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OfficeTimer Zapier integrationAutomate OfficeTimer with Zapier.

The OfficeTimer Zapier integration gives you 7 triggers and 8 actions, and no search. Every trigger is checked on a timer, every action creates something new: clients, projects, staff, time off, timesheets. Here is what runs, what it costs and what breaks.

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Overview

What the OfficeTimer Zapier integration does for you

The integration links your OfficeTimer account to Zapier, a tool that runs automations between apps without code. When something new appears in OfficeTimer, such as a client, an employee or a time-off request, Zapier can pass it to another app. It also works the other way round and creates records in OfficeTimer from what happens elsewhere.

Three results people usually build. A new hire shows up everywhere: New Employee starts a Zap that adds the person to your HR sheet or your team chat. Leave lands in the calendar: New TimeOff Request copies each absence to a shared calendar, so planning stays honest. Hours logged from outside: Create Timesheet Entry turns a finished job in another tool into a time entry, with Total Time and the IsBillable box filled in for you.

What Zapier does not do here matters just as much. Every OfficeTimer action creates; none edits or deletes, so a change made elsewhere never reaches a record that already exists. There is no search step either, so a Zap cannot look up a client or an employee before acting. And none of the triggers is instant: Zapier checks on a timer, so on the free plan a new record can wait up to 15 minutes. If you are weighing other tools, our Make vs Zapier comparison sets out the criteria side by side.

Vocabulary

Zapier vocabulary in one minute

Eight words come back on every line of this page. Here they are in plain English.

Zap
The automation you build on Zapier: one trigger, then one or more actions that run each time that event happens.
Trigger
The event that starts a Zap, here something new in OfficeTimer. Once the Zap is on, Zapier waits for it to happen.
Action
What the Zap does once it has started: the step that writes or sends something for you, like a new OfficeTimer client.
Task
The unit Zapier bills. One task is one action that completes successfully; your plan gives you a set number of them.
Polling trigger
A trigger Zapier checks on a timer. It asks OfficeTimer for new items at a fixed interval and keeps only the unseen ones.
Instant trigger
A trigger the app reports itself, the moment the event happens. OfficeTimer offers none, which is worth knowing early.
Filter
A step that lets the Zap go on only when what arrived meets your condition, and stops it there otherwise.
Multi-step Zap
Any Zap beyond one trigger and one action. A second action or a filter makes one, and it then needs a paid plan.
Cost

What OfficeTimer automations really cost

Zapier bills tasks, not triggers. Checking OfficeTimer for new records costs nothing, however often it happens.

  • Free plan100 tasks a month, unlimited Zaps
  • Steps per Zap on Free2: one trigger, one action
  • Premium appNo, OfficeTimer works on Free
  • Cost of a trigger check0 tasks

Each OfficeTimer action that succeeds counts as one task, and one that fails is not counted. A Zap with three actions uses three tasks per run. OfficeTimer is not a premium app, so it works on the free plan: 100 tasks a month and unlimited Zaps, but only two steps per Zap. Add a filter or a second action and you need a paid plan, since the free plan only builds two-step Zaps. Our Zapier review goes through the plans in more depth.

Connect

Connect OfficeTimer to Zapier

  1. 01

    Open your Apps page

    In your Zapier account, go to Apps and click + Add connection. A dialog opens with a search box. You need an existing OfficeTimer account first: Zapier does not create one for you.

  2. 02

    Find OfficeTimer and add it

    Type OfficeTimer in the dialog, pick it from the results, then click Add connection. A new tab opens on the OfficeTimer side, and that is where the actual sign-in happens.

  3. 03

    Sign in and grant access

    Log in to OfficeTimer in that tab and allow Zapier to reach the account. This connection (your account, linked once) is then reused by every Zap step that talks to OfficeTimer.

First Zap

Your first Zap: a project for every new client

GoalEach new OfficeTimer client gets its project, but only when the client meets the condition you set.

  1. 01

    Build: pick the trigger

    Create a new Zap, choose OfficeTimer as the app that starts it and New Client as the event. Select the OfficeTimer connection you added a moment ago.

  2. 02

    Test the trigger

    Run the test. Zapier brings back the three most recent clients from your account, so you map the next steps on a real record rather than a blank one.

  3. 03

    Add the filter

    From the plus icon, add a Filter step and set the field, the rule and the value. Use a text rule on a client name. This filter makes the Zap multi-step, so it needs a paid plan.

  4. 04

    Add Create Project

    Pick OfficeTimer again and the Create Project action. Map the client name from the trigger into Client Name, then fill Project Code and Project Name, both required.

  5. 05

    Test, then publish

    Run the action once and check the project in OfficeTimer. If it looks right, click Publish to switch the Zap on. It only reacts to clients created after that.

Triggers

OfficeTimer triggers

7 events start a Zap when something happens in OfficeTimer. Zapier checks for them at the interval your plan allows.

1

New Client

Polling trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when a New Client is created.”

Each client added to OfficeTimer starts the Zap, and its details travel to the next step. Handy for anyone who opens a client file in one place and then retypes it in billing, a CRM or a shared drive.

