Manual time on Upwork allows freelancers to log offline work like calls or sketches, but it must be enabled by the client and isn’t covered by Hourly Protection. Time can be added via the Work Diary or desktop app, only for open billing periods and non-overlapping slots, with all logs based on UTC time.
Adding manual time to your work diary
Sometimes, the work you do isn’t trackable with the Upwork Desktop App's Time Tracker — like phone calls, paper sketches, file transfers, or anything that happens offline. That’s where manual time comes in.
If you and your client agree that logging hours manually makes sense, you can use this feature to track and bill that time. Just make sure your client has manual time enabled on the contract first — they can turn it on or off anytime, so it's always a good idea to check in with them before adding hours.
Heads-up
Manual time isn't covered by Hourly Protection. So before you log it, be sure your client’s on board and willing to pay for it.How to add manual time
From your computer:
- Go to your work diary
- Select the contract from the dropdown menu
- Choose the day you want to log time for, then click Add manual time
- Enter the time range, write a quick description of the work, and hit Save
From the desktop app:
- Open the Upwork Desktop App and select your contract
- Click Add manual time
- Choose the date and time, write a short work summary, and click Save
You can only add manual time for open billing periods and for time slots where you haven’t already tracked time. Once the work diary locks, you’re no longer able to edit it. Manual time cannot be added to paused contracts.
How time zones and work diary lock times work
Here’s the key thing to know: the work diary runs on UTC time by default, even if you're working in a different time zone.
- You can switch the view to your own time zone to make tracking easier
- But the lock time always follows UTC — it happens at 12:00 am Monday UTC, no matter where you are in the world
Example 1:
You log time on Sunday, Dec 1, from 9:00 to 10:00 pm your time, but in UTC that’s already Monday, Dec 2, 1:00 to 2:00 am — so it counts for the new week.
Example 2:
You log time on Monday, Dec 2, from 12:00 to 1:00 am your time, but in UTC that’s still Sunday, Dec 1, 10:00 to 11:00 pm — so it counts for the previous week.