visiblehours.com · Guides

Thirty workplace time-tracking guides

Guides that open real product pages — thirty of them. Windows tray on company PCs; Pause and Quit are one click. Interval stills and recording sessions default off — not a DVR. Catch Hook; SAML, not OIDC. /checkin plus optional GPS. $7 per seat / month, no live checkout. Each article opens a real VisibleHours page: Features, Pricing, Download, Help, /join, or employee check-in. Nothing here emails anyone. Ask or Search “blog”, “guides”, “open guides”, “visiblehours blog”, “visiblehours guides”, “time tracking guides”, or “open the blog” stays on this index. A named “X guide” phrase opens that article. After sign-in, “X tutorial” and “how to…” open Help. Site search still only answers product questions and opens a page that exists. Ask “site search”, “website search”, or “open search” opens that page. Crawlers read /sitemap.xml. Subscribers can use the RSS feed at /blog/rss.xml — same thirty titles, blurbs, and dates as this index. There is no HTML sitemap. Soft 404 recovery lists this index; it is not a thirty-first guide.

Reading paths

Batch 7 adds the Insights week rollup, three CSVs on /reports, the score formula, and Team pulse. Terms, Search, and sitemap stay as product pages — not filler posts.

Start the organization

Write the notice, install the unsigned tray, expect SmartScreen, copy a /join code, one isolated org, then trial without a card.

Tell employees first: a workplace time-tracking notice that matches the product — Ask “employee notice guide”
How to install the VisibleHours Windows tray agent — Ask “install agent guide”
SmartScreen will warn on unsigned VisibleHours-Setup.exe — Ask “smartscreen guide”
Invite codes and /join links that do not send email — Ask “invite guide”
$7 per seat without live checkout on this page — Ask “pricing guide”
One organization per signup — isolation, not a multi-tenant peek — Ask “one org guide”
Start in trial without a card — $7 is shown, checkout is not live — Ask “trial card guide”

Read the recorded day

Idle vs pause vs offline, today’s roster, the four-number pulse, then one person’s timeline.

Idle, pause, and offline — three different tray states — Ask “idle pause guide”
Operations home is today’s roster, not a payroll week — Ask “dashboard guide”
Team pulse is four today numbers and a roster — not a scores gallery — Ask “team pulse guide”
Read a person’s day: timeline, apps, and idle — Ask “timeline guide”

Allocate the week

Client codes and payroll CSV, manager date-range files, three CSVs on /reports, the planned shift grid, then allocation week — not auto-pay.

From tracked hours to a payroll CSV: client codes and timesheets — Ask “timesheet guide”
Manager CSVs: activity, productivity, allocations — Ask “exports guide”
Exports are three CSVs on /reports — not a payroll warehouse — Ask “reports csv guide”
Shift and PTO calendar vs the visible tray — Ask “calendar guide”
The week grid is shifts and PTO — not Google or Outlook sync — Ask “shift grid guide”
Timesheets are Operations allocation CSV — not auto-pay — Ask “allocation week guide”

Label minutes, then coach

App and URL rules leave idle as idle. Scores are productive ÷ classified. Insights is a Monday–Sunday rollup — not AI coaching.

App and URL rules that leave idle as idle — Ask “url rules guide”
Productivity scores and distraction alerts — Ask “scores guide”
Scores are productive ÷ classified — not a black-box productivity AI — Ask “score formula guide”
Weekly insights without a live model — Ask “insights guide”
Insights is a Monday–Sunday rollup — not AI coaching — Ask “week rollup guide”

Optional capture and drafts

Screenshots stay off. Choose stills or a session. Phone punch is not live GPS. Privacy names the terms draft.

Optional screenshots and recording sessions — off until you turn them on — Ask “screenshots guide”
Interval stills or a recording session — org-controlled, not a DVR — Ask “capture choice guide”
Phone check-in that is not live GPS tracking — Ask “phone check-in guide”
Privacy and retention on a company PC — Ask “privacy guide”

Connect a workspace

OAuth, a Catch Hook you paste, manager-only SAML, then password or SAML sign-in. None of these email the team.

