When we introduced ManicTime Server, it became possible to share tagged time between users, but there was a problem with it. In order to create a report for multiple users, everybody had to use the same tags. Now there is a way to add tags to the server, which will show up on every client connected to that server.

To set tags on the server, visit the server with the browser, then go to Tags tab (you need to be an Admin on the server to see it)

Server shared tags page

You have three options to load the tags:

From a file
Using a service
Or manual entry

Here I’m using manual entry. Each tag combination must be on its own line.

Edit tags on the server

Once this is set, click Submit to save.

Next open up ManicTime and go to Tools and settings - Server manager and click on Add server to start a wizard:

Set Url to the server and credentials
Select which timelines you would like to publish to the server
Choose what to do with server defined tags. You have three options:
- Download tags and show them as regular tags
- Download tags but highlight tags from the server
- Allow only tags from the server

I’ll choose Allow only tags from the server. Once the server is added, you can see its status in the bottom part of MT.

Server status

It is showing that there are 4 timelines published and that tags are set to download from the server. If I would add some more tags on the server now, they would be updated locally in a few minutes.

Here I’m using a fresh installation of ManicTime, so there are no pre-existing tags. Notice that when I go to tag some time, the tags I entered on the server are already suggested.

Tags from the server are suggested on the client

Now let's see what happens if I want to tag some time for Client 1.

Current tags are not allowed warning

I get a message saying this is not a valid tag. Why is that? Remember when I added a server, I chose the third option - Allow only tags from the server. Let's look at the tags I defined on the server again:
Client 1, Project 1
Client 1, Project 1, Activity
Client 1, Project 2, Activity
Client 2, Project 1
Client 2, Project 1, Activity
Client 2, Project 2, Activity

Notice that 'Client 1' is not among them. I can however tag 'Client 1, Project 1'. Or if I wanted to tag as 'Client 1', I would need to put 'Client 1' on its own line on the server tag list. Once the correct tag is entered, the textbox gets a greener background.

Once I entered allowed tag, textbox background turns greener

There is one more thing to be aware of. ManicTime will only check for the starting tags, so ‘Client 1, Project 1’, however you can add anything after that. For example ‘Client 1, Project 1, Design’ is also valid. Let's say that I added ‘Lunch’ on the server on its own line. On the client I can now create tags like:
Lunch, Restaurant
Lunch, McDonalds
Lunch, Chinese
…

Click to open Tag picker window

On the first level there will only be Client 1 and Client 2. Once you click on Client 1, you will get an option for Project 1 and Project 2. At the top there is breadcrumb control showing where you are in the hierarchy. Once you select allowed tag, breadcrumb control will have a greener background (only when Allow only tags from the server option is used. Otherwise all tags are valid).

Tag picker

Tag picker is not related to the server and you can use it even if there are no servers defined. It is however very useful when server tags are used, because it offers an easy discovery of server defined tags.

Autotag improvements

Add to autotag shortcut is always visible

Add to autotag shortcut is always visible, even when autotag timeline is not used. If AutoTag timeline is not on Day view, it will ask you if you want to add it.

Customized Add to autotag windows based on file type

If you are adding a web rule you will get a different Add to autotag window than if you are adding a file rule.

Adding a web rule

Adding a file rule

AutoTag Editor

Autotag editor has been rewritten. The functionality is pretty much the same, but hopefully it will be easier to use. The one thing we added is Highlight auto filled and absorbed parts setting found at the bottom. Those of you who use auto fill and absorption probably know that absorbed and auto filled parts could be right or wrong. It is more or less a guessing game, where correctness depends on your rules, but in can never be 100% correct. The Highlight auto filled and absorbed parts option will reveal these parts on the day view, so you can see which parts were guessed. Then you can add additional rules when needed.

Highlight filled and absorbed parts option

Highlighted filled and absorbed parts on day view

Autotags export and import

You can now export and then import autotags on a different machine.

Export/import of autotags

Autotags are now loaded even if there is an error. If some autotags used remote timelines like Google calendar, when that timeline was not available it just showed an error. Now it will apply the rules it can't and still show the result even if there was an error.

