Odoo 20 Timesheet Assistant: How It Works and How to Set It Up

Keeping timesheets up to date can be difficult, especially when employees work across multiple projects and tasks throughout the day. Missed entries and end-of-week estimates can also affect project reporting, customer billing, and profitability analysis.

The Odoo 20 Timesheet Assistant helps address this problem by using computer activity, optional browser activity, and configured rules to suggest timesheet entries. Employees can review these suggestions, correct the details, and create the appropriate entries without having to reconstruct every task from memory.

In this guide, we'll explain how the Odoo 20 Timesheet Assistant works, what you need before getting started, and how to configure and use it.

Why Accurate Timesheet Tracking Matters

Timesheets provide important information for project management and financial reporting. When employees do not record their working hours consistently, businesses may struggle to understand how much time projects actually require.

Common challenges include:

• Missed entries: Employees forget to record short tasks, meetings, or quick fixes.
• Inaccurate time estimates: Hours entered at the end of the week may not reflect the actual time spent on each activity.
• Incomplete project data: Missing entries can affect project cost calculations and profitability reports.
• Administrative overhead: Employees spend additional time remembering, organizing, and entering their work activities.

A more consistent time-tracking process helps businesses maintain reliable project records and make better-informed decisions.

What Is the Odoo 20 Timesheet Assistant?

The Odoo 20 Timesheet Assistant is a feature that monitors computer activity through ActivityWatch and can also track browser activity through an optional browser extension.

It uses activity-matching rules, along with relevant calendar events and planning information in Odoo, to generate timesheet suggestions. These suggestions can then be reviewed and converted into actual timesheet entries.

Here's how the process works:

1. Employees work on their usual tasks and activities.
2. ActivityWatch records relevant computer activity and, when configured, browser activity.
3. Odoo uses configured assistant rules and relevant scheduling information to generate suggestions.
4. Employees review the suggested activities, durations, projects, and tasks.
5. The appropriate suggestions are converted into timesheet entries.

The assistant helps reduce manual time-entry work, but it does not eliminate the need for review. Employees should verify that the suggested hours accurately represent their work before creating entries.

What You Need Before Getting Started

Before configuring the Timesheet Assistant, make sure the following requirements are met.

• Odoo 20 Timesheets: The Timesheets app must be available in your Odoo database.
• Correct encoding method: The Timesheets settings must use the Hours / Minutes encoding method.
• Timesheets Assistant enabled: An administrator must activate the feature in Timesheets → Configuration → Settings.
• ActivityWatch desktop application: This is required for computer activity tracking.
• Browser extension (optional): Install the ActivityWatch extension for Chrome or Firefox if you want to track browser activity.
• Assistant rules: Rules help Odoo recognize activities and associate them with appropriate timesheet suggestions.

The desktop application and browser extension serve different purposes. The desktop application tracks activity in computer applications, while the optional extension adds browser activity tracking.

How to Set Up the Odoo 20 Timesheet Assistant

Once the prerequisites are in place, follow these steps to configure the feature.

Step 1: Enable the Timesheet Assistant

First, make sure the feature is enabled in your Odoo database.

1. Open the Timesheets app.
2. Navigate to Configuration → Settings.
3. Locate the Timesheets Assistant option and enable it.
4. Confirm that the encoding method is set to Hours / Minutes.
5. Save the configuration if required.

After enabling the feature, open Timesheets → Assistant to access the assistant interface.

Step 2: Install and Connect ActivityWatch

The ActivityWatch desktop application is required for the Timesheet Assistant to collect relevant computer activity.

To begin the installation:

1. Open Timesheets → Assistant.
2. Follow the on-screen installation instructions for desktop activity.
3. Download the appropriate ActivityWatch package for your operating system.
4. Install and launch the application according to the instructions provided.
5. Return to the Odoo Timesheets Assistant and follow the connection setup.
6. Complete the connection configuration and use the available test option to verify the connection.

Depending on your operating system, additional configuration may be necessary. For example, Odoo's installation instructions include configuring cross-origin resource sharing (CORS) so the local ActivityWatch server can communicate with your Odoo database.

Follow the official Odoo documentation for the complete instructions applicable to your operating system.

Important: Installing ActivityWatch alone may not complete the integration. Verify the connection before proceeding to the next step.

Step 3: Install the Optional Browser Extension

If your work involves browser-based applications, installing the ActivityWatch browser extension can help the assistant recognize relevant browser activity.

To install it:

1. Open Timesheets → Assistant.
2. Open the assistant's installation or settings interface.
3. Locate the Browser activity section.
4. Select the extension for Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox.
5. Install the extension and complete the browser's confirmation steps.

This step is optional. The desktop application is required for computer activity tracking, while the browser extension adds browser activity tracking.

Once the extension is installed, verify that it is working as expected before relying on browser-based suggestions.

Step 4: Configure Assistant Rules

Assistant rules determine how Odoo interprets activity information and uses it to generate timesheet suggestions.

To create or edit a rule:

1. Navigate to Timesheets → Configuration → Assistant Rules.
2. Open an existing rule or click New.
3. Configure the relevant fields.
4. Save the rule and test it with a matching activity.

