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MCP Time Tracker in Claude Code

Track billable time without leaving the chat. It keeps a running timer, takes time you forgot to log, applies an hourly rate per project, and turns the log into a report, a CSV or invoice lines. Plain JSON on disk.

You are already in the terminal when the work starts, so the timer starts in the same place the work does, and `claude mcp add --scope project` puts the entry in the repository the hours belong to.

What you get in Claude Code

You say	Tool
Start a timer for the Acme website project.	`timer_start`
Log 2.5 hours yesterday for Acme, design review, at 90 euros an hour.	`entry_add`
How many hours did I bill this month, grouped by project?	`report`

In the audit run each of those sentences took one tool call, at 7.7 s and 14.6 s including a turn that also logged an expense.

Install it in Claude Code

The file is .mcp.json, and the key inside it is mcpServers.

Scope	Path
local (default)	`~/.claude.json, this project only`
project	`.mcp.json at the repository root`
user	`~/.claude.json, every project`

claude mcp add time-tracker -- npx -y @theluckystrike/mcp-time-tracker
claude mcp list    # health-check it before the first prompt

# or --scope project, committed to .mcp.json for the team

No restart. The entry is picked up in the next session, and `/mcp` reconnects one on demand.

The npm publish of @theluckystrike/mcp-time-tracker is pending; until then use the .mcpb bundle or a clone and build from the latest release.

No install: the hosted endpoint

The same server runs at https://mcp.zovo.one/mcp/time-tracker over MCP streamable HTTP, no install. Mint a free token with curl https://mcp.zovo.one/mcp/token, or use a Pro key. It has no filesystem, so a file comes back as a one-hour download link.

claude mcp add --transport http time-tracker https://mcp.zovo.one/mcp/time-tracker \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer <token>"

Claude Code notes worth knowing first

The `--` is load-bearing: it separates Claude Code's own options, such as --transport, --env and --scope, from the command that runs the server. And the default scope is local, private to you and to the directory you ran it in, so adding it in the wrong folder leaves the tools absent with no error at all.

Free: unlimited timers and entries, 7 days of reports, 2 rated projects. Pro is $19 once, verified offline.

Questions

Which scope should I use for MCP Time Tracker?

Local, the default, writes ~/.claude.json and is private to you and that directory. --scope project writes .mcp.json at the repository root, shared through version control. --scope user loads it everywhere.

Why did my first prompt ignore the server?

Measured, not documented: of three fresh projects, one first prompt made zero tool calls although initialize answered in 1.05 seconds. Run claude mcp list once first: it prints Connected, and the next run used the tool.

Can I use MCP Time Tracker without installing anything?

Yes: claude mcp add --transport http time-tracker https://mcp.zovo.one/mcp/time-tracker --header "Authorization: Bearer <token>". Mint a free token at https://mcp.zovo.one/mcp/token or use a Pro key. -t and -H are the short forms.

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