Free Timesheet Templates 2026: Excel, Google Sheets, and PDF Downloads
Download free timesheet templates in Excel, Google Sheets, and PDF formats, designed for daily, weekly, biweekly, and monthly tracking. Each one was built based on what we have observed across years of operating timesheet software for agencies, consulting firms, and professional services teams. Every field is there for a reason: clean payroll, accurate billing, and reporting that does not require cleanup at the end of the cycle.
Free Timesheet Templates (Excel, Google Sheets, and Printable PDF)
👉 What you will find on this page
- Daily, weekly, biweekly, and monthly templates in three formats each
- Excel files with automatic hour calculation and editable formulas
- Google Sheets versions ready for live collaboration across remote teams
- Printable PDFs designed for signed paper records and field environments
- One row per task structure that survives payroll, billing, and reporting
- Approver column on every format to support compliance and audit trails
Table of Contents
- Why These Timesheet Templates Are Different
- Timesheet Templates Overview
- Daily Timesheet Template
- Weekly Timesheet Template
- Biweekly Timesheet Template
- Monthly Timesheet Template
- Which Timesheet Format Should You Choose: PDF, Excel, or Google Sheets?
- Who Should Use These Timesheet Templates
- FLSA Compliance and Required Timesheet Fields
- When Timesheet Templates Stop Working
- Timesheet Templates That Work for You
Why These Timesheet Templates Are Different
What separates these templates from generic spreadsheets you find online is the operational logic behind each field. TrackingTime has built and operated timesheet software since 2014, serving agencies, consulting firms, legal practices, architecture studios, software houses, and nonprofits across more than 70 countries. Over those years, we have seen exactly what makes a timesheet useful in production, and what makes it a burden that nobody fills out by Friday.
The four templates on this page are not generic Excel grids. Each one reflects a specific operational reality we have observed across real workflows:
- Teams that track time per task, not per day, produce data that is actually useful for billing and project profitability. Every template here uses one row per task, so the same sheet works for hourly employees, freelancers, and consultants billing multiple clients in the same week.
- Approval friction kills timesheet quality. We added an explicit approver column on every format because timesheets without signoff get challenged later, especially during client billing disputes or payroll audits.
- Hourly rate and total pay sit inside the weekly and biweekly versions because that is where freelancers and small teams need a quick estimate without rebuilding the math each cycle.
- The monthly template fills in working days automatically, with weekends excluded. We added this because manually typing 22 dates is the single most common reason teams abandon monthly templates after the first cycle.
- The PDF versions keep the same column structure as the digital ones, so a team can move from paper to spreadsheet later without losing historical data or retraining anyone.
Generic templates skip these decisions. The cost shows up later as bad data, payroll disputes, and reporting nobody trusts. These templates exist to prevent that outcome, and to give teams a clean starting point before they decide whether a full timesheet software system is the next step.
Timesheet Templates Overview
Use the table below to compare each template at a glance and jump directly to the one that matches your cycle. Each cycle has three formats available: Excel, Google Sheets, and printable PDF.
| Template Type | Best For | Use Case | Available Formats |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Timesheet | Hourly workers, contractors | Track start time, end time, breaks per day | Excel, Google Sheets, PDF |
| Weekly Timesheet | Freelancers, small agencies | Track hours across a full week with rates and total pay | Excel, Google Sheets, PDF |
| Biweekly Timesheet | HR teams, payroll administrators | Track hours over a two-week pay cycle | Excel, Google Sheets, PDF |
| Monthly Timesheet | Consultants, finance teams, contractors | Monitor hours across a full month with prefilled working days | Excel, Google Sheets, PDF |
If you are still figuring out what a timesheet should contain before picking a format, our guide on what a timesheet actually contains covers the fields that matter and why.
Daily Timesheet Template
Daily timesheets are the right choice when teams need to capture detailed hours, breaks, and tasks within a single day. They suit hourly workers, freelancers, contractors, and any team with variable schedules where the cost of a missing day is high. The template structure handles one row per task, so a single day with three client projects produces three lines, each ready for billing or payroll.
Download Daily Timesheet Templates
Excel Daily Timesheet Template
The Excel daily timesheet captures start and end times, break duration, and total hours for each task within a workday. It is the strongest option for teams that prefer offline editing and full control over formulas. Total hours calculate automatically, project and task columns are editable, and the approver column sits at the end so submitted entries always carry a signature path.
