🔹 Overview of the Problem

ClickUp's current time tracking tool offers a great native capability to log time spent on tasks. However, it lacks active user engagement verification, resulting in inaccurate and inflated time records when users:

1) I/ Team members forgot to stop the timer.

2) Switch tasks without updating the timer.

3) Step away from their computer while the timer continues to run.

This leads to a skewed perception of productivity, misreporting of billable/non-billable hours, and difficulty in performance analytics.

🔹 Proposed Solution: Active Engagement Timer (AET) System

A feature that prompts users to confirm their ongoing engagement with the currently tracked task at user-defined intervals, with the following characteristics:

🔢 Key Features & Functional Flow

✅ 1. Smart Pop-up Reminder

After a user starts a timer, ClickUp will show a non-intrusive pop-up at a configurable interval (e.g. every 5, 10, 15, 30 minutes).

The pop-up will ask: "Are you still working on this task?"

Options:

Yes, continue (Timer continues for the same task)

Switch Task (Brings up a quick task search/switch modal)

Pause Timer

📊 2. Customizable Reminder Frequency

Each user can choose their own preferred interval (e.g., 10 min for developers, 30 min for project managers).

Admins can set org-wide defaults.

❌ 3. Auto-Pause After Inactivity

If the user does not respond to one/two consecutive reminders, the timer auto-pauses.

An optional notification can alert the user: "We paused your timer due to inactivity."

📅 4. Resume with Contextual Time Handling

When the user returns, ClickUp will ask:

"Welcome back! Do you want to add the previous 30 minutes to the task or discard it?"

Options:

Add time to the same task.

Add to a different task.

Discard time.

⚙️ 5. Startup Behaviour Setting

Add a setting in ClickUp preferences:

"Ask me which task to start tracking at login/startup"

Ensures no time is missed or misattributed.

📂 6. Optional Screenshot Prompt (for WorkSnaps-like Accuracy)

A feature (if enabled) to optionally capture a screen (blurry preview or timestamp-only) every time confirmation is requested for audit.

📗 Suggested User Journey Example:

User: John (Frontend Developer)

Logs in at 9:00 AM. ClickUp asks: "What task would you like to work on today?"

He selects: "Fix Homepage Layout Bug"

Timer starts at 9:01 AM

At 9:31 AM, a pop-up appears: "Still working on this task?"

John clicks "Yes"

At 10:01 AM, John is away from desk.

No response

10:06 AM: Second pop-up comes

Still no response

Timer auto-pauses at 10:10 AM

At 10:25 AM, John returns, sees prompt: "Timer paused. Do you want to include the previous 20 minutes?"

John chooses "No, discard time"

🔎 Benefits to ClickUp Users

Increased accuracy of logged time.

Reduced manual error in tracking.

Better project costing, billing, and productivity insights.

Helps align with privacy-first policies (by not capturing time when user is away).

Builds trust with clients through accountable reporting.

🌟 Additional Ideas

Add keyboard shortcuts for popup confirmation.

Allow teams to bulk-enable the feature across workspaces.

Integrate with ClickUp Goals to track focus durations.

🛍️ Final Thoughts

This feature draws inspiration from tools like WorkSnaps, but adapts them elegantly within ClickUp's productivity ecosystem. It maintains ClickUp’s flexibility while ensuring higher time tracking integrity — a game-changer for remote teams, freelancers, and managers.