How to Enforce Agents to Log Time Spent for Tickets

BoldDesk provides flexible worklog settings that enable teams to track time accurately across ticket replies, notes, and internal worklog entries. Administrators can enforce mandatory fields, define default worklog behaviour, and manage time tracking preferences for agents. This ensures accountability, billing accuracy, and consistent reporting across support operations.

To configure worklog preference, go to Admin > Agent Portal and select the Worklog tab.

Check out this video tutorial for more details.

Prerequisites

Before configuring or using worklogs:

• You must have access to Admin Settings.
• Your role must include permissions to Add Worklog, Edit Worklog, and View Worklog.
• Ticket actions such as replies, notes, and status updates must be enabled for your role.

Use Case

Worklog preferences are ideal for teams that need to:

• Measure agent productivity and time spent per ticket
• Maintain detailed logs for internal auditing
• Track billable vs. non‑billable support work
• Ensure consistent time entry for reporting and SLAs
• Support client billing based on actual time worked

Benefits

By configuring worklog preferences, teams can:

• Ensure accurate time tracking for every ticket interaction
• Enforce necessary details such as worklog descriptions
• Automate time tracking to reduce manual effort
• Improve billing accuracy for billable support environments
• Maintain reliable operational metrics for workload planning

Ticket Worklog Preferences

Ticket worklog preferences define the rules for how agents record time on tickets, including whether time entries, descriptions, or billable types are required when adding replies, notes, or worklogs.

Mandatory to Add Time Spent While Adding Replies

When this option is enabled:

• Agents must log time when adding public replies.

• The reply cannot be submitted without entering a worklog duration.
  

  
  
  

Mandatory to Add Time Spent While Adding Notes

When enabled:

• Agents must enter time spent when adding:

  • Private notes
  • Public notes

• Worklogs become required for all note updates.
  

  
  
  

Mandatory to Add Description While Adding or Editing Worklog

When this setting is active:

• Agents must provide a description when:

  • Creating a new worklog

  • Editing an existing worklog
    

    
    
    

Default Worklog Type Set as Billable

This option sets the default worklog type to billable whenever a worklog entry is created.

Excluding Worklog Mandatory Field Requirement

Administrators can allow certain roles (e.g., supervisors, managers) to skip required worklog fields.

To exclude the worklog preferences for a specific role, follow these steps:

1. Go to Admin > Roles and Permissions.
2. Click the Edit button of the specific role you want to edit. The role details page opens.
3. Under the Ticket module, enable the Skip mandatory fields configuration for worklog fields checkbox.
4. Save the role settings. This allows users in that role to add replies or notes without mandatory worklog fields.
   
   
   
   
   

Time Tracking in Tickets

BoldDesk supports two types of time tracking: the time log will be tracked manually or automatically, based on the actions selected.

Manual Time Tracking

Agents manually:

• Start the timer
• Pause the timer
• Save the worklog entry

Useful for agents who switch tasks frequently.

Automatic Time Tracking

Worklog entries are created automatically based on agent actions. Explore further instructions about Automatic Timer for Ticket Worklogs.

Actions You Can Track Automatically

Time is automatically tracked based on the actions you select.

Administrators can choose which interactions trigger auto‑time‑tracking.

Handling Idle or Inactive Agents

BoldDesk includes idle tracking to ensure worklogs remain accurate.

Idle Handling Features

• Automatically pauses active sessions when agents become inactive.
• Inactivity intervals can be set to:
  • 30 seconds
  • 1 minute
  • 3 minutes
    This prevents accidental inflation of tracked time.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. Can agents add worklogs without mandatory fields?
   Yes, if the worklog preferences are not marked as mandatory, or if they are marked but the user’s role includes the permission to skip mandatory fields configuration for worklog fields.

2. Can worklog descriptions be optional?
   Yes. Administrators can disable the “mandatory description” requirement.

3. Does automatic time tracking run for all actions?
   No. Only the actions chosen under “Actions to Track” will produce automatic worklogs. However, the reply action is marked by default.

4. Can worklogs be marked non‑billable?
   Yes. Agents can change the type unless the default billable setting is enforced.

5. Where do agents add worklogs?
   On the ticket details page using the Add Worklog button.

Related Articles

• Configuring and Managing Automatic Timers in BoldDesk
• How to Log Time Spent on a Ticket in BoldDesk
• Logging Time Spent on a Activity
• Worklog Webhook
• Overview about Worklog Report