How Do I Add a Time Entry in Clean Smarts?

Before You Start

• You need edit access to time. Manual entries require Timetracking (Edit). Without it, you won't see Add Entry on the web or the + button when viewing someone else's hours on mobile. See What does each of the user modules do? if you're unsure which modules your role has.
• Pick the right date range first. Time reports only show entries whose check-in date falls inside the selected range. Widen the range if you don't see a row right after saving.
• Have the basics ready. You'll need the employee, the service location where the work happened, and the check-in and check-out date and time. If the hours tie to a scheduled shift or one-off work order, linking it on the form pulls in the default pay code and expected duration.

For field employees: If you're a cleaner who just needs to clock in normally, you don't need a manual entry—use the mobile time clock instead. See How do I check in and out of my shift?.

Choose Where to Add the Entry

All three paths open the same check-in form (web) or equivalent fields (mobile). The steps below for filling in the form apply no matter which path you used to start.

Add a Time Entry from Time Detail (Web)

Time Detail is the main report for viewing and editing individual check-ins across your account.

1. In the left navigation, open Time Tracking and choose Time Detail.
2. Set the date range to include the day you're entering.
3. (Optional) Filter by location or user to confirm the entry isn't already there—these filters don't limit what you can enter on the form.
4. Click Add Entry in the top-right corner.
5. Choose Add Entry from the dropdown. (The same menu also offers Add Holiday Batch for entering paid holiday hours for many employees at once—that's a separate workflow.)

The Add Check-in dialog opens. Continue to Fill In the Check-in Form below.

Add a Time Entry from Approve Timesheets (Web)

Use this path when you're already working through timesheets before payroll.

1. Open Time Tracking and choose Approve Timesheets.
2. Set the date range and location filters for the pay period you're reviewing.
3. Click the employee's row to open their timesheet details.
4. Click Add New Check-in in the top-right corner.

The same Add Check-in dialog opens. If the employee was scheduled but never clocked in, you may also see Add missing check-in shortcuts on scheduled shifts in the coverage panel—those open the form with the shift pre-filled.

Add a Time Entry from the Mobile App

Managers with Timetracking (Edit) can add time for team members from a phone or tablet.

1. Open the More tab and tap Users.
2. Tap the employee whose time you want to add.
3. Expand User time and tap their hours summary (today and this week).
4. Tap the + icon in the top-right corner of the hours screen.
5. Fill in the fields:
   • Tap the calendar icon next to Check in and Check out to set date and time.
   • Choose Select location and, if needed, Select activity to tie the entry to a shift or work order.
   • Set Pay code if the entry shouldn't use the default.
   • Add Manager notes if you want a record of why the entry was added manually.
6. Tap Submit.

The new entry appears in that employee's hours list for the selected pay period.

Fill In the Check-in Form (Web)

Work through the Add Check-in dialog from top to bottom. The Create Check In button stays disabled until the required pieces are in place.

User, location, and shift

1. Select the User the time belongs to.
2. Select the Location where the work was performed.
3. (Recommended) Choose a Shift/Work Order if the hours match scheduled work. Clean Smarts lists shifts and jobs for the selected user, location, and check-in date. Picking one can fill in the default pay code and expected duration automatically. Choose Unassigned (no work order/shift) if the work wasn't tied to the schedule.

Check-in and check-out times

1. Set the Check-in date and time.
2. Set the Check-out date and time.

The duration at the top of the dialog updates as you go. If the shift spans midnight, you'll see a note that the entry starts and ends on different work days—that's normal for overnight work.

You can also adjust Time elapsed directly when you know the total hours but not the exact clock-out moment. Changing elapsed time recalculates the check-out time to match.

Pay code and drive time

1. Set Pay Code if the entry shouldn't use the account or shift default. Default pay code uses whatever default applies from company settings or the linked shift. For a refresher on setting up codes, see How Do I Set Up Pay Codes?.
2. Turn on Classify as Drive Time only when you're logging travel between sites—not regular on-site cleaning. When drive time is on, you must also choose a Drive Start Location (where the trip began).

Notes and approval

1. Add Admin notes if you want an internal record of why the entry was added manually.
2. Toggle Approved on if the hours are ready for payroll. New entries start unapproved; turn this on when you've verified the times are correct.

Breaks (optional)

If the employee took paid or unpaid breaks during the shift:

1. In the Breaks section, click Add break.
2. Choose Paid or Unpaid, set the break length, and set the time the break started (relative to the check-in).
3. Add additional breaks as needed.

Break time subtracts from the total duration shown at the top of the dialog. If breaks exceed the shift length, Clean Smarts warns you and may curtail them on save.

Save

1. Review the Duration shown in the dialog header—it should match what you expect to pay.
2. Click Create Check In.

The dialog closes and the report refreshes. Your new row should appear for that employee and date.

Tips for Cleaner Entries

• Link the shift when you can. Connecting a Shift/Work Order is the fastest way to get the right pay code and expected hours without hunting through dropdowns.
• Use admin or manager notes for audit trails. A short note like "Manual entry—employee forgot to clock in 3/12" helps the next person reviewing the timesheet.
• Approve when you're done reviewing. Unapproved entries still show in reports, but teams that approve before payroll should flip Approved on before closing the pay period.
• Drive time is separate from on-site work. Log travel as its own entry with Classify as Drive Time turned on, or let Clean Smarts capture drive time automatically when employees clock between locations—don't mix both on one on-site entry.

Troubleshooting

I don't see Add Entry or Add New Check-in. Your role needs Timetracking (Edit). Ask an account administrator to check your role modules.

Create Check In is grayed out. Confirm you've selected a User and Location, entered both Check-in and Check-out times, and—if Classify as Drive Time is on—chosen a Drive Start Location.

The entry saved but I can't find it in the table. Expand the date range in the toolbar to include the check-in date. Clear the user or location filters if they're hiding the row.

I can't change the pay rate. Pay rate override requires the Users (Edit) module in addition to time edit access. Without Costs, the pay rate field won't appear at all.

I don't see the + button on mobile. The + icon only appears when you have Timetracking (Edit) and you're viewing another user's hours (or your own, with that module). Contractors may not show a User time section.

I need to add the same holiday hours for many people. Use Add Holiday Batch from the Add Entry dropdown in Time Detail instead of creating entries one at a time.

Time entries are locked and I can't save. If your account uses Lock Time Entries, entries in a locked pay period can't be added or changed. Ask an administrator with that module to unlock the period or add the time for you.