TimeTracker/docs/api/REST_API.md

TimeTracker REST API Documentation

Overview

The TimeTracker REST API provides programmatic access to all time tracking, project management, and reporting features. This API is designed for developers who want to integrate TimeTracker with other tools or build custom applications.

Integrations should use /api/v1 only (this document). The web application also exposes same-origin session JSON under /api/* (for example search and timer helpers used by the browser). Those routes are not the stable integration surface; use tokens and /api/v1 for scripts, mobile, and desktop clients.

For maintainers

Ship new HTTP capabilities under /api/v1 first, with OpenAPI updates in app/routes/api_docs.py. Add or change /api/* only for logged-in UI needs or short-lived shims; reuse services from app/services/ rather than duplicating logic.

Base URL

https://your-domain.com/api/v1

Authentication

All API endpoints require authentication using API tokens. API tokens are managed by administrators through the admin dashboard.

Creating API Tokens

1. Log in as an administrator

2. Navigate to Admin > Security & Access > Api-tokens (/admin/api-tokens)

3. Click Create Token

4. Fill in the required information:

   • Name: A descriptive name for the token
   • Description: Optional description
   • User: The user this token will authenticate as
   • Scopes: Select the permissions this token should have
   • Expires In: Optional expiration period in days

5. Click Create Token

6. Important: Copy the generated token immediately - you won't be able to see it again!

Using API Tokens

Include your API token in every request using one of these methods:

Method 1: Bearer Token (Recommended)

curl -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_TOKEN" \
     https://your-domain.com/api/v1/projects

Method 2: API Key Header

curl -H "X-API-Key: YOUR_API_TOKEN" \
     https://your-domain.com/api/v1/projects

Token Format

API tokens follow the format: tt_<32_random_characters>

Example: tt_abc123def456ghi789jkl012mno345pq

Rate limiting

Authenticated API requests are counted per API token using sliding minute and hour windows. Defaults are 100 requests/minute and 1000/hour unless overridden in configuration.

• API_TOKEN_RATE_LIMIT_PER_MINUTE — max requests per token per minute (default 100).
• API_TOKEN_RATE_LIMIT_PER_HOUR — max requests per token per hour (default 1000).

When Redis is available (REDIS_URL and Redis enabled in app config), limits are shared across all app workers. Otherwise a process-local fallback is used (fine for single-worker development; use Redis in production with multiple workers).

Idempotent time entry creation

For safe retries (mobile offline sync, webhooks, automation), send a unique Idempotency-Key header (max 128 characters) on POST /api/v1/time-entries. The server stores the response for that key for 24 hours (per token). Repeating the same key returns the same JSON body and HTTP status without creating a duplicate entry.

Scopes

API tokens use scopes to control access to resources. When creating a token, select the appropriate scopes:

Scope	Description
read:projects	View projects
write:projects	Create and update projects
read:time_entries	View time entries
write:time_entries	Create and update time entries
read:tasks	View tasks
write:tasks	Create and update tasks
read:clients	View clients
write:clients	Create and update clients
read:reports	View reports and analytics
read:users	View user information
admin:all	Full administrative access (use with caution)

Note: For most integrations, you'll want both read and write scopes for the resources you're working with.

Pagination

List endpoints support pagination to handle large datasets efficiently. For performance and benchmark targets, see PERFORMANCE.md.

Query Parameters

• page - Page number (default: 1)
• per_page - Items per page (default: 50, max: 100)

Response Format

List responses use a resource-named key (e.g. time_entries, projects, clients) plus a top-level pagination object:

{
  "time_entries": [...],
  "pagination": {
    "page": 1,
    "per_page": 50,
    "total": 150,
    "pages": 3,
    "has_next": true,
    "has_prev": false,
    "next_page": 2,
    "prev_page": null
  }
}

Date/Time Format

All timestamps use ISO 8601 format:

• Date: YYYY-MM-DD (e.g., 2024-01-15)
• DateTime: YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS or YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SSZ (e.g., 2024-01-15T14:30:00Z)

Error Handling

HTTP Status Codes

• 200 OK - Request successful
• 201 Created - Resource created successfully
• 400 Bad Request - Invalid input
• 401 Unauthorized - Authentication required or invalid token
• 403 Forbidden - Insufficient permissions (scope issue)
• 404 Not Found - Resource not found
• 500 Internal Server Error - Server error

Error Response Format

All error responses (4xx/5xx) include at least error (user-facing message) and message. Optional error_code (e.g. unauthorized, forbidden, not_found, validation_error) allows machine-readable handling. Validation errors include an errors object with field-level messages.

