Timeshiit FAQ

Timeshiit turns calendar events into editable draft timesheet entries. Instead of rebuilding your week from memory, you can import your calendar data, review the draft entries, adjust anything that needs fixing, and export a CSV file for your timesheet system.

It is designed for consultants, project workers and anyone who already uses their calendar as the rough source of truth for what they worked on.

Timeshiit currently supports three calendar source options:

1. Connect Outlook
2. Import from ICS link
3. Import ICS file

Connecting Outlook usually gives Timeshiit the richest calendar data. When Outlook connection works, Timeshiit may be able to access better event details such as event names, times, categories, attendees, availability and other useful calendar information. This generally gives Timeshiit a better chance of creating accurate draft time entries with less manual cleanup.

Some organisations block third-party Microsoft app access or require admin approval before an app can read calendar data. If your organisation blocks the Outlook connection, you can still use Timeshiit by importing an ICS link or uploading an ICS file.

An ICS file is a calendar export file. It contains calendar events in a standard calendar format. You can upload an ICS file into Timeshiit so it can read the events and generate draft timesheet entries.

In Outlook desktop, you can usually export an ICS file by opening your calendar and using File → Save Calendar.

You may be able to choose the date range and level of detail before saving the file. The exact steps can vary depending on your Outlook version and whether you are using Outlook desktop, Outlook on the web, Windows or Mac.

An ICS link is a published calendar link that points to calendar data in iCal/ICS format. Instead of downloading and uploading a file, you can paste the ICS link into Timeshiit and import calendar events from that link. This can be useful for Outlook published calendars or Google Calendar iCal links.

Use the ICS link. The HTML link is usually designed for viewing a calendar in a browser. Timeshiit needs the structured calendar data from the ICS/iCal link. If you paste an HTML calendar link, Timeshiit may not be able to read it.

Yes, if you have access to a Google Calendar iCal/ICS link. For Google Calendar, this is often called the Secret address in iCal format. Keep that link private. Anyone with access to some published calendar links may be able to view the calendar feed.

ICS files and ICS links often contain less detail than a direct Outlook connection. Depending on how the calendar was exported or published, ICS data may be missing things like:

• Outlook categories
• attendees
• organiser details
• private event details
• event descriptions
• some recurring event information

Project & Export Settings tell Timeshiit how your calendar language maps to your timesheet system. You can add things like employee ID, project IDs, task IDs, default billable settings, Outlook categories, aliases and keywords.

Timeshiit uses these settings to create cleaner draft entries and better CSV exports.

Aliases and keywords are one of the most useful parts of Timeshiit. When an event does not have an Outlook category, Timeshiit can check the event title against your aliases and keywords.

Good aliases are specific words or phrases that clearly identify a client, project or workstream.

Avoid generic words like meeting, call, review, prep, admin or testing unless they clearly identify a project.

At the moment, Project & Export Settings are stored in your own browser’s local storage. That means the settings are stored on your device/browser, not in a central Timeshiit database. Settings saved in Chrome on your laptop will not automatically appear in Safari on your phone.

In the current version, Project & Export Settings are stored locally in your browser. That means they are not centrally stored by Timeshiit. If this changes in future, the privacy wording will be updated clearly.

If you clear your browser/site data, your Project & Export Settings may be deleted. If you want a backup, use the CSV template/import feature to keep a copy of your mappings.

Yes. The settings page includes a CSV template download and CSV import option. This helps you set up mappings faster, especially if you already have project IDs, task IDs or previous timesheet import data.

Timeshiit marks an entry as Review when it needs you to check something before export. Common reasons include:

• the client/project was guessed from keywords
• the event has no matching project mapping
• the event was private
• the event was marked as free
• the duration looks invalid
• required fields are missing

No. Timeshiit creates draft time entries and exports a CSV file. You still review the entries before exporting and importing them into your timesheet system.

No. Timeshiit is not trying to replace your timesheet, ERP or project system. It sits between your calendar and your timesheet system. The goal is to make the preparation step faster and less painful.

The Include checkbox controls whether a draft entry is included in the CSV export. If a row is useful and ready to export, leave it included. If a row should not become a timesheet entry, untick it.

The daily summary groups entries by day and shows totals such as included hours, total hours, included rows, rows needing review and excluded rows. This helps you quickly check whether each day looks complete before exporting.

Yes. If consolidation is enabled, Timeshiit can combine entries for the same client/project on the same day. The hours are summed and the notes are combined into one entry.

Yes. Shared, subscribed or read-only calendars may not expose the same level of detail as your primary calendar. Depending on permissions, some event details may be hidden or incomplete. If a shared calendar does not return useful results, try your primary calendar, an ICS link or an ICS file.

Possible reasons include:

• the selected date range has no events
• the wrong calendar was selected
• the calendar is shared or read-only
• the calendar is a Google/Gmail calendar shown inside Outlook
• your organisation blocks access
• Microsoft did not return the events through the connection

Yes. Outlook categories can make project matching much more accurate. If your calendar events are categorised by client or project, Timeshiit has a better chance of producing clean draft entries. If categories are missing, Timeshiit can still use Project & Export Settings and Aliases / Keywords to make educated guesses.

Before exporting, check:

1. Each day has the expected number of included hours.
2. Rows marked Review have been checked.
3. Client/project values look correct.
4. Notes are clear enough for your timesheet or invoice.
5. Unwanted rows are excluded.
6. Project and task IDs are populated if your import needs them.

Timeshiit is useful for people who work from their calendar, need to submit timesheets, work across multiple clients or projects, use Outlook or Google Calendar, need CSV import files, and dislike rebuilding their week manually. It is especially useful for consultants, implementation specialists, project managers, IT workers, agencies and professional services teams.

For the best test:

1. Add a few Project & Export Settings mappings.
2. Import calendar data using Outlook, ICS link or ICS file.
3. Select a recent working week.
4. Generate draft entries.
5. Review each daily summary.
6. Check the guessed projects.
7. Export the CSV.