Descriptions clients
don't push back on
Write multi-line descriptions on every time entry. They flow onto the Xero invoice as line items, word for word. The proof of work is already there.
Free plan. No credit card.
Why most time entry descriptions are wasted
Most time trackers were built for the people doing the tracking, not the clients receiving the invoice. The description field is short. It accepts one line. It auto-collapses on the invoice.
So people write three words. "Acme work." "Bug fix." "Meeting." Then on invoice day someone has to rewrite all of it into Xero by hand to make it look professional, retroactively, from memory.
Hour Cap inverts that. The description field is generous, multi-line, written for the client. When the time entry becomes an invoice line, the description is already there, in full, with the line breaks preserved.
Description today, invoice line tomorrow
Multi-line, paragraph-style descriptions
Write what actually happened. Two sentences, three short paragraphs, whatever fits. The field doesn't crop, the invoice doesn't compress.
- Full multi-line descriptions per entry
- Line breaks preserved on the Xero invoice line
- No character limits, no compressed snippets
Audited the checkout flow and identified a session-token expiry edge case affecting ~3% of users.
Patched the token refresh logic, added a regression test, and deployed to staging for QA. Production rollout scheduled for tomorrow.
Audited the checkout flow and identified a session-token expiry edge case affecting ~3% of users.
Patched the token refresh logic, added a regression test, and deployed to staging for QA. Production rollout scheduled for tomorrow.
What good looks like (and what doesn't)
Three examples. Same work. Different descriptions.
"Acme work"
Tells the client nothing. Looks lazy. Triggers questions.
"Checkout bug fix"
Better. Says what, not why or what changed. Client still might ask.
Fixed checkout error caused by stale session tokens. Added regression test. Deployed to staging; production rollout tomorrow.
Outcome first. Detail enough to identify. Client knows what they paid for.
Group line items the way each client expects
Some clients want every entry visible. Others want a clean per-project summary. Pick the default that suits 80% of your clients, override per invoice for the rest.
- One line per entry for full detail
- One line per project for a tidy summary
- One line per date for a daily breakdown
- One line per team member for staffing visibility
Override per invoice when the client wants something different.
A description-first habit, in four parts
Write during, not after
Type two sentences while context is still warm.
Lead with the outcome
"What changed for the client" before "what I did."
Skip the jargon
Plain language. Acronyms only if the client uses them.
Trust the push
The description is the invoice line. No rewrite at month-end.
Write once, bill with it
Hour Cap is built around the description field, because that's what clients read.
What changes when the description is the invoice line
No invoice-day rewriting
Descriptions go from time entry to Xero verbatim.
Fewer client questions
When the line says what was done, "what was this?" emails dry up.
Stronger negotiation position
Detail is your proof. "Here's what we did" beats "trust us."
Faster payment
Clear invoices get approved faster. Clear invoices get paid sooner.
Common questions
What should I write on a time entry description?
Write what the client needs to read on the invoice, not what you'd write to yourself. Lead with the outcome (what changed), include enough context to identify the work, and skip jargon the client doesn't share. "Fixed checkout error caused by stale session token; added regression test" beats "Bug fix" every time.
How long should a time entry description be?
Long enough that the client can tell what the work was. Two or three sentences for a typical entry. Several short paragraphs for a long session covering multiple distinct tasks. Hour Cap supports multi-line descriptions specifically because one-line fields force you to leave detail out.
Do time entry descriptions show up on the invoice?
In Hour Cap, yes. When you push a time entry to Xero, the description becomes the invoice line item description verbatim, including line breaks. Most other time trackers compress descriptions or only export the title, which is why people end up rewriting line items in Xero.
Can I group multiple entries into one invoice line?
Yes. Hour Cap supports four grouping modes: one line per entry (full detail), one line per project, one line per date, and one line per team member. Pick what fits the client. Some want every entry visible; some prefer a clean per-project summary.
Should I write descriptions during or after the work?
During, or immediately after. Memory is the issue. By Friday, Monday's work blurs. By the end of the month, half the descriptions are reconstructions. Write the description while context is fresh, even just three lines, and the work-product on the invoice gets sharper.