Track Time in Jira: A Complete Guide to Improve Project Accuracy

Time tracking in Jira isn't what most people expect. While Jira allows you to log time and make estimates, it doesn't track your time as you work. That’s a big limitation. As a result, many teams are looking for ways to combine Jira's powerful project management tools with real-time time tracking.

In this article, we’ll explore how to track work hours in Jira by adding specialized time-tracking software.

Let’s enable accurate, automated time tracking alongside Jira's powerful project management tools!

What is Jira Time Tracking?

As a project management tool, Jira is great at organizing and managing tasks. However, it's a bit basic when it comes to time tracking.

Sure, you can manually log time for tasks, but the insights you get are limited. It doesn’t really help you understand team productivity, how time is used, or whether resources are allocated correctly.

But, when you pair Jira with a powerful time-tracking solution like Apploye, you unlock numerous time tracking benefits that transform your project management.

The software adds real-time tracking and automated data sync and gives you the actionable insights you need. It takes Jira’s time tracking to the next level, making it an essential tool for any team that wants to boost project efficiency and get things done faster.

Limitations of Native Jira Time Tracking

Manual Time Logging

In Jira, users have to log their time manually, which can easily lead to mistakes or overlooked entries. It's a simple step, but it often gets missed, causing confusion later.

Lack of Automation

There’s no automated system to track time as you go. You’re left to remember and log everything yourself, which is not ideal when you're managing multiple tasks.

Minimal Reporting

Jira’s native reports don’t offer much depth. You get the basics, but there’s no detailed breakdown of budget comparisons or resource usage. You’re left guessing when it comes to real insights.

How Work Hour Monitoring Software Enhances Jira’s Time Tracking

By adding a employee time tracking software like Apploye to the mix, users unlock powerful features that solve these challenges. Here's how:

Real-Time Tracking

Apploye automatically tracks time spent on Jira issues so that you can forget about manual time entries.

Seamless Synchronization

Time logs in Apploye are directly tied to Jira tasks. This keeps your data accurate and consistent across both platforms.

Comprehensive Analytics

With combined reports, managers get a complete picture of project timelines, team performance, and task progress, all in one place.

How to Set Up Jira for Time Tracking (Step-by-Step Integration Guide)

Before you start the integration process, ensure you have an Ogr Admin account for Jira and either Owner or Admin account for Apploye.

Now, to connect Jira with Apploye, you’ll mainly need 4 different field data. They are:

• Application URL
• Admin Email
• API Token
• Webhook Secret

Below, I’ve explained how to generate and use these data:

Step 1: Get the Application URL and Admin Email

Application URL

• Copy the Application URL of your Jira application, typically in the format https://yourcompany.atlassian.net.

• Paste the Application URL into the designated field in the Jira integration page on Apploye.

Admin Email

• Enter the email address of the Jira account org administrator or owner in the Admin Email field of the Apploye integration page.

Step 2: Generate an API Token in Jira

An API token allows secure communication between Jira and Apploye.

• Log in to your Jira account.
• Navigate to Profile > Manage account.

• Open the Security tab and select Create and manage API tokens.

• Click Create API token and provide a descriptive name for the token (e.g., "Apploye Integration").

• Copy the generated token immediately.
• Paste the API token into the corresponding field in the Apploye Jira integration setup.

Step 3: Configure WebHooks

WebHooks enable real-time communication between Jira and Apploye, ensuring that changes in one platform are reflected in the other.

Here are the steps to create a WebHook in Jira:

• Go to Settings > System in your Jira account.

• Under Advanced, select WebHooks.

• Click Create a WebHook.

• Fill in the details:
  • Name: Enter your organization’s name or a recognizable label.
  • URL: Copy & Paste this Apploye WebHook URL (below):

^{‍https://mwa.services.apploye.com/api/hooks/jira_webhook/}

• Select the specific events you want the WebHook to respond to:
  • Issue: Created, Updated, Deleted.
  • Project: Created, Updated, Deleted.

• Click Generate secret in the webhook settings and copy it.

• Paste the secret into the Jira integration page in Apploye.

Step 4: Adjust Team Member Visibility

Team members must make their email addresses visible for proper synchronization of tasks and member assignments.

Here’s how to enable email visibility:

• Access the profile settings by clicking the profile icon in the top-right corner.
• Navigate to Manage Profile > Profile and Visibility.
• Adjust the Email Visibility setting to Anyone.
• Save changes to ensure seamless member invitations and project assignments.

Step 5: Enable Time Tracking in Jira

To fully utilize the integration, enable the Time Tracking feature in Jira:

• Go to Project Settings in Jira.
• Select Issue Types and search for the Time Tracking field.
• Add the time tracking field to relevant issue types.
• Save changes to activate time tracking within Jira projects.

Step 6: Complete the Integration

Once all required fields are populated in Apploye (Application URL, Admin Email, API Token, Webhook Secret), click Allow access.

A success message will confirm that Jira's projects and tasks have been synchronized with Apploye.

Team members can now start tracking time for projects on Jira via Apploye’s desktop or mobile apps.

Unlock Powerful Features That Work Together Seamlessly

Integrating Jira with Apploye combines the best of project management and time tracking, creating a powerful workflow solution for any team. With this integration, you’ll easily manage tasks, boost productivity, and gain insights that help you move forward.