Printable Daily Timesheet Template (PDF)
The PDF version is built for handwritten entries and physical filing. It works well for field crews, construction teams, healthcare staff, and any environment where digital access is limited or where signed paper records are required for compliance. The layout keeps the same column structure as the Excel version, so a team can switch formats later without losing data continuity.
Google Sheets Daily Timesheet Template
The Google Sheets version supports live collaboration across remote teams. Multiple people can update the same document at once, managers get visibility without chasing anyone, and the file is accessible from any device. Formulas are preconfigured, and the sheet is ready to share via Google Drive with read access for approvers.
💡 How to use the daily timesheet templates
- Excel: Fill in Company, Employee name, and Date at the top. Log one row per task with Project/Task name, Start Time, Break Start, Break End, and End Time. Total Hours calculate automatically. Add the approver name in the last column before submitting.
- PDF: Print one sheet per day. Fill in Company, Employee, and Date at the top, then log each task with its start and end times and break duration. Calculate total hours manually at the bottom and have your manager sign in the Approved By column before filing.
- Google Sheets: Go to File then Make a Copy to save your own editable version. Do not type directly into the original. Log one row per task with Start Time, Break Start, Break End, and End Time. Total Hours calculate automatically. Share your copy with your manager using read access.
Weekly Timesheet Template
Weekly timesheets are the most widely used format across agencies, consulting firms, and freelance workflows. They strike the balance between daily detail and manageable admin: enough granularity for billing and project tracking, without forcing the team to update a sheet every single day. The weekly versions on this page include hourly rate and total pay columns, which is where most freelancers and small agencies first notice retainer overruns before they hit the invoice.
Download Weekly Timesheet Templates
Excel Weekly Timesheet Template
The Excel format covers a full week, Monday through Sunday, with total hours calculated per day and aggregated for the week. It includes a weekly summary, an hourly rate field, a total pay calculation, and a project breakdown column. This is the format we recommend for agencies that bill clients weekly or that need an internal cost view per project at the end of every week.
Printable Weekly Timesheet Template (PDF)
The printable weekly log keeps the same structure in a layout designed for printing. It is ideal for physical filing or for environments where handwritten logs are still preferred, such as small construction crews, field operations, or healthcare facilities with mixed paper and digital workflows. Both employee and manager sign before the sheet goes to HR or payroll.
Google Sheets Weekly Timesheet Template
The Google Sheets weekly template is the right choice for remote and distributed teams. Multiple team members can update entries throughout the week, managers see updates as they happen, and the file integrates with Google Drive for sharing and archiving. Hour calculations are automatic, and the file is customizable for teams that want to add project codes or client identifiers.
💡 How to use the weekly timesheet templates
- Excel: Fill in the week start date and employee name at the top. Enter one row per day with project name, hourly rate, and start/end times including breaks. The weekly total calculates automatically in the summary row at the bottom. Submit to payroll at the end of each Friday.
- PDF: Print at the start of each week. Fill in times daily rather than from memory on Friday. Enter start time, end time, and break duration for each day, then total hours at the bottom. Both employee and manager sign before submitting to HR or payroll.
- Google Sheets: Go to File then Make a Copy to save your own editable version. Fill in the week start date and your name at the top. Enter one row per day with Project, Hourly Rate, Start Time, Break Start, Break End, and End Time. Total Hours This Week calculates automatically at the bottom.
Biweekly Timesheet Template
Biweekly timesheets match the most common payroll cycle in the US and parts of Europe. They cut admin in half compared to weekly tracking while preserving enough detail for project allocation and attendance reporting. HR and payroll teams managing hourly contracts use this format as their default. Many of the agencies we work with also adopt it for contractor billing when the engagement is short and invoiced every two weeks.
Download Biweekly Timesheet Templates
Excel Biweekly Timesheet Template
The Excel version covers two weeks in a single sheet, split into Week 1 and Week 2 sections. Each week tracks one row per working day, with start time, break start, break end, and end time. Formulas calculate daily hours, weekly hours, and the biweekly total at the bottom, ready for direct comparison against payroll records.
