Learn how to view, edit, and manage your Upwork work diary, including adding memos, activity tags, and deleting time segments for accurate hourly tracking.
In this article
- Where can I view my work diary?
- How do I edit my work diary?
- How do I read my work diary?
- What’s the difference between an activity tag and memo?
- How do I delete part of the time I worked without deleting the whole session?
- How does my Work Diary affect Hourly Payment Protection?
- What Work Diary time doesn’t qualify for Hourly Payment Protection?
- Does following these Work Diary requirements guarantee payment protection?
Where can I view my work diary?
- On the web, go to Deliver work > Hourly work diary
- On the Upwork Desktop App, choose View work diary
How do I edit my work diary?
You can only edit time on an active contract in the current week’s work diary. The previous week’s work diary is no longer editable after Monday at noon UTC.
- Go to Deliver work > Hourly work diary and choose the contract
- Select the day you want to edit from the dropdown date selections
- Make the changes you want and then press Save
Note:
For you to be able to add time manually, you must have permission from the client. The client can either set up the contract so that manual time is allowed and enabled from the beginning, or you can request permission on a case-by-case basis. Manual time cannot be added when a contract is paused.
How do I update memos and activity labels in my work diary?
- Go to Deliver work > Hourly work diary and choose the contract from the dropdown selections
- Select the day you want to edit from the dropdown date selections
- Hover over the time segment you want to edit and check the box that appears
- Select Edit
- Make the changes you want and select Save
How do I read my work diary?
When you use the Upwork Desktop App to log your time, it takes a screenshot six times per hour. Note: The screenshots we take are deleted by us after one year.
Upwork then plugs your hourly activity and work-in-progress screenshots into the appropriate billing segments in your work diary. It also records the total number of mouse clicks, scroll actions, and keystrokes per segment. It does not record what you clicked on or typed.
Memo bar color codes
- Green: Auto-tracked time, billable on hourly contracts
- Light green: Manual time, billable on hourly contracts
- Red: Time over the weekly limit agreed with your client, not billable
The row of green blocks is the Activity Meter. It shows the number of minutes out of a 10-minute billing segment that had activity (mouse clicks, scroll actions, and keystrokes).
Activity is recorded by Upwork Desktop App and uploaded as auto-tracked time. Manual time does not include activity information.
Click on the meter for a detailed view, including minute-by-minute activity counts.
Note:
Antivirus software, firewalls, and system overloads can sometimes prevent the app from tracking your activity properly. If you believe this has happened, you may need to whitelist the app in your antivirus software and firewall. You can also check your available RAM and CPU — if they are reaching their limits, you can try to free up resources by closing other programs.
What’s the difference between an activity tag and memo?
A memo is the note you create to describe what you are working on during a session. These are important to add so your client knows what you were working on, and to make sure you qualify for Upwork Payment Protection. Clients can also create activity tags for you to use. Clients sometimes use activity tags to track their spending on certain types of work, especially if they are working with multiple freelancers on a variety of projects. It’s important to choose the correct one to help your clients keep accurate accounting records, but they can also edit the tag you selected, if needed.
How do I delete part of the time I worked without deleting the whole session?
- Go to Deliver work > Hourly work diary and select the contract and day from the dropdown selections.
- Find the block of time you want to remove.
- Hover over the time’s screenshots to see checkboxes, then check the boxes for the time increments you want to remove.
- Once you check a box, Edit and Remove options will appear near the top of the page, next to total tracked time — choose Remove.
How does my Work Diary affect Hourly Payment Protection?
To qualify for Hourly Payment Protection, make sure your Work Diary meets these requirements:
- Activity in captured screenshots directly relates to the contract
- Memos or activity labels accurately describe the work done
- Activity levels remain adequate and fair
- Logged hours stay within the contract’s weekly limit
What Work Diary time doesn’t qualify for Hourly Payment Protection?
Logged time may not qualify for Hourly Payment Protection if it shows:
- Manual time entries
- Idle or empty activity
- Hours logged beyond the contract’s weekly limit
- Non-work-related activity
- Missing or inadequately described memos
Does following these Work Diary requirements guarantee payment protection?
Meeting these Work Diary requirements is essential, but it doesn’t guarantee payment protection. To qualify, your time must also meet all other Hourly Payment Protection requirements, including having a verified identity, working with a client who has a verified billing method, and keeping your account in good standing.
To learn more, see How Hourly Payment Protection works for freelancers.