Below are the key features of the Jira and Apploye integration:

1. Time Tracking Synchronization

Accurate, automated time tracking is at the core of the Jira-Apploye integration. This feature removes the need for manual time entries, reducing mistakes and boosting efficiency.

• Automatic Time Entry Linking:

Work hours logged in Apploye are instantly linked to the relevant Jira issues, keeping both platforms in sync in real-time.

• Centralized Timesheets:

All time data is pulled together in one place, so managers can easily access detailed reports from the Jira or Apploye dashboard.

• Hourly Synchronization:

Apploye syncs timesheet data with Jira every hour, making sure everything stays current without needing a manual update.

Learn more about how to track employee hours effectively with automated solutions.

2. Issue Management

The integration makes managing tasks much more accessible by connecting Jira and Apploye. Teams can now log time and track progress without jumping between different tools.

• Task Logging:

Now, you can log work hours directly to Jira issues through Apploye. This ensures every task gets the time it needs, without the back-and-forth.

• Status Synchronization:

Any updates made in Jira are automatically reflected in Apploye, so everyone stays on the same page, no matter where they’re working.

• Enhanced Collaboration:

No more switching between platforms. Teams can easily focus on what matters, prioritize issues, and track progress.

3. Project Alignment

By bringing Jira projects into Apploye's project time tracking system, both platforms give you a unified view of tasks and hierarchies. This helps teams stay aligned and avoid confusion.

• Jira Projects in Apploye:

All your Jira projects are pulled into Apploye, making it easy for team members to log time against tasks or epics without any extra steps.

• Preserved Project Hierarchies:

The structure from Jira—epics, stories, sub-tasks—stays intact in Apploye, so everything is still easy to understand.

• Cross-Platform Accessibility:

You can access projects and tasks in both Jira and Apploye. This keeps everything consistent, no matter where you’re working, and breaks down resources between teams.

4. Reporting and Analytics

The integration boosts your reporting by merging time-tracking data with project management insights.

• Detailed Time Reports:

Managers can easily track employee performance through detailed time reports and analytics.

• Budget Tracking:

Compare actual work hours with project budgets. This helps you keep financial control in check and make better forecasts.

• Resource Allocation Insights:

Get actionable data to balance workloads and allocate your team’s resources more effectively.

• Cross-Platform Analytics:

Reports from both platforms come together to give you a complete view of your project’s progress and team performance.

5. Unified Team Management

The integration simplifies team management by offering a central hub for viewing workloads and performance.

• Workload Monitoring:

Easily see what each team member is working on across both platforms. This helps ensure no one is overloaded and resources are spread out evenly.

• Capacity Tracking:

Stay on top of how much capacity is left to avoid stretching anyone too thin. This is key to better planning and smoother project timelines.

• Improved Accountability:

Team members can see exactly how their contributions fit into the bigger picture. This boosts transparency and encourages ownership of tasks.

• Real-Time Updates:

Managers get live updates on project progress, which helps them make faster, smarter decisions.

To get the most out of your integration, follow these time tracking best practices.

Use Cases: Who Benefits from This Integration?

The Jira and Apploye integration is here to make life easier for teams across all industries. It’s built to boost productivity, keep things moving smoothly, and help deliver results faster. No matter your role, this tool adapts to your workflow and gets the job done right.

Here are the primary users who benefit the most from this integration:

Project Managers

The Jira and Apploye combination gives project managers a major boost. It gives them a clear view of project timelines, budgets, and team progress, all in one place. Time spent on Jira tasks can be tracked in real time, making planning and executing projects easier.

With detailed reports, managers can evaluate performance, spot delays, and make quick decisions to keep everything on track.

This is perfect when managing multiple projects or facing challenges that need quick adjustments in resource allocation.

Team Members

With this integration, team members can work smarter, not harder. They can jump straight into their Jira tasks from Apploye.

Also, no need to log time manually. Automated tracking records daily hours and progress, so everything’s spot on. It removes distractions, helps them stay focused, and ensures their efforts are captured accurately across both platforms.

HR and Accounting Teams

This integration gives HR and accounting teams a huge boost. It makes payroll processing smooth with accurate, auto-synced time logs, which means fewer errors when calculating wages or invoicing clients.

The timesheets go further, helping teams create expense reports in a flash and track costs tied to specific projects or tasks.

With error-free time data, everything stays transparent, ensuring records are ready for audits and financial compliance.

Businesses and Organizations

For businesses and organizations, this integration brings project management and time tracking together, boosting productivity. Combined reporting allows companies to work smarter, improve efficiency, and get a better ROI.

Real-time data helps track project profitability while sharpening workflows around the tasks that matter most.

This link between time tracking and project management delivers clear insights that drive growth, help allocate resources where needed, and build team accountability.

Freelancers and Remote Teams

For distributed teams, having the right remote team management software is crucial for success.

This integration ensures time is tracked accurately for hourly billing, which builds client trust. Apploye provides comprehensive monitoring of employees working from home, helping maintain productivity and accountability. Transparent time logs make invoicing and reporting much easier.

Also, it keeps everyone synced across different platforms, helping remote teams stay connected despite time zone gaps. This way, workloads become more manageable, and the focus remains where it should, delivering excellent results.

Conclusion

You remove manual mistakes and unlock valuable insights by syncing project management with real-time tracking. With simple setup steps in this blog, you can instantly see better efficiency and improved project results.

Ready to take your team's workflow to the next level? Schedule a demo to get started with the Jira-Apploye integration now!