Time Tracking for Freelance Translators Billing by Word or Hour

Translator time tracking

Teetrack helps freelance translators log hours per language pair and client, track project deadlines, and export tracked time as PDF timesheets or CSV.

Why Freelance Translators struggle with time tracking

Switching between language pairs makes time hard to allocate

Translators often work on multiple projects in different language combinations throughout the day. Without per-project time logs, it is impossible to know how long a German-to-English legal brief actually took versus an Italian marketing brochure.

Revision rounds blur the line between paid and unpaid work

Clients request changes after delivery — sometimes minor edits, sometimes near-rewrites. When revision time is not tracked separately, translators absorb hours that should have been billed as additional scope.

Per-word rates hide the real hourly cost of complex texts

A technical manual and a blog post may have the same word count but wildly different effort. Tracking time per project reveals which text types are profitable and which are quietly draining your rate.

How Teetrack solves this

Multiple language pairs and clients in one day: Log time per project and client so every translation session, glossary check, and research phase is attributed correctly.
Revision rounds eating into margins: Set project budgets and track revisions as separate entries so you see when a project exceeds the agreed scope.
Invoicing takes longer than translating: Export tracked hours as PDF timesheets or CSV with hours grouped by project — every entry is logged at the moment of work, ready for export.

Example scenario

“Each language-pair project has its own billing rate so invoice line items reflect the correct per-word rate automatically.”

An illustrative example based on common freelancer and agency workflows — not a quote from a specific customer.

Frequently Asked Questions

I charge per word — why should I track time?

Per-word rates feel simple, but they hide profitability. Tracking time reveals which clients, text types, and language pairs earn you the best hourly rate so you can adjust pricing.

How do I track revision rounds separately from the initial translation?

Create a separate task for revisions within the same project. This lets you see initial delivery time versus revision effort side by side.

Can I set different currencies for international clients?

Yes — set the project currency per client so your tracked hours and rates are always in the right currency for each engagement.

Is Teetrack useful for CAT tool-based workflows?

Absolutely. Start and stop the timer alongside your CAT tool sessions. The per-project structure mirrors how translation projects are typically organized.

Can I see which language pairs are most profitable?

Yes — by tagging projects with language pairs and comparing tracked hours to revenue, you get a clear picture of where your time is best invested.

Track translation time and invoice clients without the admin hassle

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