How it fires
Zapier goes and looks at regular intervals, and how often depends on your plan: every 15 minutes on the free one.
When to use it
your account manager signs a new customer and the CRM record should exist before the kickoff call.
Watch out
a Zap on this trigger that runs Create Client in the same account feeds itself, so keep those two apart.
2

New Department

Polling trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when New Department is created.”

Fires whenever someone sets up a department in OfficeTimer. It is a rare event, which makes it a good fit for structure changes that ripple into other tools: a new channel, a new folder, a new cost line.

How it fires
Zapier goes and looks at regular intervals, and how often depends on your plan: every 15 minutes on the free one.
When to use it
operations opens a support team and wants a matching chat channel without filing a request.
Watch out
the test pulls the three most recent departments, which may be old, so create a dummy one to test with.
3

New Project

Polling trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when there's a New Project is Created.”

A project created in OfficeTimer becomes the starting point of a Zap. Its details are handed on, so another app can open its own copy: a board, a folder or a channel named after it.

How it fires
Zapier goes and looks at regular intervals, and how often depends on your plan: every 15 minutes on the free one.
When to use it
a project manager wants a task board ready in the team's tool as soon as the project is logged in OfficeTimer.
Watch out
on the free plan the board can appear up to 15 minutes after the project, so do not schedule the kickoff on the minute.
4

New Task

Polling trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when New Task is Created.”

Every task added in OfficeTimer can kick off a Zap. It suits teams who track time against tasks in OfficeTimer but plan the work somewhere else, and want both lists to match.

How it fires
Zapier goes and looks at regular intervals, and how often depends on your plan: every 15 minutes on the free one.
When to use it
a team lead adds a task for a client job and the to-do app the team lives in should carry it too.
Watch out
pairing this trigger with Create Task in the same account creates a loop that keeps spending tasks.
5

New TimeOff Request

Polling trigger

In Zapier“New TimeOff Request is Added to the system”

Each leave request filed in OfficeTimer can be handed to another app at the next check. The request comes with the person's User Name and the Start Date and End Date of the absence.

How it fires
Zapier goes and looks at regular intervals, and how often depends on your plan: every 15 minutes on the free one.
When to use it
HR wants every request posted to the managers' channel, so nobody approves leave blind.
Watch out
User Name, Start Date and End Date are the three required fields here, so map those first.
6

New Timesheet Entry

Polling trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when a new TimeEntry is added.”

Hours logged in OfficeTimer start this Zap, one entry at a time. Time recorded once can then feed a report, an invoice draft or a client update without a second pair of hands.

How it fires
Zapier goes and looks at regular intervals, and how often depends on your plan: every 15 minutes on the free one.
When to use it
a consultancy copies every entry into a billing sheet that finance reviews at month end.
Watch out
entries pile up fast and every action run on them is a task, so watch the free plan's 100 a month.
7

New Employee

Polling trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when a new User/ Employee is created.”

Adding a person to OfficeTimer sets this one off. It is the usual starting point for onboarding: the newcomer's details move to the tools they will need on day one.

How it fires
Zapier goes and looks at regular intervals, and how often depends on your plan: every 15 minutes on the free one.
When to use it
an office manager wants the new hire in the staff directory and the team chat without opening three admin screens.
Watch out
the Zap only sees employees created after you publish it; people already on staff are not picked up.
Actions

OfficeTimer actions

OfficeTimer gives you 8 actions. For each one: what it does for you, when to reach for it, and what to watch out for.

1

Create Attendance

Action

In Zapier“Create a new Attendance Entry”

Records an attendance entry in OfficeTimer for a named employee, at the date and time you pass it. The InOut field comes with it.

When to use it
a badge reader or a kiosk form logs arrivals, and attendance should land in OfficeTimer without manual entry.
Watch out
Employee Name, Attendance Date, Attendance Time and InOut are all required, so the source must send all four.
2

Create Client

Action

In Zapier“Creates a New Client”

Adds a client to OfficeTimer from data born elsewhere, such as a signed quote or a won deal.

When to use it
a deal closes in your sales tool and the client should be ready for time tracking the same day.
Watch out
Client Name, Client Nick Name and Email Address are required; the nick name rarely exists in other tools, so build one or type a fixed value.
3

Create Department

Action

In Zapier“Create a Department”

Opens a department in OfficeTimer with a name and a code, both required.

When to use it
your HR tool or org chart gains a new team and OfficeTimer should mirror it without anyone retyping.
Watch out
Department Code has to come from somewhere; if the source tool has no code, settle on a naming rule before switching the Zap on.
4

Create Employee

Action

In Zapier“Create a New Employee”

Creates a person in OfficeTimer from a first name, a last name and an email address.

When to use it
your hiring tool marks a candidate as hired and the newcomer should be able to log hours from day one.
Watch out
Password is required as well, next to an optional Password Change field; think about who will know that password before the Zap fills it in.
5

Create Project

Action

In Zapier“Create a Project”

Sets up a project in OfficeTimer, attached to a client through its Client Name, with its own code and name.

