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Timesheets are the bridge between individual time entries and invoices. They group your logged hours into defined periods, making it easy to review, approve, and bill your work. This guide explains what timesheets are, how they work, and how they connect to the rest of Aourly.

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What Is a Timesheet?

A timesheet is a collection of time entries that:
  • Belongs to a single performer on a single gig
  • Covers a specific time period (e.g., March 1-31, 2026)
  • Tracks total hours and total cost for that period
  • Can be approved and linked to an invoice
Think of it as a summary sheet for a performer’s work on one gig during one period.

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How Timesheets Are Created

Timesheets are generated automatically. When you log a time entry, Aourly checks:
  1. Which gig and performer the entry belongs to
  2. The date of the entry
  3. The gig’s timesheet frequency setting
Based on these, it either adds the entry to an existing timesheet for that period or creates a new one. You never need to create timesheets manually.

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Timesheet Periods

The period length depends on the gig’s timesheet frequency setting:
FrequencyPeriodExample
Weekly7 days (Monday to Sunday)March 3-9, 2026
MonthlyOne calendar monthMarch 1-31, 2026
Each period has a clear start and end date. Time entries are assigned to the timesheet whose period contains the entry’s date.

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Viewing Timesheets

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The Time Page

Navigate to Time in the sidebar to see your timesheets. The page provides:
  • A period selector (DatePeriodSelector widget) to navigate between weeks, months, or years
  • A summary view showing total hours and cost per period
  • The ability to expand each timesheet to see individual entries

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Switching Between Views

Use the period selector to switch between:
  • Week view — See one week at a time, useful for detailed daily review
  • Month view — See an entire month, useful for invoicing preparation
  • Year view — See annual totals, useful for reporting and tax purposes

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Timesheet Details

When you view a timesheet’s details, you see:
  • Period: The start and end dates
  • Gig: Which job this timesheet is for
  • Performer: Who the time belongs to
  • Total hours: Sum of all entry hours in the period
  • Total cost: Sum of all entry costs (hours x rate)
  • Approval status: Whether the timesheet has been approved
  • Invoice link: If the timesheet has been invoiced, which invoice it belongs to
  • Individual entries: Each time entry with its date, hours, rate, task, and comment

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Timesheet Lifecycle

A timesheet moves through these stages:

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1. Collecting Entries

As you log time during a period, entries accumulate in the timesheet. The totals update automatically. During this phase, entries are typically in “Planned” (Suggested) status.

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2. Review and Approval

At the end of a period (or whenever appropriate), the timesheet is reviewed. Individual entries can be approved, bringing them to “Billable” status. The timesheet itself can be approved once all entries are reviewed. See the Time Approval guide for details on the approval process.

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3. Invoicing

Approved timesheets (or their approved entries) can be included in an invoice. When an invoice is created, the timesheet is linked to it, and entries are marked as “Invoiced”. This prevents double-billing.

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4. Payment

When the client pays the invoice, the associated entries are marked as “Paid”, completing the lifecycle.

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One Performer, One Gig, One Timesheet

An important concept: timesheets are scoped per performer per gig per period. This means:
  • If you have two performers on an gig, each has their own timesheets
  • If you work on three gigs, you have separate timesheets for each
  • If you view a monthly period, you see one timesheet per gig you worked on that month
This separation makes it clear who worked on what, and allows independent approval and invoicing.

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Connecting Timesheets to Invoices

The invoicing flow uses timesheets as the primary unit. When you create an invoice:
  1. Select an gig
  2. Choose the period or timesheets to include
  3. Aourly pulls in all approved entries from those timesheets
  4. The invoice is generated with line items reflecting the time worked
Once invoiced, the timesheet is linked to the invoice record. You can always trace back from an invoice to see exactly which time entries it covers. Approved timesheets that have not been invoiced represent earned but unbilled revenue. Check for these regularly to keep your billing current.

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Timesheets and the Dashboard

The dashboard provides a high-level overview of your time data across all gigs. It pulls from your timesheets to show:
  • Total hours this week/month
  • Hours breakdown by gig
  • Unbilled hours (approved but not yet invoiced)
  • Comparison against workload targets

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Tips for Managing Timesheets

  • Review weekly: Even if you invoice monthly, review your timesheets each week to catch errors early.
  • Approve promptly: Do not let unapproved timesheets pile up. Regular approvals keep your billing pipeline moving.
  • Check for gaps: Look for days with no entries. Missing entries are lost revenue.
  • Use the period selector: Switch between weekly and monthly views to get different perspectives on your time data.
  • Reconcile before invoicing: Before creating an invoice, verify the timesheet totals match your expectations. This is your last chance to catch discrepancies.
Timesheets are created automatically when you log time entries. You do not need to create them manually.
Review your timesheets at the end of each period to catch any missing entries before approval.
Each performer on an gig has their own separate timesheets, even for the same period.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. When you log a time entry, it is automatically assigned to the correct timesheet based on the gig’s timesheet frequency and the entry date. You never need to create timesheets manually.
No. Each timesheet belongs to a single performer on a single gig. If you work on multiple gigs, you will have separate timesheets for each.
The period is determined by the gig’s timesheet frequency setting. For weekly timesheets, the period covers Monday to Sunday. For monthly timesheets, it covers one calendar month.
When an invoice is created from a timesheet, the timesheet is linked to the invoice and its entries are marked as Invoiced. This prevents the same time from being billed twice.
Owners and coordinators can view timesheets for all performers on their gigs. Performers can only see their own timesheets.