The main fields include:

• Name: Identifies the rule.
• Regex: Defines the pattern used to match activity information, such as a window title, browser tab title, or URL.
• Type: Determines the icon displayed for matching suggestions.
• Template: Defines the name used for the generated timesheet entry. If left blank, the rule's name is used instead.
• Description: Provides a label displayed in the Timesheet Assistant.
• Always Active: Allows matching activity to continue being tracked when ActivityWatch identifies the user as inactive.

For example, a rule can be configured to recognize a Google Meet session and classify the associated activity as a customer meeting.

The exact regular expression depends on the activity information being matched. Test each rule with the relevant application or website to confirm that it produces the expected result.

You can also configure default projects and tasks for matching activities where appropriate. This can help reduce the amount of manual correction needed when reviewing suggestions.

Step 5: Test the Assistant Rules

After creating a rule, test it before using it as part of your regular timesheet workflow.

1. Open an application or browser page that matches the configured rule.
2. Perform a relevant activity, such as attending a meeting or working on a project task.
3. Allow ActivityWatch to collect the activity information.
4. Return to Odoo and open the Timesheets Assistant.
5. Check whether the expected suggestion appears.

If the suggestion does not appear or contains incorrect information, review the rule's regular expression and other configuration settings. Also verify that ActivityWatch is running and connected correctly.

Testing helps identify configuration problems before they affect everyday time tracking.

Step 6: Review the Generated Suggestions

Once activity tracking is configured, open Timesheets → Assistant to review the generated suggestions.

For each suggestion, check:

• Duration: Does the suggested time accurately represent the activity?
• Project: Is the time associated with the correct project?
• Task: Does the task match the work performed?
• Description: Does the entry clearly explain the activity?

Correct any inaccurate details before creating the timesheet entry.

The assistant can help identify activities that may otherwise be forgotten, but its suggestions should not be treated as automatically verified records of working time.

Step 7: Create Timesheet Entries

After reviewing the suggestions, convert the appropriate ones into actual timesheet entries.

1. Select the relevant suggestion or suggestions.
2. Review and edit the available fields as necessary.
3. Confirm the duration, project, task, and description.
4. Click Create to generate the timesheet entries.

Only create entries that accurately represent the work performed. If a suggestion is irrelevant or incorrect, remove it rather than recording it as working time.

Once the entries are created, they can be managed through the regular Odoo Timesheets workflow.

Key Benefits of the Odoo 20 Timesheet Assistant

Less Manual Time Entry

Employees can begin with activity-based suggestions instead of entering every task from an empty form. This can reduce the administrative effort involved in maintaining timesheets.

Fewer Forgotten Activities

Short meetings, brief fixes, and other work activities may be easier to identify when employees review suggestions rather than relying entirely on memory.

Better Project Cost Visibility

More complete timesheet records can help businesses understand how much time is being spent on projects. This supports project cost tracking and profitability analysis, provided the entries are reviewed and recorded accurately.

A More Consistent Time-Tracking Process

Using defined assistant rules gives teams a repeatable way to classify common activities and prepare timesheet entries.

The benefits depend on correct configuration, relevant activity data, and consistent employee review.

Who Can Benefit from the Timesheet Assistant?

The feature may be particularly useful for businesses that:

• Bill customers based on hours worked.
• Manage multiple client projects.
• Need visibility into project costs and profitability.
• Frequently miss or delay timesheet entries.
• Perform much of their work through computer applications and browser-based tools.

It may be less useful for activities that happen away from the computer or are not captured by the configured tracking rules. In those cases, employees may still need to enter time manually.

Privacy and Activity Data

Because the Timesheet Assistant uses computer activity to generate suggestions, it is important to understand how the feature handles that information.

According to the official Odoo 20 documentation, activity data is processed locally on the user's device and is not shared with others, either inside or outside the organization. Timesheet suggestions remain private until they are converted into actual timesheet entries.

Businesses should communicate how the feature works, explain the purpose of time tracking, and review their internal policies before introducing it to employees.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the Odoo 20 Timesheet Assistant automatically create timesheet entries?

No. It generates suggestions based on tracked activity, configured rules, and relevant Odoo scheduling data. Users review the suggestions and create the appropriate entries.

Is ActivityWatch mandatory?

Yes. The ActivityWatch desktop application is required for computer activity tracking. The browser extension is optional and adds browser activity tracking.

Can the assistant recognize specific applications and websites?

Yes. Assistant rules use regular expressions to match activity information, such as application window titles, browser tab titles, and URLs. The results depend on how the rules are configured.

Can the assistant assign activities to projects and tasks?

Suggestions can be associated with projects and tasks using configured rules and previously matched suggestions. Users should verify these assignments before creating timesheet entries.

Is the browser extension required?

No. The browser extension is optional. Install it if you want to include supported browser activity in the suggestions.

Where can I find the official installation instructions?

Refer to the official Odoo 20 Timesheet Assistant documentation for the current configuration and installation steps.

 

Conclusion

The Odoo 20 Timesheet Assistant offers a practical way to reduce the manual effort involved in recording working hours. By using ActivityWatch, configured assistant rules, and relevant Odoo scheduling information, it can generate suggestions that help employees maintain more complete timesheets.

To get the best results, enable the feature correctly, complete the ActivityWatch connection, configure relevant rules, and review suggestions before creating entries. Businesses should also consider how the feature fits their existing time-tracking processes and communicate its operation clearly to employees.

A carefully configured workflow can make timesheet recording more consistent while giving project teams better information for cost tracking, reporting, and profitability analysis.