Example (401):

{
  "error": "Invalid token",
  "message": "The provided API token is invalid or expired",
  "error_code": "unauthorized"
}

For scope errors (403):

{
  "error": "Insufficient permissions",
  "message": "This endpoint requires the 'write:projects' scope",
  "error_code": "forbidden",
  "required_scope": "write:projects",
  "available_scopes": ["read:projects", "read:time_entries"]
}

For validation errors (400):

{
  "error": "Validation failed",
  "message": "Validation failed",
  "error_code": "validation_error",
  "errors": { "name": ["Name is required"], "project_id": ["project_id is required"] }
}

API Endpoints

System

Get API Information

GET /api/v1/info

Returns API version and available endpoints. No authentication required.

Response:

{
  "api_version": "v1",
  "app_version": "1.0.0",
  "documentation_url": "/api/docs",
  "endpoints": {
    "projects": "/api/v1/projects",
    "time_entries": "/api/v1/time-entries",
    "tasks": "/api/v1/tasks",
    "clients": "/api/v1/clients"
  }
}

Health Check

GET /api/v1/health

Check if the API is operational. No authentication required.

Admin version check (web JSON under /api)

These routes live on the legacy session JSON blueprint (same prefix style as /api/health in the app). They are admin-only (User.is_admin, including RBAC admin roles).

Authentication: browser session cookie (same-origin fetch after login) or an API token (Authorization: Bearer tt_… or X-API-Key). No dedicated scope is required; the server checks that the authenticated user is an administrator.

Check installed version against latest GitHub release

GET /api/version/check

Compares the running instance version to the latest published release on GitHub (see Version management — admin update notification for configuration and caching). Returns update_available: false when the current install is not a comparable semantic version (for example some dev-* tags), when GitHub cannot be reached and no stale cache exists, or when the user has dismissed this release version.

Responses: 401 if unauthenticated, 403 if not admin.

Example (Bearer):

curl -s -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_TOKEN" \
     https://your-domain.com/api/version/check

Response (200):

{
  "update_available": true,
  "current_version": "4.0.0",
  "latest_version": "4.1.0",
  "release_notes": "…",
  "published_at": "2026-04-01T10:00:00Z",
  "release_url": "https://github.com/DRYTRIX/TimeTracker/releases/tag/v4.1.0"
}

Dismiss update prompt for a release version

POST /api/version/dismiss

Body (JSON): { "latest_version": "4.1.0" } (with or without a leading v; stored normalized).

Persists dismissed_release_version for the current user so GET /api/version/check returns update_available: false until a newer release appears. Returns { "ok": true } on success, 400 if latest_version is missing or not a valid semantic version string.

The web UI also mirrors dismissal in localStorage (tt_dismissed_release_version) as a client-side fallback; the database remains authoritative for update_available.

Dashboard productivity (web JSON under /api)

These routes are used by the web dashboard after login. They live on the same legacy JSON blueprint as /api/health (not under /api/v1). Authentication: browser session cookie (@login_required); unauthenticated requests receive 401.

Value dashboard aggregates

GET /api/stats/value-dashboard

Returns productivity aggregates for the current user only (completed time entries: end_time is set). Used by the main dashboard “Value insights” widget.

Caching: responses may be cached for up to 10 minutes per user when Redis is available (REDIS_URL and working connection). If Redis is unavailable, each request recomputes from the database.

Response (200):

{
  "total_hours": 132.5,
  "entries_count": 248,
  "active_days": 18,
  "avg_session_length": 1.4,
  "most_productive_day": "Tuesday",
  "this_week_hours": 24.5,
  "this_month_hours": 110.2,
  "last_7_days": [
    { "date": "2026-04-09", "hours": 2.5 },
    { "date": "2026-04-10", "hours": 0.0 }
  ],
  "estimated_value_tracked": 1234.56,
  "estimated_value_currency": "EUR"
}

• most_productive_day: English weekday name (Sunday–Saturday) with the highest total tracked time across all history, or null when there is no qualifying data.
• last_7_days: seven objects in chronological order for the last seven local calendar days (app timezone), including days with 0 hours.
• estimated_value_tracked: null when the estimated billable total is zero or no rate applies; otherwise hours × resolved rate using COALESCE(project.hourly_rate, entry client default, project client default) (see server implementation in StatsService). estimated_value_currency comes from Settings → currency with application default fallback.

