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Finance & Admin

Timesheet Collector

Weekly timesheets auto-collected from your team, validated, and summed in one sheet.

Saves about ~1 hr per week

What it does

  • Sends each teammate their timesheet link weekly
  • Validates entries: limits, weekends, missing days
  • Consolidates everything into one master sheet
  • Flags anomalies before payroll runs

How it works

  1. Weekly form sent to each teammate
  2. Entries validated automatically
  3. Master sheet consolidated
  4. Anomalies flagged for review

What's included

  • Weekly form
  • Validation rules
  • Consolidation sheet

Set it up yourself

Follow these 4 steps in order. You will need accounts for: Sheets.

Step 1: Build the entry form

  1. Create a Google Form (or Tally) for timesheets: Name, Week Ending, Project, Hours, Notes.
  2. Make the form repeatable (one submission per project/day if needed).
  3. In the linked sheet, check the responses land correctly.
  4. Set the form to not collect duplicate submissions with the same name/week.
  5. Test a submission.

Watch out: Design the form for the most granular level you need (project), or you'll be re-aggregating later — but keep it to one row per person-week if you can manage, simpler validation.

Step 2: Set the send schedule

  1. Weekly schedule that emails each teammate their unique form link.
  2. Use mail-merge-style dynamic fields (name, week).
  3. Send Thursday 4pm so they can fill before Friday end.
  4. Auto-nudge anyone who hasn't submitted by Friday noon.
  5. Test the send with your own email.

Watch out: A repeated famished reminder cadence (Thu + Fri reminder) keeps compliance high without manual chasing.

Step 3: Add validation rules

  1. Rules: hours per day ≤ 12, hours per week ≤ 60, no weekend entries (unless flagged), no missing days for submitted rows, name matches the roster.
  2. In the consolidation step, tag rows that break rules.
  3. Send a 'please fix' note to offenders automatically.
  4. Test with intentionally broken entries.
  5. Keep the rule list small — over-strict rules create more corrections than they prevent.

Watch out: Corrections feedback matters — a wrong entry silently accepted is a payroll error; a wrong entry flagged is a 30-second fix.

Step 4: Wire the master sheet

  1. Create 'Timesheets Master' consolidating all responses by person-week.
  2. Add a summary tab per person (total hours, per project).
  3. Add a validation column (OK / Flagged).
  4. Export/send to whoever runs payroll weekly.
  5. Review the anomaly log before payroll.

Watch out: Build the master view the way payroll needs it — a clean per-person-week table is the deliverable, not another raw response dump.

Frequently asked questions

What does the Timesheet Collector automation do?

Weekly timesheets auto-collected from your team, validated, and summed in one sheet. Sends each teammate their timesheet link weekly

How much time does Timesheet Collector save?

It is estimated to save ~1 hr per week. Actual savings depend on your volume.

Which tools does Timesheet Collector use?

It works with Sheets.

What does Timesheet Collector include?

Weekly form, Validation rules, Consolidation sheet.

Can I set up Timesheet Collector myself?

Yes. The do-it-yourself guide on this page walks through 4 steps, from getting access to testing the finished automation.