Website time tracker for Chrome — how it actually works
What “website time tracking” means
A website time tracker measures active time on domains in the browser — GitHub, Docs, YouTube, email — not every desktop app. That makes TimeFlow ideal if your workday lives in Chrome tabs. Each visit is stored locally as a time entry with a productivity category.
How automatic tracking works
- You switch to a trackable tab (normal http/https pages).
- TimeFlow starts a session for that domain while the tab is active and focused.
- When you leave or go idle, the session is saved to Chrome local storage with category labels (productive, neutral, distracting).
- The popup and dashboard recompute today’s focus score, top sites, timeline, and trends from those entries — on your device.
Focus score in plain language
Your daily focus score (0–100) reflects how much of tracked time was productive versus distracting. It is not a judgment of your worth — it is a mirror for habits. Pair it with top sites and the category chart to see where the day went.
Why use a time tracker Chrome extension?
Remote work and studying happen in the browser. A time tracker Chrome extension gives honest screen-time data without desktop agents or mandatory cloud accounts. TimeFlow is built for that workflow: install, browse, open the popup.
What you get free
- Automatic tab time tracking
- Daily focus score and top sites
- Analytics: trends, heatmap, categories, timeline, focus sessions
- Focus story & distraction insights from your own data
- Data stays on your device (local-first privacy)
When to add the Pro website blocker
Tracking shows the problem; blocking solves the reopen loop. Upgrade to Pro ($9.99/month) to block websites, set daily limits, and run focus mode. Learn about the website blocker →
Related guides
- Screen time tracker for Chrome — digital wellbeing angle
- TimeFlow vs RescueTime — cloud vs local
- Best free screen time extensions
FAQ
Does a website time tracker slow Chrome down?
TimeFlow only records active-tab time with light MV3 background work. There is no constant page scraping or cloud sync of browsing history.
How is focus score calculated?
Focus score is the share of tracked time spent on productive categories versus distracting ones, shown as 0–100 for the day.
Can I use website time tracking without signing in?
Yes. Tracking, focus score, and the analytics dashboard work from local Chrome storage. Sign-in is only needed for Pro billing.