Search

Global Search

GET /api/v1/search

Perform a global search across projects, tasks, clients, and time entries.

Required Scope: read:projects

Query Parameters:

• q (required) - Search query (minimum 2 characters)
• limit (optional) - Maximum number of results per category (default: 10, max: 50)
• types (optional) - Comma-separated list of types to search: project, task, client, entry

Example:

curl -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN" \
     "https://your-domain.com/api/v1/search?q=website&limit=10"

Search by specific types:

curl -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN" \
     "https://your-domain.com/api/v1/search?q=website&types=project,task"

Response:

{
  "results": [
    {
      "type": "project",
      "category": "project",
      "id": 1,
      "title": "Website Redesign",
      "description": "Complete website overhaul",
      "url": "/projects/1",
      "badge": "Project"
    },
    {
      "type": "task",
      "category": "task",
      "id": 5,
      "title": "Update homepage",
      "description": "Website Redesign",
      "url": "/tasks/5",
      "badge": "In Progress"
    }
  ],
  "query": "website",
  "count": 2
}

Search Behavior:

• Projects: Searches in name and description (active projects only)
• Tasks: Searches in name and description (tasks from active projects only)
• Clients: Searches in name, email, and company
• Time Entries: Searches in notes and tags (non-admin users see only their own entries)

Error Responses:

• 400 Bad Request - Query is too short (less than 2 characters)
• 401 Unauthorized - Missing or invalid API token
• 403 Forbidden - Token lacks read:projects scope

Note: The legacy endpoint /api/search is also available for session-based authentication (requires login).

Projects

List Projects

GET /api/v1/projects

Required Scope: read:projects

Query Parameters:

• status - Filter by status (active, archived, on_hold)
• client_id - Filter by client ID
• page - Page number
• per_page - Items per page

Example:

curl -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN" \
     "https://your-domain.com/api/v1/projects?status=active&per_page=20"

Response:

{
  "projects": [
    {
      "id": 1,
      "name": "Website Redesign",
      "description": "Complete website overhaul",
      "client_id": 5,
      "hourly_rate": 75.00,
      "estimated_hours": 120,
      "status": "active",
      "created_at": "2024-01-01T10:00:00Z"
    }
  ],
  "pagination": {...}
}

Get Project

GET /api/v1/projects/{project_id}

Required Scope: read:projects

Create Project

POST /api/v1/projects

Required Scope: write:projects

Request Body:

{
  "name": "New Project",
  "description": "Project description",
  "client_id": 5,
  "hourly_rate": 75.00,
  "estimated_hours": 100,
  "status": "active"
}

Update Project

PUT /api/v1/projects/{project_id}

Required Scope: write:projects

Archive Project

DELETE /api/v1/projects/{project_id}

Required Scope: write:projects

Note: This archives the project rather than permanently deleting it.

Time Entries

List Time Entries

GET /api/v1/time-entries

Required Scope: read:time_entries

Query Parameters:

• project_id - Filter by project
• user_id - Filter by user (admin only)
• start_date - Filter by start date (ISO format)
• end_date - Filter by end date (ISO format)
• billable - Filter by billable status (true or false)
• include_active - Include active timers (true or false)
• page - Page number
• per_page - Items per page

Example:

curl -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN" \
     "https://your-domain.com/api/v1/time-entries?project_id=1&start_date=2024-01-01"

Create Time Entry

POST /api/v1/time-entries

Required Scope: write:time_entries

Request Body:

{
  "project_id": 1,
  "task_id": 5,
  "start_time": "2024-01-15T09:00:00Z",
  "end_time": "2024-01-15T17:00:00Z",
  "notes": "Worked on feature X",
  "tags": "development,frontend",
  "billable": true
}

Note: end_time is optional. Omit it to create an active timer.

Optional header: Idempotency-Key — see Idempotent time entry creation above.