Printable Biweekly Timesheet Template (PDF)
The biweekly PDF is ready for printing in environments where attendance tracking requires signatures. It is the format we see most often in operations and HR environments that still require physical approval before payroll runs. The simple biweekly format keeps the page readable while leaving space for manual entry, totals, and approver signatures.
Google Sheets Biweekly Timesheet Template
The Google Sheets version works best for distributed teams running a biweekly pay cycle. The sheet supports live collaboration so multiple employees can update their entries throughout the period, with totals calculated automatically and visible to managers at any point. Integration with Google Drive makes archiving and audit retrieval straightforward.
💡 How to use the biweekly timesheet templates
- Excel: Fill in the Pay Period dates (From and To) and Employee name at the top. The sheet is split into Week 1 and Week 2 sections with one row per working day. Enter Project/Task, Start time, Break start, Break end, and End time for each day. Hours calculate automatically per row and the Total hours (Biweekly) sum at the bottom.
- PDF: Print one sheet per pay period. Fill in the From/To dates and employee name at the top. Complete one row per working day across both weeks, entering start time, break times, and end time. Calculate daily hours manually and confirm the biweekly total matches your payroll records before both employee and manager sign.
- Google Sheets: Go to File then Make a Copy to save your own editable version. Fill in the pay period dates and employee name at the top. Log one row per working day across Week 1 and Week 2 with Project/Task, Start time, Break start, Break end, and End time. Total hours (Biweekly) calculate automatically at the bottom.
Monthly Timesheet Template
Monthly timesheets give consultants, contractors, and finance teams a single view of an entire month of work. They suit engagements with monthly invoicing, internal time audits, and finance teams that consolidate hours across multiple cost centers. The monthly versions on this page list all working days of the month with date and day of week prefilled, weekends excluded, which removes the most common reason teams give up on monthly tracking after the first cycle.
Download Monthly Timesheet Templates
Excel Monthly Timesheet Template
The Excel monthly template covers a full month in a single sheet. Total hours calculate automatically across all working days, and a summary of billable hours sits at the bottom. The file is editable for different month lengths and includes a note column for absences, partial days, or special circumstances that affect payroll.
Printable Monthly Timesheet Template (PDF)
The monthly PDF works for teams that file physical records or operate without consistent internet access. The layout is clean enough to read at a glance, with manual input fields for project, hours, and notes. It is the format we recommend for archiving and for compliance use cases where employers must retain signed records for two to three years.
Google Sheets Monthly Timesheet Template
The Google Sheets monthly version is built for teams that need to update entries from any device throughout the month. Cloud storage and autosave mean nothing gets lost between cycles, and the monthly tracking grid supports the same structure as the Excel version. Managers can review the file at any point without waiting for a manual export.
💡 How to use the monthly timesheet templates
- Excel: Fill in the Month and Employee Name at the top. The sheet lists all working days of the month with their date and day of the week, weekends excluded. For each day, enter Project/Task, Start time, Break start, Break end, and End time. Hours calculate automatically per row and Monthly Total Hours sum at the bottom.
- PDF: Print at the start of the month. All working days are listed in advance by date and day of week. Fill in project, start time, breaks, and end time daily. Use the Note column for absences or partial days. Before submitting to HR, confirm the Monthly Total Hours figure matches what your payroll system expects, then sign.
- Google Sheets: Go to File then Make a Copy before editing. Fill in the month and employee name at the top. The sheet lists all working days with date and day of week prefilled. Enter Project/Task and times for each day worked. Use the Note column to flag leaves, holidays, or unusual hours. Monthly Total Hours calculates automatically in the last row.
Which Timesheet Format Should You Choose: PDF, Excel, or Google Sheets?
Each format on this page solves a different operational problem. The right one for your team depends less on personal preference and more on three factors: where the team works, who needs to approve the data, and what comes after the timesheet is submitted.
- PDF templates are the right choice for printing, signing, and storing offline. They work in environments where signed paper records are required for compliance, where internet access is inconsistent, or where field crews need to file entries on site without a device.
- Excel timesheets are the strongest option for teams that need custom formulas, full offline editing, and complete control over formatting. They are also the best fit when you share the file with clients who do not use Google Workspace, since they preserve formatting reliably across platforms.
- Google Sheets templates are the default for remote and distributed teams. Multiple people can update the same document simultaneously, managers see entries as they happen, and the file is reachable from any device. The drawback is that the team needs Google accounts and consistent internet to use them well.