Slack, Jira, Asana OAuth and signed outbound webhooks — Ask “integrations guide”
Paste a Zapier Catch Hook — VisibleHours is not a Zapier app — Ask “zapier guide”
SAML / SSO ACS login for managers — Ask “sso guide”
Managers sign in with a password or SAML — not OIDC — Ask “login guide”

Guide · 2026-09-12
Tell employees first: a workplace time-tracking notice that matches the product
Send a written notice before the Windows agent goes on a company PC. The tray is the live disclosure.
Ask “employee notice guide” opens this article. After sign-in, a matching tutorial phrase opens Help — not this public page.
Related: How to install the VisibleHours Windows tray agent · Privacy and retention on a company PC · Phone check-in that is not live GPS tracking
Read the guide
Guide · 2026-09-12
How to install the VisibleHours Windows tray agent
Create the org, download VisibleHours-Setup.exe, run past SmartScreen, and paste the invite from Team (or open the /join link).
Ask “install agent guide” opens this article. After sign-in, a matching tutorial phrase opens Help — not this public page.
Related: Invite codes and /join links that do not send email · Tell employees first: a workplace time-tracking notice that matches the product · Idle, pause, and offline — three different tray states
Read the guide
Guide · 2026-09-12
From tracked hours to a payroll CSV: client codes and timesheets
Put the day’s hours on a client code, build the week, approve it, then download payroll CSV.
Ask “timesheet guide” opens this article. After sign-in, a matching tutorial phrase opens Help — not this public page.
Related: Manager CSVs: activity, productivity, allocations · Shift and PTO calendar vs the visible tray · Operations home is today’s roster, not a payroll week
Read the guide
Feature workup · 2026-09-12
Optional screenshots and recording sessions — off until you turn them on
A new org captures zero shots and zero sessions. Interval, blur, and retention are org settings.
Ask “screenshots guide” opens this article. After sign-in, a matching tutorial phrase opens Help — not this public page.
Related: Tell employees first: a workplace time-tracking notice that matches the product · Privacy and retention on a company PC · Phone check-in that is not live GPS tracking
Read the guide
Guide · 2026-09-12
Phone check-in that is not live GPS tracking
A phone-web punch, optional GPS, and a named geofence. Not background tracking. Not a store app.
Ask “phone check-in guide” opens this article. After sign-in, a matching tutorial phrase opens Help — not this public page.
Related: Tell employees first: a workplace time-tracking notice that matches the product · Privacy and retention on a company PC · How to install the VisibleHours Windows tray agent
Read the guide
Guide · 2026-09-14
App and URL rules that leave idle as idle
Stamp minutes you already recorded. Idle stays idle. Rules do not block a site or hide the tray.
Ask “url rules guide” opens this article. After sign-in, a matching tutorial phrase opens Help — not this public page.
Related: Productivity scores and distraction alerts · Weekly insights without a live model · Idle, pause, and offline — three different tray states
Read the guide
Feature workup · 2026-09-14
Productivity scores and distraction alerts
Rules label the minutes first. The daily percentage leaves idle out. Alerts do not email anyone.
Ask “scores guide” opens this article. After sign-in, a matching tutorial phrase opens Help — not this public page.
Related: App and URL rules that leave idle as idle · Weekly insights without a live model · Manager CSVs: activity, productivity, allocations
Read the guide
Guide · 2026-09-14
Shift and PTO calendar vs the visible tray
The calendar is the planned week. The tray is the recorded day. Approving PTO does not hide the icon.
Ask “calendar guide” opens this article. After sign-in, a matching tutorial phrase opens Help — not this public page.
Related: From tracked hours to a payroll CSV: client codes and timesheets · Operations home is today’s roster, not a payroll week · Idle, pause, and offline — three different tray states
Read the guide
Feature workup · 2026-09-14
Weekly insights without a live model
A VisibleHours reading of your numbers. Not a live model. Not AI workforce insights. Not outreach. CSVs stay on Exports.
Ask “insights guide” opens this article. After sign-in, a matching tutorial phrase opens Help — not this public page.
Related: Productivity scores and distraction alerts · Manager CSVs: activity, productivity, allocations · Operations home is today’s roster, not a payroll week
Read the guide
Guide · 2026-09-14
Manager CSVs: activity, productivity, allocations
Three manager files for a date range. Payroll CSV is a different export on Timesheets.
Ask “exports guide” opens this article. After sign-in, a matching tutorial phrase opens Help — not this public page.
Related: From tracked hours to a payroll CSV: client codes and timesheets · Weekly insights without a live model · Productivity scores and distraction alerts
Read the guide
Guide · 2026-09-14
Slack, Jira, Asana OAuth and signed outbound webhooks
Encrypted workspace tokens and signed webhooks. This slice does not post to a channel or email the team.
Ask “integrations guide” opens this article. After sign-in, a matching tutorial phrase opens Help — not this public page.
Related: SAML / SSO ACS login for managers · From tracked hours to a payroll CSV: client codes and timesheets · $7 per seat without live checkout on this page
Read the guide
Guide · 2026-09-14
SAML / SSO ACS login for managers
One SAML 2.0 connection per organization. Sample metadata is test mode. Not OIDC, not passwordless. SSO is for managers, not the tray.
Ask “sso guide” opens this article. After sign-in, a matching tutorial phrase opens Help — not this public page.
Related: Slack, Jira, Asana OAuth and signed outbound webhooks · $7 per seat without live checkout on this page · Invite codes and /join links that do not send email
Read the guide
Guide · 2026-09-14
Invite codes and /join links that do not send email
Copy the code or the /join link. Codes do not expire until you regenerate them. There is no Send.
Ask “invite guide” opens this article. After sign-in, a matching tutorial phrase opens Help — not this public page.
Related: How to install the VisibleHours Windows tray agent · Tell employees first: a workplace time-tracking notice that matches the product · Operations home is today’s roster, not a payroll week
Read the guide
Guide · 2026-09-14
Idle, pause, and offline — three different tray states
Three honest states. Idle resumes on its own. Pause is a click. Offline is last-seen, not a hidden watcher.
Ask “idle pause guide” opens this article. After sign-in, a matching tutorial phrase opens Help — not this public page.
Related: How to install the VisibleHours Windows tray agent · Read a person’s day: timeline, apps, and idle · App and URL rules that leave idle as idle
Read the guide
Feature workup · 2026-09-14
$7 per seat without live checkout on this page
One plan: $7 per seat / month. Public Pricing does not start checkout. Billing tutorial stays in Help.
Ask “pricing guide” opens this article. After sign-in, a matching tutorial phrase opens Help — not this public page.
