Getting Started with OpenTickly
Start tracking time with OpenTickly: try the hosted demo or self-host with Docker, create your first workspace, run a timer, and review the result.
This guide takes you from a new account to your first report. Try the hosted demo first, or run OpenTickly on your own server.
Choose how to run OpenTickly
| Option | Best for | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Hosted demo | Trying it out before installing anything | Open track.opentoggl.com and create an account |
| Self-hosted | Keeping the application and database on your own server | Follow the Docker self-hosting guide |
Both run the same app. Self-hosting means your data stays on your machine, and you handle backups and upgrades yourself.
Create your account and workspace
- Register with your name, email address, and password.
- Open the workspace created during onboarding.
- Check the workspace time zone before recording team activity.
- Add a project if you want the first entry to appear in project reports.
Everything lives inside a workspace: projects, clients, tags, members, billable rates, and time entries. Reports and team sharing also work per workspace.
Record your first time entry
- Open Timer.
- Enter a concrete description such as
Write onboarding guide. - Select a project and optional tags.
- Start the timer, then stop it when the work is complete.
If you already know the start and end times, use manual mode. The calendar and list views show the same entries, so edit in whichever one you like.
Review where the time went
Open Reports and pick a date range. Start with the summary, then filter or group by project, client, user, tag, billable, or description when you want more detail.
A few things worth checking early on:
- Does the total match the time you expected to record?
- Are entries assigned to the correct project and client?
- Are billable and non-billable entries separated correctly?
- Do team members use the same tags for the same type of work?
Bring existing data or integrations
- Moving from Toggl Track: follow Migrate from Toggl to OpenTickly.
- Reusing a CLI, script, or agent: read Toggl API compatibility.
- Automating time capture with an agent: connect toggl-cli and an AI agent.
Recommended next steps
- Set up clients and projects the way you want to see them in reports.
- Invite teammates and check their roles.
- If you self-host, set up database backups.
- Build one review habit, like checking the timer daily or looking at the project report weekly.
Start with as few projects and tags as you can stick with. Add more only when a report you actually want needs them.