Import time entries (CSV)

POST /api/v1/time-entries/import-csv

Required Scope: write:time_entries

Accepts a CSV file (same column expectations as the web Import/Export flow) either as:

• Multipart form: field name file, or
• JSON body: { "csv": "..." } or { "data": "..." }, or
• Raw body: CSV text with Content-Type: text/csv (or similar).

Returns a JSON summary (counts, errors) and an appropriate HTTP status.

Bulk actions on time entries

POST /api/v1/time-entries/bulk

Required Scope: write:time_entries

Request body (JSON):

{
  "entry_ids": [1, 2, 3],
  "action": "delete",
  "value": null
}

action (required): one of delete, set_billable, set_paid, add_tag, remove_tag.
value: required for tag actions (string tag); for set_billable / set_paid, pass a boolean.
Active (running) entries are skipped for non-delete actions; delete skips active entries.

Same access rules as the web UI: non-admins may only affect their own entries.

Update Time Entry

PUT /api/v1/time-entries/{entry_id}

Required Scope: write:time_entries

Delete Time Entry

DELETE /api/v1/time-entries/{entry_id}

Required Scope: write:time_entries

Timer Control

Get Timer Status

GET /api/v1/timer/status

Required Scope: read:time_entries

Returns the current active timer for the authenticated user.

Start Timer

POST /api/v1/timer/start

Required Scope: write:time_entries

Request Body:

{
  "project_id": 1,
  "task_id": 5
}

Stop Timer

POST /api/v1/timer/stop

Required Scope: write:time_entries

Stops the active timer for the authenticated user.

Tasks

List Tasks

GET /api/v1/tasks

Required Scope: read:tasks

Query Parameters:

• project_id - Filter by project
• status - Filter by status
• page - Page number
• per_page - Items per page

Create Task

POST /api/v1/tasks

Required Scope: write:tasks

Request Body:

{
  "name": "Implement login feature",
  "description": "Add user authentication",
  "project_id": 1,
  "status": "todo",
  "priority": 1
}

Clients

List Clients

GET /api/v1/clients

Required Scope: read:clients

Create Client

POST /api/v1/clients

Required Scope: write:clients

Request Body:

{
  "name": "Acme Corp",
  "email": "contact@acme.com",
  "company": "Acme Corporation",
  "phone": "+1-555-0123"
}

Inventory

Inventory endpoints require the inventory module to be enabled (Admin settings). They use read:projects and write:projects scopes.

List Transfers

GET /api/v1/inventory/transfers

Required Scope: read:projects

Query Parameters:

• date_from - Filter transfers on or after this date (YYYY-MM-DD)
• date_to - Filter transfers on or before this date (YYYY-MM-DD)
• page - Page number
• per_page - Items per page (max 100)

Response: transfers (array of transfer objects with reference_id, moved_at, stock_item_id, from_warehouse_id, to_warehouse_id, quantity, notes, movement_ids) and pagination.

Create Transfer

POST /api/v1/inventory/transfers

Required Scope: write:projects

Request Body:

{
  "stock_item_id": 1,
  "from_warehouse_id": 2,
  "to_warehouse_id": 3,
  "quantity": 10,
  "notes": "Optional notes"
}

Response: 201 Created with reference_id, transfers (pair of movements), and success message.

Get Transfer by Reference ID

GET /api/v1/inventory/transfers/<reference_id>

Required Scope: read:projects

Returns a single transfer (the pair of out/in movements) or 404 if not found.

Inventory Reports

Required Scope: read:projects for all report endpoints.

• Valuation: GET /api/v1/inventory/reports/valuation
  Query: warehouse_id, category, currency_code. Returns total_value, by_warehouse, by_category, item_details.

• Movement History: GET /api/v1/inventory/reports/movement-history
  Query: date_from, date_to, stock_item_id, warehouse_id, movement_type, page, per_page. Returns movements and optional pagination.

• Turnover: GET /api/v1/inventory/reports/turnover
  Query: start_date, end_date, item_id. Returns start_date, end_date, items (turnover metrics per item).

• Low Stock: GET /api/v1/inventory/reports/low-stock
  Query: warehouse_id (optional). Returns items (entries below reorder point with quantity_on_hand, reorder_point, shortfall, etc.).

