Calamari offers multiple ways to record working time.
These options differ in how time is recorded (in real time or after the fact) and where employees perform the action (in a browser, a mobile app, communication tools, or physical locations).
Below is a complete overview of all time tracking methods available in Calamari.
Two ways of recording working time in Calamari
In Calamari, working time can be recorded in two ways:
Real-time tracking (clock in / clock out)
Employees register working time as it happens by using START / STOP, marking breaks, and tracking project work.Adding time entries (manual entries)
Employees add working time after the fact, for example, at the end of the day, week, or month.
Both approaches can be used within the same organization.
Time tracking methods in Calamari – quick summary
Time tracking method | START / STOP | BREAK | Projects | What makes it useful | Recommended for |
✅ | ✅ | ✅ | Central daily view, IP restriction | Office & remote teams | |
✅ | ✅ | ✅ | GPS | Field & on-site teams | |
Geofencing | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | Virtual fence of the work location | Field & on-site teams |
✅ | ✅ | ✅ | Time tracking inside Slack | Slack-first teams | |
& | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | Time tracking inside Teams | MS365-first organizations |
✅ | ✅ | ✅ | Scan-to-clock at a location | Shared workplaces | |
✅ | – | – | Automatic clocking via Bluetooth | Fixed locations | |
depends | depends | depends | Custom integrations & automation | Advanced setups |
⏱️ Time tracking methods in Calamari
The web app supports both real-time tracking and adding time entries.
Employees can:
clock in and out using START / STOP,
mark breaks,
track time on projects,
add descriptions to shifts,
View daily summaries.
💡 Clocking in and out can be restricted to specific IP addresses.
The Calamari mobile app is primarily used for real-time tracking.
Employees can:
clock in and out,
mark breaks,
track project work,
add short shift descriptions
💡 GPS location can capture the moment of clock in/out
Geofencing in Calamari helps ensure attendance is registered only in designated work areas. It can be used in two ways:
Automatic geofencing – attendance is recorded automatically when an employee enters or leaves a defined location.
Manual geofencing – employees clock in and out themselves, but only when they are within an approved work location.
The main difference is that automatic geofencing logs time based on location events, while manual geofencing requires employee action within the allowed area.
Slack integration with Calamari supports both real-time tracking and adding time entries.
This enables time tracking within everyday communication.
Microsoft Teams supports real-time tracking and timesheet and manual entries.
With the Calamari app for Microsoft Teams, employees can:
clock in and out,
mark BREAKs,
track project work,
manually add entries
view their schedule and recorded working time.
QR codes and NFC are used for real-time tracking at specific locations.
Employees clock in and out by:
scanning a QR code, or
using NFC at an entry or exit point.
This method supports breaks and project tracking and is commonly used in shared workplaces.
More about NFC → How NFC time tracking works in Calamari?
More about QR codes → How does the clock-in/out with QR codes work?
iBeacon enables automatic real-time tracking based on Bluetooth proximity.
When an employee with the Calamari mobile app enters the range of an iBeacon device, clock in/out can happen automatically, depending on configuration.
Calamari provides an API that allows external systems to integrate with time tracking data.
Using the API, organizations can implement custom logic for:
real-time tracking,
adding time entries,
data synchronization and automation.