Export Timesheets for Client Billing

Why exporting timesheets often takes too long

From talking to freelancers I keep hearing the same story: at the end of the month everything has to be pulled together manually. Some spend hours in spreadsheets copying numbers and hoping nothing is missing. That is exactly where a proper time tracking tool helps.

At Jomawo we kept the export deliberately simple. You pick the date range, filter by project or client and download the file. Done.

Which formats make sense

PDF works well when you want to send the proof straight by email. CSV or Excel is better when your accountant or bookkeeping needs to process the data further. Both options are available directly from the report view.

One practical note: many clients do not want raw data but a clean table with subtotals per task. That is why we offer a template that does exactly that.

Step-by-step: exporting timesheets

Open the Reports section first. You will see all recorded time at a glance. Select the period you need, for example the past month.

Then filter by the specific client or project. This saves you extra work later. Click Export and choose PDF or CSV.

The file lands in your download folder. You can forward it right away or give it a quick check.

Common pitfalls during export

A frequent mistake is forgetting to exclude breaks or travel time. In the settings you can define which entries are included automatically. I only got that right after a few months myself and saved a lot of correction time.

Column order also matters. Some clients want the date column first, others the project name. You can adjust the order before exporting.

Using the exported timesheet for invoicing

The export is only the first step. Next you need to bring the numbers cleanly into your invoice. Many users take advantage of our timesheet export feature and simply copy the totals into their invoicing software.

If you work with the same clients repeatedly, it pays off to save a fixed template. You save a few minutes with every invoice.

Internal links to related guides

If you are still unsure how to fill out timesheets correctly, check this guide: Filling out timesheet correctly. For ready-to-use templates see Timesheet template PDF.

Insights from building Jomawo

One client recently told me he used to spend two hours every month on billing. After switching to Jomawo it was down to twenty minutes. The difference comes mainly from having all hours already separated by project during tracking.

By the way, if you handle many small jobs it helps to add short notes while tracking. When you export you immediately see which positions belong together.

Automatic totals and overtime

Some projects have fixed hour budgets. The report shows right away whether you are over. You can include that warning in the export – useful if you need to renegotiate later.

I use this feature especially with agency projects where several team members track at the same time.

Additional points to watch during export

Always check the time zone before sending. If you work internationally, shifts can occur otherwise. You can set the default format in the settings.

File naming is not trivial either. A clear structure like “Client_Month_Year.pdf” helps a lot with later filing.

And finally: do not only keep the exported files locally but also in your project folder. That way you have everything ready for any follow-up questions.

Just give it a try. You can start for free at jomawo.com/en and test the export immediately.