Reports

Get Summary Report

GET /api/v1/reports/summary

Required Scope: read:reports

Query Parameters:

• start_date - Start date (ISO format)
• end_date - End date (ISO format)
• project_id - Filter by project
• user_id - Filter by user (admin only)

Response:

{
  "summary": {
    "start_date": "2024-01-01T00:00:00Z",
    "end_date": "2024-01-31T23:59:59Z",
    "total_hours": 160.5,
    "billable_hours": 145.0,
    "total_entries": 85,
    "by_project": [
      {
        "project_id": 1,
        "project_name": "Website Redesign",
        "hours": 85.5,
        "entries": 45
      }
    ]
  }
}

Users

Get Current User

GET /api/v1/users/me

Required Scope: read:users

Returns information about the authenticated user.

Interactive API Documentation

For interactive API documentation and testing, visit:

https://your-domain.com/api/docs

This Swagger UI interface allows you to:

• Browse all available endpoints
• Test API calls directly from your browser
• View detailed request/response schemas
• Try out different parameters

Code Examples

Python

import requests

API_TOKEN = "tt_your_token_here"
BASE_URL = "https://your-domain.com/api/v1"

headers = {
    "Authorization": f"Bearer {API_TOKEN}",
    "Content-Type": "application/json"
}

# List projects
response = requests.get(f"{BASE_URL}/projects", headers=headers)
projects = response.json()

# Create time entry
time_entry = {
    "project_id": 1,
    "start_time": "2024-01-15T09:00:00Z",
    "end_time": "2024-01-15T17:00:00Z",
    "notes": "Development work",
    "billable": True
}
response = requests.post(f"{BASE_URL}/time-entries", json=time_entry, headers=headers)

JavaScript/Node.js

const axios = require('axios');

const API_TOKEN = 'tt_your_token_here';
const BASE_URL = 'https://your-domain.com/api/v1';

const headers = {
  'Authorization': `Bearer ${API_TOKEN}`,
  'Content-Type': 'application/json'
};

// List projects
axios.get(`${BASE_URL}/projects`, { headers })
  .then(response => console.log(response.data))
  .catch(error => console.error(error));

// Start timer
axios.post(`${BASE_URL}/timer/start`, 
  { project_id: 1, task_id: 5 }, 
  { headers }
)
  .then(response => console.log('Timer started:', response.data))
  .catch(error => console.error(error));

cURL

# List projects
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer tt_your_token_here" \
     https://your-domain.com/api/v1/projects

# Create time entry
curl -X POST \
     -H "Authorization: Bearer tt_your_token_here" \
     -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
     -d '{"project_id":1,"start_time":"2024-01-15T09:00:00Z","end_time":"2024-01-15T17:00:00Z"}' \
     https://your-domain.com/api/v1/time-entries

Best Practices

Security

1. Store tokens securely: Never commit tokens to version control
2. Use environment variables: Store tokens in environment variables
3. Rotate tokens regularly: Create new tokens periodically and delete old ones
4. Use minimal scopes: Only grant the permissions needed
5. Set expiration dates: Configure tokens to expire when appropriate

Performance

1. Use pagination: Don't fetch all records at once
2. Filter results: Use query parameters to reduce data transfer
3. Cache responses: Cache data that doesn't change frequently
4. Batch operations: Combine multiple operations when possible

Error Handling

1. Check status codes: Always check HTTP status codes
2. Handle rate limits: Implement exponential backoff for rate limit errors
3. Log errors: Log API errors for debugging
4. Validate input: Validate data before sending to API

Rate Limiting

The API implements rate limiting to ensure fair usage:

• Per-token limits: 100 requests per minute, 1000 requests per hour
• Response headers: Rate limit information is included in response headers
  • X-RateLimit-Limit: Maximum requests allowed
  • X-RateLimit-Remaining: Requests remaining in current window
  • X-RateLimit-Reset: Unix timestamp when the limit resets

When rate limited, you'll receive a 429 Too Many Requests response.

Webhook Support

Webhooks are supported for real-time notifications. You can receive notifications when time entries are created/updated, projects change status, tasks are completed, and timer events occur. See Webhooks for setup and event types.

Support

For API support:

• Documentation: This guide and /api/docs
• GitHub Issues: Report bugs and request features
• Community: Join our community forum

Changelog

Version 1.0.0 (Current)

• Initial REST API release
• Full CRUD operations for projects, time entries, tasks, and clients
• Token-based authentication with scopes
• Comprehensive filtering and pagination
• Timer control endpoints
• Reporting endpoints
• Interactive Swagger documentation