Does this replace the timer?

No. The timer is still the most accurate way to capture work as it happens. Asking is for the gaps - the sessions you forgot to start and would otherwise reconstruct from memory later.

Is it accurate if I describe my time loosely?

It is exactly as accurate as what you tell it. Saying you spent two hours on client calls this morning produces a two hour entry, so it works best the same day rather than a week later.

Do I have to let it change anything?

No. You choose read-only or read and write access when you connect. Read-only lets an assistant answer questions about your time without being able to start timers, log hours, or edit entries.

Does it work with anything other than Claude?

Yes. Timen uses MCP, an open standard, so any assistant that supports connectors can use it - Claude, ChatGPT, and others.

New in Timen: ask your AI assistant to track your time

Lucas July 24, 2026 5 min read

Today we are adding a simple but useful way to work with Timen: you can now connect your Timen account to the AI chat app you already have open and just tell it what you worked on. Start a timer, log the hour you forgot this morning, or ask where your week actually went - in plain language, without opening Timen at all. It works with Claude, ChatGPT, and other assistants that support connectors.

Claude connected to Timen, answering how much time was tracked this week with a breakdown by project.

Just tell it what you did

There is no syntax to learn and nothing to set up per request. You describe what happened the way you would to a colleague, and Timen writes the entry:

"Start a timer on the Acme website."
"I spent two hours on client calls this morning - log it."
"How much did I track this week, by project?"

The assistant works out which part of Timen to use, checks with you before anything gets deleted, and the entry lands in your timesheet straight away - same data you see in the timer and reports.

Things you can ask

While you are working

"Start a timer on the Acme redesign."
"What am I tracking right now?"
"Stop my timer."

Time you forgot to track

"Log two hours on client calls this morning."
"I worked 9 to 11:30 on the Riverside project yesterday."
"Add 45 minutes of admin to today, non-billable."

Where your time went

"How much did I track this week, grouped by project?"
"What did I bill on Acme this month?"
"Show me my entries from last week."

Fixing an entry

"Move yesterday's 3pm entry to the Marketing project."
"Mark this morning's call as billable."
"Delete the duplicate entry from Tuesday."

Projects and clients

"What projects can I track against?"
"Create a project called Q3 Redesign under Acme."
"Add a new client named Riverside & Co."

Works with your favorite AI app

This is built on MCP, an open standard for connecting assistants to other apps. That means we did not have to pick a winner: Claude works, ChatGPT works, and whatever you move to next year will most likely work too, without us shipping anything new.

It also means the assistant is not looking at a separate copy of your data. It reads and writes the same time entries as the rest of Timen, on your current team. Log an hour by chatting and it is in your timesheet a second later, ready to report on or invoice.

How to connect it (takes a minute)

Open your assistant's connector settings. In Claude that is Settings → Connectors → Add custom connector.
Paste Timen's address: mcp.gettimen.com/mcp
Sign in to Timen and choose whether the assistant can only read your time, or also make changes.
Ask it what you tracked this week.

Step-by-step instructions, the full list of what an assistant can do, and how to disconnect it later are all in the AI assistants guide.

What it can and can't do (for now)

It can track and edit time. Start and stop timers, log hours after the fact, edit entries, and create projects and clients - but only if you grant write access when you connect.
It only sees what you see. If you are a team member it works with your own entries; admins and owners see the whole team. It always acts on your current team.
It can't touch your invoices. Invoices are read-only here. An assistant can list them, but it can never create, change, or send one.

A faster way to keep your timesheet honest

Most timesheets go wrong in the same place: the hour nobody remembered to record. If that sounds familiar, connect Timen to the AI app you already have open and try asking it what you tracked this week.

Open your assistant's connector settings and add mcp.gettimen.com/mcp to get started.

Common questions

Does this replace the timer?: No. The timer is still the most accurate way to capture work as it happens. Asking is for the gaps - the sessions you forgot to start and would otherwise reconstruct from memory later.
Is it accurate if I describe my time loosely?: It is exactly as accurate as what you tell it. Saying you spent two hours on client calls this morning produces a two hour entry, so it works best the same day rather than a week later.
Do I have to let it change anything?: No. You choose read-only or read and write access when you connect. Read-only lets an assistant answer questions about your time without being able to start timers, log hours, or edit entries.
Does it work with anything other than Claude?: Yes. Timen uses MCP, an open standard, so any assistant that supports connectors can use it - Claude, ChatGPT, and others.

Written by Lucas

Lucas writes about time tracking at Timen and covers billable hours, invoicing, and practical workflow advice for freelancers and small teams. He tests tools on real work and gives an honest account of who they suit, where they fall short, and when another option may be better. Timen gets the same treatment.