How to create a client time report
A good time report answers a client's questions before they ask them. This guide covers what to include, how much detail to show, which format to use and how to produce the report in Tickario in a few clicks.
Updated October 20, 2026
What a client time report is for
A time report is a clear account of the work done for a client in a period: what you worked on, when and for how long. It sits behind an invoice and answers the questions a client has when they see a number: “what exactly was this?” and “is this what we agreed?”
A good report does three jobs at once:
- It builds trust. Transparent records make clients comfortable paying hourly rates.
- It prevents disputes. A dated list of what you did is hard to argue with and quick to check.
- It helps the client manage their own budget. Seeing hours per project lets them see where the money goes.
What to include
| Element | Why it is there |
|---|---|
| Your name or business and the client | So the document stands alone when it is forwarded. |
| The period covered | Clear start and end dates; they must match the invoice. |
| Total time | The headline number; what the invoice is based on. |
| Breakdown by project or task | Shows where the time went without reading every line. |
| Detail: date, description, duration | The evidence. One line per entry, with a meaningful description. |
| Rates and cost (optional) | Include if the client expects to see how the total is calculated; omit if you only report time. |
| The report language | A report in the client’s language is read faster and questioned less. |
Descriptions are the report
How much detail to show
Different clients want different depth. Most reports work at one of two levels, and it helps to be able to produce both from the same data.
Summary
Total time, cost, the split between projects and a chart of time by day. Good for managers and for clients who trust you and just need the picture. In Tickario this is the Summary view of Reports.
Detail
Every entry with date, description and duration. Good for clients who audit invoices, for new relationships and for any time a total looks higher than expected. In Tickario this is the Detail view and the detailed PDF.
A useful default: send the PDF with the detail, since the summary can be read from its first page. Offer the link for clients who prefer to look at it online.
PDF or a link?
| Share link | ||
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Attaching to an invoice, archiving, formal clients | Quick approvals, chat messages, clients who dislike attachments |
| Lifetime | Forever, once downloaded | You choose: 1, 7, 30 or 90 days, or none |
| Access | Whoever has the file | Whoever has the link |
| Updates | A snapshot | Shows current data for the report’s period |
A link stores the filters rather than a snapshot, so a relative period like “this week” shows whichever week is current when the link is opened. For a report you send, pick a fixed period such as last week, last month or a custom range. For anything formal, send a PDF. For a quick check-in, a link with a short lifetime is lighter. Because a link works for anyone who has it, prefer a short lifetime for sensitive work and share it only with the people who need it.
Create the report in Tickario
- Open Reports and choose the period: this week, last week, this month, last month, this year, last year or a custom range.
- Filter by client (and, if you need, by project) so the report covers exactly what the invoice covers.
- Open the Detail view and read through. Fix any entry that is wrong or has a vague description before anything is sent.
- Choose the report language, which defaults to your interface language.
- Press Export to PDF to download the detailed report, or Share report to create a short link and choose how long it works.
When the report is for one client and that client has a logo, the logo is added to the PDF and the shared page automatically.
Detailed report
Oct 5, 2026 – Oct 11, 2026
Total: 9 h 00 min
By project
Created in Tickario
Checklist before you send
- The period matches the invoice exactly.
- Every entry in the period belongs to this client and project.
- No entry has an empty or vague description.
- Overlaps are reviewed: no time is counted twice for the same client.
- Nothing is still running; the last entry has an end time.
- The language and any rounding rule are the ones agreed with the client.
- You sent it to the right person, and a share link has the lifetime you intend.
How often to send reports
Match the rhythm to the invoice. Weekly reports suit retainers and new clients, because small questions get answered while the work is fresh. Monthly reports suit stable relationships. A report at the end of a project is a good habit for fixed-price work too, because it records what the project really took.
Producing the report weekly for yourself, even when you do not send it, is the best way to keep records clean: see how to track freelance hours.
Frequently asked questions
Should the report show my hourly rate?
Only if the client already knows or expects it. Many clients agreed the rate in the contract and only need hours; others want to see cost next to time. Choose per client.
Is a time report the same as an invoice?
No. An invoice is a request for payment with legal and tax details. A time report is supporting evidence of the work. Tickario produces reports, not invoices.
Can the client see anything other than the report?
A share link opens only that report, for that period and those filters. The viewer needs no account and cannot see the rest of your data.
This guide is general information and not legal or accounting advice.