If you are unsure which one fits your workflow, the most common path we see is starting with Google Sheets for live tracking, exporting to Excel for monthly client reporting, and keeping a PDF copy for archiving or for cases where approval needs a signature. The three formats are designed to share the same column structure, so moving data between them does not require restructuring or retyping.
Who Should Use These Timesheet Templates
Each format on this page came out of conversations with the kinds of teams that actually need to log hours every week. Knowing which one fits your context matters more than the format itself, and the choice usually maps cleanly to the kind of work being delivered.
- Agencies and creative studios billing by retainer or hourly rates get the most value from the weekly format. The total pay column flags overruns before the next invoice cycle, which is where margin usually disappears. For a deeper look at the operational side, see how time tracking for agencies handles retainers and rates.
- Consulting firms and legal practices typically prefer the biweekly or monthly version, since billing is often consolidated across multiple matters or engagements over longer periods.
- Freelancers and independent contractors get the most from the daily and weekly Excel templates, which include billable hours columns ready to attach to invoices as supporting documentation.
- Field teams, construction crews, and healthcare staff need PDF and signed paper records because of regulatory or environmental constraints. Every PDF on this page is built to be filled by hand without compromising the structure of the data captured.
- HR and payroll teams managing employees on hourly contracts use the biweekly template because it aligns with the most common pay cycles in the US and parts of Europe.
- Architecture studios and design firms working with fixed fee projects use the weekly template to detect cost overruns per phase, since invoicing does not adjust but internal margin does.
Whatever the context, the goal is the same: capture time data once, in a format that does not require cleanup before payroll, billing, or reporting.
FLSA Compliance and Required Timesheet Fields
In the United States, the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) sets the minimum recordkeeping requirements for nonexempt employees. Every timesheet used for payroll must capture the data points listed in 29 CFR §516 to remain compliant, and the Department of Labor requires employers to retain those records for at least two years for time and work schedules, and three years for payroll records.
The templates on this page include every field FLSA requires for nonexempt employee timesheets:
- Employee full name and identifier
- Day and date the workweek begins
- Hours worked each day and total hours for the workweek
- Hourly rate that applies during the pay period
- Total earnings for regular hours within the period
- Total overtime hours and earnings when applicable
- Approver signature line for compliance and audit retention
For exempt employees, FLSA does not require time recordkeeping at this level of detail. For nonexempt workers eligible for overtime above 40 hours per week, missing any of these fields creates real audit risk during a DOL investigation. The templates here were designed with that audit boundary in mind, which is why every format includes the same core columns regardless of cycle length.
When Timesheet Templates Stop Working
There is a point where a timesheet template stops being a tool and starts being a tax. We see the same operational signs across the agencies and consulting teams we work with, and they tend to appear in the same order:
- More than 30 minutes per week is spent compiling, correcting, or chasing missing timesheets across the team.
- Project profitability is calculated after the fact, not visible during the engagement. By the time the spreadsheet is consolidated, the margin is already gone.
- Retainers go over budget before anyone notices, because the data lives in a file nobody checks until the end of the month.
- Multiple clients or projects share the same week, and the template cannot show utilization across them without manual pivoting.
- The team has three or more people, and at least one of them consistently forgets to submit on time.
- Approvals are happening over email or chat instead of inside the timesheet itself, which makes audit trails fragile and disputes harder to resolve.
These are not template problems. They are operational problems that a template was never designed to solve. At that point, the question is not which format to use, but whether the workflow needs a system instead of a document. For teams ready to take that step, automating employee timesheets removes manual entry, builds approval workflows into the same surface, and produces reports without exporting and pivoting data manually.
Timesheet Templates That Work for You
Whether your team needs a printable sheet for the field or a collaborative Google Doc for a fully remote setup, having the right timesheet format saves time, reduces errors, and keeps everyone accountable. These templates were designed to give teams a clean starting point, with the structure already in place for payroll, billing, and reporting. Pair them with these best practices for building a healthy timesheet culture to make sure the data you capture is actually used downstream.
If you want to explore the operational reasoning behind every field, the full TrackingTime timesheet cluster covers the full picture: what a timesheet is, when to automate, legal requirements, and the difference between timesheets and time tracking as workflows.