Related: Invite codes and /join links that do not send email · Privacy and retention on a company PC · How to install the VisibleHours Windows tray agent
Read the guide
Guide · 2026-09-14
Operations home is today’s roster, not a payroll week
Today’s pulse lives on Team. A payroll week lives on Timesheets. There is no attention queue.
Ask “dashboard guide” opens this article. After sign-in, a matching tutorial phrase opens Help — not this public page.
Related: Read a person’s day: timeline, apps, and idle · From tracked hours to a payroll CSV: client codes and timesheets · Weekly insights without a live model
Read the guide
Feature workup · 2026-09-14
Privacy and retention on a company PC
What the draft privacy notice collects today. No keystrokes, clipboard, webcam, microphone, or live phone GPS.
Ask “privacy guide” opens this article. After sign-in, a matching tutorial phrase opens Help — not this public page.
Related: Tell employees first: a workplace time-tracking notice that matches the product · Optional screenshots and recording sessions — off until you turn them on · $7 per seat without live checkout on this page
Read the guide
Guide · 2026-09-14
Read a person’s day: timeline, apps, and idle
One person, one date. CSVs stay on Exports. Scores stay on Scores. The tray still shows pause and quit.
Ask “timeline guide” opens this article. After sign-in, a matching tutorial phrase opens Help — not this public page.
Related: Operations home is today’s roster, not a payroll week · Idle, pause, and offline — three different tray states · Manager CSVs: activity, productivity, allocations
Read the guide
Guide · 2026-09-15
Paste a Zapier Catch Hook — VisibleHours is not a Zapier app
Zapier is a Catch Hook URL you paste. Slack, Jira, and Asana still use OAuth. This slice does not email the team.
Ask “zapier guide” opens this article. After sign-in, a matching tutorial phrase opens Help — not this public page.
Related: Slack, Jira, Asana OAuth and signed outbound webhooks · SAML / SSO ACS login for managers · From tracked hours to a payroll CSV: client codes and timesheets
Read the guide
Guide · 2026-09-15
SmartScreen will warn on unsigned VisibleHours-Setup.exe
Unsigned Setup.exe for company Windows PCs. SmartScreen will warn. The tray stays visible. No Store listing.
Ask “smartscreen guide” opens this article. After sign-in, a matching tutorial phrase opens Help — not this public page.
Related: How to install the VisibleHours Windows tray agent · Tell employees first: a workplace time-tracking notice that matches the product · Invite codes and /join links that do not send email
Read the guide
Guide · 2026-09-15
Interval stills or a recording session — org-controlled, not a DVR
Stills are a timer. Sessions are off, on-demand, or a weekday window. A new org captures nothing.
Ask “capture choice guide” opens this article. After sign-in, a matching tutorial phrase opens Help — not this public page.
Related: Optional screenshots and recording sessions — off until you turn them on · Tell employees first: a workplace time-tracking notice that matches the product · Privacy and retention on a company PC
Read the guide
Guide · 2026-09-15
Managers sign in with a password or SAML — not OIDC
Managers only. Employees paste an invite. Sample SAML metadata is test mode. This page does not start checkout.
Ask “login guide” opens this article. After sign-in, a matching tutorial phrase opens Help — not this public page.
Related: SAML / SSO ACS login for managers · $7 per seat without live checkout on this page · Invite codes and /join links that do not send email
Read the guide
Guide · 2026-09-15
One organization per signup — isolation, not a multi-tenant peek
One signup, one org. Isolation is by organization — not a shared multi-tenant peek.
Ask “one org guide” opens this article. After sign-in, a matching tutorial phrase opens Help — not this public page.
Related: Invite codes and /join links that do not send email · Managers sign in with a password or SAML — not OIDC · Privacy and retention on a company PC
Read the guide
Guide · 2026-09-15
Start in trial without a card — $7 is shown, checkout is not live
Trial is off-billing. $7 is shown. This page does not start checkout or store a card.
Ask “trial card guide” opens this article. After sign-in, a matching tutorial phrase opens Help — not this public page.
Related: $7 per seat without live checkout on this page · One organization per signup — isolation, not a multi-tenant peek · Invite codes and /join links that do not send email
Read the guide
Guide · 2026-09-15
The week grid is shifts and PTO — not Google or Outlook sync
Type shifts and PTO on a Monday–Sunday grid. There is no mailbox calendar connector.
Ask “shift grid guide” opens this article. After sign-in, a matching tutorial phrase opens Help — not this public page.
Related: Shift and PTO calendar vs the visible tray · From tracked hours to a payroll CSV: client codes and timesheets · Timesheets are Operations allocation CSV — not auto-pay
Read the guide
Guide · 2026-09-15
Timesheets are Operations allocation CSV — not auto-pay
Operations allocates, approves, and downloads CSV. VisibleHours does not send wages.
Ask “allocation week guide” opens this article. After sign-in, a matching tutorial phrase opens Help — not this public page.
Related: From tracked hours to a payroll CSV: client codes and timesheets · Manager CSVs: activity, productivity, allocations · Operations home is today’s roster, not a payroll week
Read the guide
Guide · 2026-09-15
Insights is a Monday–Sunday rollup — not AI coaching
One Monday–Sunday reading of numbers you already stored. Not AI coaching. CSVs stay on Exports.
Ask “week rollup guide” opens this article. After sign-in, a matching tutorial phrase opens Help — not this public page.
Related: Weekly insights without a live model · Productivity scores and distraction alerts · Manager CSVs: activity, productivity, allocations
Read the guide
Guide · 2026-09-15
Exports are three CSVs on /reports — not a payroll warehouse
Three organization files on /reports. Not a warehouse. Approved payroll weeks stay on Timesheets.
Ask “reports csv guide” opens this article. After sign-in, a matching tutorial phrase opens Help — not this public page.
Related: Manager CSVs: activity, productivity, allocations · Timesheets are Operations allocation CSV — not auto-pay · From tracked hours to a payroll CSV: client codes and timesheets
Read the guide
Guide · 2026-09-15
Scores are productive ÷ classified — not a black-box productivity AI
You write the label. Then divide. Idle stays out. Not a black-box productivity AI.
Ask “score formula guide” opens this article. After sign-in, a matching tutorial phrase opens Help — not this public page.
Related: Productivity scores and distraction alerts · App and URL rules that leave idle as idle · Weekly insights without a live model
Read the guide
Guide · 2026-09-15
Team pulse is four today numbers and a roster — not a scores gallery
Four today numbers plus the roster. Percentages stay on Scores. Shots stay on a person’s day.
Ask “team pulse guide” opens this article. After sign-in, a matching tutorial phrase opens Help — not this public page.
Related: Operations home is today’s roster, not a payroll week · Read a person’s day: timeline, apps, and idle · Idle, pause, and offline — three different tray states
Read the guide