Timesheet improvements

More preconfigured date ranges

Timesheet - more preconfigured date ranges

Timesheet rounding to .1

When saving timesheet for later use, you can now optionally save date range as well

In previous versions, when you saved a timesheet in previous versions, it saved all the settings except the date range. Now you have an option to save the date range as well, which means that the next time you load a timesheet, date range will also be updated.

Timesheet - Save date range option

Delete saved timesheets

Quickbooks export

There were a lot of requests for Quickbooks export and we tried our best to make it as useful as we could. You can find it under exports button, it becomes active once you generate a timesheet.

Timesheet - export to Quickbooks command

On the left you can see names of the fields as they are presented in QuickBooks. On the right you can choose one of the following options:

Leave empty
Custom value - When this is chosen you can enter some text which will be the same for all the rows.
First level tags - In tag 'Client 1, Project 1, Activity 1', Client 1 is the first level tag
Second level tags
Third level tags
Fourth level tags
Notes

Timesheet - export to Quickbooks view

Once you click Ok, ManicTime will generate an iif file which you can then import into Quickbooks. Please use this feature with caution, because QuickBooks will import just about anything, so make sure the output is correct before you use it.

Tag editor improvements

Tag import/export

You can now export and import all your tags. This can be done in Tag editor. Tags are exported to a txt file, each tag combination is on its own line. You can also use exported text file as input for tag repository on the server.

Tag editor - import/export

Tag replace

Use tag replace when you want to rename multiple tags. Let's take a look at an example. My tag combinations are displayed on the image below

Tag editor - Tag combinations

Let's say I want to rename tags like so:

Old name	New name
Client 1, Project 2, Activity	Work, Client 1, Project 2, Activity
Client 1, Project 1	Work, Client 1, Project 1

I select both tags, then click Replace. In the Replace window, on the left you write what to look for. Once ManicTime finds the text it will replace with the value on the right. In the listview below you will see the results of this operation before you apply it. Once you click Ok, the changes will be applied. In the image below I searched for "Client 1" and replaced it with "Work, Client 1".

Tag editor - Replace window

Setup improvements - Deploying preconfigured ManicTime to multiple users

Up until now there was no way to deploy ManicTime to multiple machines with preconfigured settings. To deploy ManicTime to multiple machines you need ManicTime.msi file, which you can get on our download page. Then you need to create ManicTimeSettings.xml which needs to be in the same folder as msi.
The easiest way to get ManicTimeSettings.xml is to use the server. On the server go to Setup tab and choose the options you want. When you are done click on Create file to get the ManicTimeSettings.xml. Put it in the same folder as msi.

Rename tags on the advanced search

You can now rename tags on Advanced search. You can do this by selecting Tag timeline, then write a filter. Once the results are loaded select some lines with Shift-click or Ctrl-click, then right click on selection and choose Rename selected tags.

Advanced search - rename selected tags

Use this option if you want to rename tags in specific date range. If you'd like to rename all of them then use Tag editor.

Add tag window, option to use shorter notation for hours

You can now use these shortcuts for the hours on Add tag view:
135p -> 1:35 PM
1335 -> 1:35 PM
800 -> 8:00 AM
2300 -> 11:00 PM
...

Dragging over the hour bar will snap to minutes, not seconds

While dragging on the timelines, if you move the mouse over the hour bar and drag there, it will snap to minutes, not seconds

Dragging over hour bar will snap to minutes

Time selection now also shows seconds, not just hours and minutes

Time selection also shows seconds

Outlook tracker plugin

Plugins are used to gather the data displayed on the Documents timeline. Up until now we had plugins for most of Office apps, but not for Outlook. Outlook plugin will show which email you were reading or writing as well as if you are using a calendar, tasks...

Outlook plugin on Documents timeline

Disable Away pop up when stopwatch is running

Usually when you use a stopwatch you are already working on something, so the Away pop you receive when MT comes from Away is unneeded.

Don't show Away view while stopwatch is running setting