When to use it
a signed contract should open a project that people can book time against straight away.
Watch out
Client Name, Project Code and Project Name are all required, so the trigger app has to provide each one or you type it.
6

Create Task

Action

In Zapier“Create a new Task”

Adds a task under a project, from a Project Name and a Task Name. Optional boxes mark it as a parent task, open it to all employees, apply it to all projects or flag it completed.

When to use it
a ticket opened in your helpdesk should become something people can log time against.
Watch out
on a Zap started by New Task, this action restarts the Zap and loops.
7

Create TimeOff

Action

In Zapier“Creates the TimeOff Request in OfficeTimer.”

Files a leave request in OfficeTimer for a user or employee, with its type, its dates and the hours off.

When to use it
requests come in through a form and someone currently retypes them into OfficeTimer.
Watch out
ApprovalStatus is required and takes Submitted or Approved; picking Approved skips the manager's review, so choose it on purpose.
8

Create Timesheet Entry

Action

In Zapier“Create a new Timesheet Entry”

Logs time for an employee on a given date, with the total worked. The optional IsBillable box marks the hours you plan to invoice.

When to use it
a timer app or a finished calendar event should end up as a timesheet line without retyping.
Watch out
Employee Name, TimeEntry Date and Total Time are required on every run.
When it breaks

When an OfficeTimer Zap breaks

Zapier attaches no help article to OfficeTimer and lists no limit specific to it. What breaks is what breaks on any Zap, with an OfficeTimer twist.

Four cases come up most often. If a Zap stops for another reason, our Zapier troubleshooting guide walks through the checks in order.

  • Nothing from before the Zap

    A Zap only reacts to what happens after you publish it. Clients, employees or timesheets already in OfficeTimer are not picked up; moving them is a separate job.

  • The Zap that feeds itself

    New Client with Create Client, or New Task with Create Task, in the same account: each action restarts the Zap and burns through your task count.

  • A bulk import held back

    Import a large batch of employees or entries at once and Zapier's flood protection can hold the trigger back instead of firing for each record.

  • No duplicates, by design

    Zapier remembers what it has already seen on a polling trigger, so the same OfficeTimer record never starts the Zap twice from one check to the next.
Need help

Need help automating OfficeTimer with Zapier?

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FAQ

OfficeTimer and Zapier: common questions

01Is the OfficeTimer Zapier integration free?
Yes, on Zapier's free plan, because OfficeTimer is not a premium app. That plan gives you 100 tasks a month and unlimited Zaps, but each Zap is limited to two steps: one trigger and one action. A Zap that takes a new OfficeTimer client and creates its project works for free. Add a filter, a second action or anything else in between and the Zap becomes multi-step, which only paid plans allow. Polling also runs every 15 minutes on the free plan.
02How many tasks does an OfficeTimer Zap use?
One per action that succeeds, on each run. The trigger costs nothing, and Zapier checking OfficeTimer for new records costs nothing either, however often it looks. An action that fails is not counted. So a Zap that adds one timesheet entry per finished job uses one task each time, and one that also posts a message and updates a sheet uses three. With the free plan's 100 tasks, the second version runs about a third as often before you reach the ceiling.
03Does OfficeTimer work in real time with Zapier?
No. All 7 OfficeTimer triggers are polling triggers: Zapier asks OfficeTimer for new records at a fixed interval instead of being told the moment something happens. The interval depends on your plan: every 15 minutes on Free, every 2 minutes on Professional, every minute on Team and Enterprise. On paid plans you can also change that interval and run a check by hand from the editor. The type comes from the app itself, so no setting in Zapier turns these triggers into instant ones.
04What does it take to connect OfficeTimer to Zapier?
An OfficeTimer account you can sign in to, plus access rights on anything the Zap will touch that you do not own yourself. The connection starts from the Apps page of your Zapier account with + Add connection: you pick OfficeTimer, sign in in the tab that opens and grant Zapier access. It is done once, then every Zap step reuses it. Keep in mind that some actions ask for values only your side can supply, such as the Password required by Create Employee.
05Can Zapier update or look up existing records in OfficeTimer?
No. The 8 OfficeTimer actions all create something new: attendance, clients, departments, employees, projects, tasks, time off and timesheet entries. None edits or deletes a record, and the app has no search step, so a Zap cannot first find a client or an employee and then act on it. If a change in another tool has to reach an existing OfficeTimer record, the integration as published does not cover it. Design your Zaps around new records only.
06What if the OfficeTimer operation you want is not listed?
Then it does not exist in the Zapier integration today. The 15 operations on this page are the full visible list, read from Zapier's app page in October 2026, on version 2.1.0 of the integration. A quick look at the OfficeTimer app page on Zapier before you design a workaround tells you whether that is still true, in one click. Until then, build around the triggers and create actions that exist.
07Zapier, Make or n8n for OfficeTimer?
It depends on your criteria, not on a ranking. Zapier suits you when you want OfficeTimer connected quickly without code and your Zaps stay simple, since the free plan already covers two-step Zaps. The criteria that tip the balance are how many tasks you will spend each month, whether you need filters and multi-step logic, and whether OfficeTimer's create-only actions cover what you need. Check first that OfficeTimer is available on the other platform before comparing anything else.
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