since not reinventing the wheel is cool. But I would also really like to see the UI for starting and stopping timers in the RTM UI and not have to go to a different site for tracking and reports whether or not RTM manages the timer's itself or not.

The above posts describe my dreams perfectly. With such a feature, I think I could convince many of my friends to not only start using RTM, but grab a Pro account.

RTM is already an amazing app, but I think this feature would bring it to a whole new level.

SlimTimer is sharp, no doubt about it, but what about interfacing with TSheets?

Just backing up the call for a) a time tracking/reporting feature in RTM or b) an RTM task import option for any of the start-up time tracking services out there. I eventually gave up on trying to convince my co-workers to use RTM - but with this feature I'd definitely take another stab at it!

1+

Desperately needs time tracking. Check out how ToodleDo implemented it, something like that is needed.

I really liked the way Forcedo did it. I thought that was better than Toodledo! However, I didn't like Forcedo or Toodledo in the end. Can we have something similar in RTM please?!

Seeing how this idea has first been requested three and a half years ago and there has been no official response whatsoever, I wouldn't hold my breath.

Forcedo has it, Toodledo has it, and I'm willing to bet that Google's bare bones task manager is going to have it before RTM does.

Despite all that, +1 for the idea, I'd love to have this.

It would be perfect! Please, implement it! :)

I agree. Task tracking is needed. I started a topic requesting basic tracking Start date and Complete date with some basic reporting around it.

it is really essential.

I'm working on a Slimtimer RTM sync tool

If enough people are interested.. I'll release this as a webapp...

+1,
Please help us to TimeTrack own Tasks in RTM, Please, Please.
This is an essential feature for Task Management app.

+1,
Please!!

+1

I just started using RTM yesterday. I like it so much that I have spent the greater part of today funneling all my various organizer tools into this system.

The only major feature RTM is missing is the ability to track the time spent on various tasks.

I'm a student so I have a lot of task like this: "Study for Exam X" or "Research topic Y". It would be nice to be able to start and stop a clock for each task as a way to monitor my progress on tasks that aren't completed in one sitting.

If you subscribe to the GTD methodology a major component is the periodic review. Being able to compare the estimated times to the actual time spent on various tasks is key to identifying problem areas.

+1

+1

I love RTM so much, but I think I may have to give it up, because I need to be able to track time for work. I don't need a stop watch - just a way to enter a "start" and "end" time. Tags can be used for clients, so that's already taken care of.

I realize that this may be a bit cumbersom, but what about using the notes tab to record the start and end times until there is a better solution?

So at least there should be shortcut for entering time and date

i am using Replicon Timesheet currently... and like their reporting stuff...so ll it be possible have some integration with them...

+1

Absolutely need time tracking in this! I use RTM to book jobs in for my computer repair business, and logging time spent on each task would be superb.
Of course there are other apps that do time tracking, but there is a limit to the number of apps we have to juggle just to do a simple job.
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE IMPLEMENT SIMPLE TIME TRACKING!

I think it would be great, but seeing as this is a five year old request, I don't think we're going to see it. Thanks though RTM for the rest of the great stuff.

If RTM supported just a little more arbitrary task metadata, and baked in support for webhooks ( see also) that might get us there....?

+1

+1

+1 time tracking was my BIG loss moving from astrid to rtm pro on Android

+1 I'd love to be able to track my progress on a task.

+1

+1

Yep, would definitely love to have actual time in addition to estimated time.

+1

+1

+1

I was actually expecting this feature! Now I am slightly disappointed that I cannot compare my estimates with the actual time the task completion took...

Yes, please. +1

Webhooks would be the answer please!

c'mon you know you wan to +1

I would like to be able to track time spent on tasks; buttons to start and stop a timer for a task would be useful as would being able to generate a timesheet style report to see where all my time goes!

