Time Tracker Data You Should Export Before Switching Tools

The Tool Switch Nobody Plans Carefully

At some point you're going to switch time trackers. Maybe your current one raised prices. Maybe it stopped working the way you needed. Maybe you found something that fits your workflow better.

The switch itself is usually fine. Set up the new tool, import clients, done. What most people miss is what they leave behind.

Your old time tracker has data that doesn't automatically transfer anywhere. Historical hours, project totals, rate changes, invoices, screenshots. Once you cancel the subscription or the company shuts down, that history can be gone.

Here's what to pull before you leave.

Full Time Entry History

This is the most obvious one and the most often skipped because it feels like it won't matter.

It will matter. Tax time, rate conversations, scope disputes, these all require you to know what you billed in the past. A client might reference a project from eighteen months ago. You need to know the hours logged, the rate applied, and what the invoice total was.

Export your complete time entry history as a CSV. Include every field the tool allows: client, project, task, start time, end time, duration, billing rate, notes, invoice status. Store it somewhere you'll still have access to in two years.

Client and Project Lists

This sounds trivial until you realize your new tool has no idea which projects belong to which clients, what the billing rates were, or which projects are closed versus active.

Export a clean client and project list before you close the account. Even a basic CSV with client name, project name, rate, and status saves you a painful reconstruction exercise during setup.

Invoice Records

If your time tracker generated invoices, those invoices are part of your financial record. Export every invoice as a PDF and keep them in a folder organized by client and year.

This is not optional if you're in a jurisdiction that requires you to keep financial records for a set number of years. Depending on where you are, that's often five to seven years. Your subscription ending doesn't change that obligation.

Also export the invoice data in a structured format if the tool allows it. A spreadsheet showing invoice number, client, date, amount, and payment status is useful for reconciliation and for any accountant who might need to review your books.

Screenshots and Activity Logs

This is the one most people don't think about until they need it.

If your time tracker captured automatic screenshots, those images are attached to your historical time entries. Once you cancel, they're typically gone. If you've ever had a billing dispute or think you might face one for a current project, download the relevant screenshots before closing the account.

For ongoing client relationships especially, it's worth pulling screenshots from the last six to twelve months. You may not need them. But a dispute that surfaces three months after you switch tools can't be resolved with a login you no longer have.

Your Reporting Templates

Some tools let you customize reports. If you've built a client-facing report format that works well, document how it's structured before you lose access. Your new tool won't replicate it automatically, but knowing what you need is half the setup battle.

When to Do This

Do it before you cancel, not after. Once the account is closed, you typically have no access. Some tools have a grace period. Most don't.

Build the export into your switching process. New tool set up, data working, then cancel old account, but only after you've pulled everything.

The Broader Point

Your time data is a business record. Treat it like one. The hours you tracked over three years tell a story about your rates, your clients, your workload, and your earning patterns. That story doesn't belong to your time tracker. It belongs to you.

The tool is just where it was stored. Make sure you have your own copy.

Track your time, bill every minute.

Time-Trak is a native Mac and Windows time tracker with a floating timer, automatic screenshots, and one-click invoicing.

Free during beta.

macOS + Windows · Floating widget · Auto screenshots