Ask, Search, and this index

Ask or Search “blog”, “guides”, “open guides”, “visiblehours blog”, “visiblehours guides”, “time tracking guides”, or “open the blog” opens this index. “home”, “what is VisibleHours”, and “product overview” stay on the public home page.
Ask “privacy guide”, “week rollup guide”, “reports csv guide”, “score formula guide”, “team pulse guide”, or another published “X guide” opens that article.
After sign-in, Ask “privacy tutorial”, “billing tutorial”, or “how to install the Windows agent” opens Help. Public Search for those how-to phrases stays on a public page.
Public Search “tutorials” stays here. After sign-in, Ask “tutorials” opens signed-in Help.
“terms” / “terms of use” / “terms of service” / “open terms” stays on /terms. “site search” stays on /search. “sitemap” / “robots.txt” stays on Home. Soft 404 recovery lists Guides — it is not a new article.

What this is not

Not a competitor comparison. These articles only name VisibleHours.
Not outreach. Nothing on this index emails a teammate or a prospect.
Not live checkout. Seats are $7 / person / month and are shown in Settings.
Not a one-click wipe, hidden tracker, or GDPR badge page.
Not signed-in Help. Tutorials stay behind login.
Not filler posts for Search, Terms, soft 404, sitemap.xml, or the RSS file.