Help & FAQ
The quick answers to the questions we hear most. Still stuck? Email [email protected] and a human will get back to you.
Getting started
What is BillNotch?
BillNotch is an automatic, passive time tracker. The desktop app records which application and window you are working in and for how long; the web dashboard turns that into projects, reports, and invoice-ready totals. You do not start and stop timers by hand.
How do I connect the desktop app to my account?
Sign in to the web dashboard, open Settings, and generate an API key (it starts with tt_). Paste that key into the desktop app’s connect screen. The key is stored in your operating system’s keychain — never in plaintext — and you can revoke it anytime. Open the dashboard at your BillNotch account.
Install & the security warning
macOS says the app “can’t be opened” or is from an unidentified developer. What do I do?
Right-click (or Control-click) the BillNotch app and choose Open, then confirm Open in the dialog. If macOS still blocks it, go to System Settings → Privacy & Security and click “Open Anyway” next to the BillNotch message. You only need to do this once. This warning appears because installers during early access may not yet be fully notarized.
Windows shows “Windows protected your PC” (SmartScreen).
Click “More info”, then “Run anyway”. SmartScreen flags newer apps that have not yet built up download reputation; it does not mean the file is unsafe.
How do I install on Linux?
Download the AppImage, make it executable (chmod +x), and run it — or install the .deb package through your package manager. No signing prompt applies on Linux. Active-window capture works on X11 and on most Wayland sessions — Sway, Hyprland, KDE Plasma, and other wlroots compositors (river, Wayfire, labwc). The GNOME default on recent Ubuntu and Fedora doesn’t expose the active window yet, so on GNOME pick an “Xorg”/“X11” session from the gear menu on the login screen until native GNOME support lands.
Privacy & what’s tracked
What data does BillNotch track?
From the desktop app: the active application name, the window title, timestamps, and how long you spend. That is grouped into the projects you configure. Account data (your email and an Argon2id password hash) and standard server logs are also stored. Full detail is in the Privacy Policy.
Can I stop window titles from leaving my machine?
Yes. Each device has a sync mode. Choose “Keep titles local” and only durations and the minimal metadata needed for billing are synced — the text of what you were doing never leaves your device. The default mode syncs full titles so categorization and reports can use them.
Is my activity sent to any AI service?
Only if you turn on AI categorization. By default, BillNotch sorts your activity into projects with a deterministic rule-based matcher and none of it is sent to any third-party AI provider. Turn on AI categorization and the activity text being categorized is sent to DeepSeek to classify.
Billing & cancellation
Is there a free trial?
Yes — every new organization starts with a 14-day free trial. No credit card is required to start.
What happens when the trial or subscription ends?
Write features (tracking ingest, edits) pause until you subscribe, but your data is never deleted — reports, CSV export, and invoice PDFs stay fully available so you can always get your data out.
How do I cancel?
Open Settings → Billing in the dashboard and manage your subscription. When you cancel, your plan stays active until the end of the period you have already paid for, and it does not renew after that.
Do you offer refunds?
Payments are non-refundable except where a refund is required by law, and we do not prorate partial periods. You can cancel anytime to stop future charges. If you were charged in error, email support and we will make it right. See the billing terms in our Terms of Service.
How is the Team plan billed?
Team is billed per active member seat, monthly or annually. Your seat count adjusts automatically as you add or remove members, and changes are prorated.
Export & backup
How do I export my data?
From the dashboard, export time entries and reports as CSV, and download any invoice as a PDF. These export options stay available even if your trial or subscription has ended.
Can I delete my account and all my data?
Yes. You can delete individual time entries and projects anytime in the dashboard. To delete your whole account, email support from your account address and we will action it, as described in the Privacy Policy. Email [email protected].