I concur with the previous comments about SlimTimer. I use SlimTimer for time tracking (best tool out of the "millions" out there), mainly because it meets my need to track time from a start and end hour:minute perspective, and enter those times retrospectively as well as whilst completing a task, rather than the rather too basic "I worked on this task for 4 hours" syndrome. If time tracking was to be added to RTM, it would need to be along the lines of SlimTimer. And, if this was done, together with some of the other ideas concerning adding slightly more "project management" type facilities (start and end dates for tasks, dependencies between tasks, subtasks, etc), then RTM could reasdily become the SINGLE tool for personal and small group (maybe even large group) time, task and project management.

Why not just use the time estimate field for this? That's what I do.

Would then allow reference as to how long task took last time and this could then be transferred to a new task and time estimate.

+1

Wanted a SlimTimer and RTM integration solution.

+1

+1

+1

+1

+1 Desperately need this feature

+1

+1

+10

I don't think it's so hard to implement time tracking. Why there is no comments from developers on this feature....? No subtascks, no drag-n-drop of tasks, no time tracking. Come on, developers! You have made fantastic job already. Why not to polish RTM a little bit more? WE NEED TIME TRACKING!

Also buttons "Start working now" and "Stop working now"

+1 especially on levbor's idea, a "Start" and "Stop" button for a task allowing automatic logging of how long a task took to complete and when it was done.

Stop time wold be nice so the task displayed ona subscribed calendar would show the correct times :(

Just started using RTM but my first thought was "where do I record how much time I have spent on the task". I think for me one of the key reasons for this is to compare against the estimated time so that I can improve estimated times for future tasks therefore provide better planning.

It would be great if rlm can integrate the pomodoro

+1

+1

+2

Well. I guess why is this feature is not implemented because once we have this very feature, let says a start & stop buttons, at later time we would need more supporting capabilities from it, i.e: ability to edit the start & stop time, because we just sometimes forget to hit the stop button.

I support eddy.kowk's POV - RTM doesn't need more features.

+1

Sorry, I changed my mind. I just re-post similar suggestion with a more specific requirement here https://www.rememberthemilk.com/forums/ideas/21818/

why not develop a small time tracking on the task?

Please! Yes! I just switched to RTM and am honestly quite shocked there isn't any sort of integrated time tracking. This really feels essential. I hope you add it! Thanks!

There is a duplicate of this at https://www.rememberthemilk.com/forums/ideas/12313/

+5000 - please add time tracking with reports asap

I fully support this feature. More than 10 years in the queue seems too long for a basic one.

+1

Really need a way to record time spent. Timers would be good but at the very least a Time Spent field that is formatted just like the estimate field (tied to time UOMs). It is very close to a show stopper for me.

I have several ideas for improvement:

1. Add time tracking. A button "I started to work on it" and "I finished". And then show similar statistics as in Toggl.

2. Make an option to use Pomodoro for time tracking (e.g. remind every 25 min to take a break)

3. Add an opportunity to add time estimates for each task (in hours, Pomodoro cycles, or Story Points). Then, for tasks for today I can see how long I estimated and how long it took.

4. Add "Plan the day" mode. Everyday user prompted to choose tasks for today, estimate, and add meaningful (not too much, not too little) amount. The system would give recommendations based on historical ideas.

IMO, time tracking should not be a core competency of task management apps like RTM. There are many other apps that build their entire business model around time tracking, so it's better to integrate these apps with RTM than to reimplement this functionality in RTM.

For example, the Toggl Chrome extension has a great Remember the Milk integration. Simply download the Chrome extension, then enable the "RememberTheMilk" integration under the extension settings. This adds a button next to each RTM task in Chrome to start/stop tracking your time for that task.

Toggl offers most of the above requested time tracking features
- Start / stop tracking time for a given task
- Pomodoro timer (with the Toggl Desktop app)
- Time tracking statistics
- Idle detection (with the Toggl Desktop app)
- Reminder to track time (with the Toggl Desktop app)

+1

+100!!

SlimTimer shut down. Has anyone managed to integrate a timer with RTM?

I use RTM with Toggl. Seamless integration with a Toggle free account.

You have to install the Toggl Track browser extension, then you choose among a list of available integrations (RTM is there), refresh the browser and it's done.
You will then see a Toggl Track button next to the task description in RTM.