As you may know, HoneyBook's built-in Time Tracker feature is being sunset. The good news: you can keep tracking time on your projects by connecting HoneyBook to a dedicated time-tracking app — like Clockify or Toggl Track — using Zapier. This guide walks you through the entire setup, start to finish.
Before You Start: What You'll Need
A HoneyBook Essential or Premium plan. The Zapier integration is only available on these plans (not on the Starter plan).
A Zapier account. Free plans work fine for basic automations
A Clockify or Toggl Track account. Both offer free tiers that are more than enough for most independent businesses.
💡 Not sure which time tracker to pick? Clockify's free plan has no user limit and includes basic reporting — a solid pick if you want something simple and free forever. Toggl Track's free plan is limited to 5 users but has a slightly more polished interface and reporting. Either works well with Zapier — pick whichever fits your workflow.
Part 1: Connect HoneyBook to Zapier
Step 1: Get your HoneyBook API key
Log into HoneyBook and go to Tools > Integrations in the navigation menu.
Find the Zapier section and select Copy API Key.
Paste the key somewhere temporary (a notes app is fine) — you'll need it in the next step. Don't share this key with anyone; it's tied to your individual HoneyBook login.
Step 2: Load your API key into Zapier
Go to your Zapier dashboard and select Apps in the left navigation menu.
Select Add connection.
Search for "HoneyBook" and select it.
Paste the API key you copied in Step 1, then select Yes, Continue to HoneyBook.
Your HoneyBook account is now linked to Zapier. You won't need to re-enter this key for future Zaps.
Part 2: Connect Your Time Tracker to Zapier
You'll do this the first time you build a Zap that uses Clockify or Toggl Track — Zapier will prompt you to sign in and authorize the connection right in the setup flow. Have your login handy for whichever app you chose.
Part 3: Build Your Zap
There's no single "right" way to automate time tracking — it depends on how you work. Below are two common setups. Pick the one that matches your workflow, or use it as a starting point for your own.
Option A: Start a timer automatically when a project moves to "In Progress"
This Zap starts a timer in your time tracker the moment a project's stage changes in HoneyBook (for example, from "Booked" to "In Progress").
From your Zapier dashboard, select Create Zap.
Set the Trigger:
Search for and select HoneyBook as the trigger app.
Choose the trigger event Project Stage Changed.
Select Continue, then Test trigger to pull in a sample project. Confirm the details look right and select Continue with the selected record.
Set the Action:
Search for and select Clockify (or Toggl Track) as the action app.
Choose the action event:
Clockify: Create Time Entry (recommended — this gives you a clean start time, unlike "Start Timer," which can behave inconsistently) or Start Timer
Toggl Track: Start Time Entry
Sign in to your time tracker account when prompted and select Continue.
Map the fields:
Project/Client: Map this to the HoneyBook project name so each time entry is tied to the right client.
Description: Use a field like the HoneyBook project name or stage so entries are easy to identify later.
Fill in any other required fields (workspace, billable status, etc.).
Select Continue, then Test step. Check your Clockify or Toggl Track account to confirm a time entry or timer was created.
If the test looks good, select Publish.
⚠️ Note: HoneyBook's Zapier integration doesn't currently support custom fields, so stick to standard project fields (client name, project name, stage, etc.) when mapping.
Option B: Log a time entry automatically when a project is booked
This is a lighter-touch option — instead of live timers, it creates a placeholder time entry (or task) in your tracker whenever a new project is booked, so you have a record to log hours against without manually creating it.
Select Create Zap.
Set the Trigger:
App: HoneyBook
Event: Project Booked
Test and confirm as above.
Set the Action:
App: Clockify or Toggl Track
Event: Create Project (this creates a matching project in your time tracker, ready to log time against) or New Task, depending on how granular you want to track.
Map the HoneyBook project name and client details into the corresponding fields.
Test the step, confirm it worked, then Publish.
Part 4: Test It for Real
Before relying on your new Zap day-to-day:
Trigger the real-world event in HoneyBook (move a project's stage, or book a new project).
Give Zapier a minute or two to run (free plans check for new triggers periodically, not instantly).
Confirm the expected result shows up in Clockify or Toggl Track.
If nothing happens, see the troubleshooting section below.
Editing or Turning Off a Zap Later
1. Go to your Zapier dashboard and select the Zap from your Zaps list.
2. Select the Edit icon next to either the HoneyBook or time-tracker step to change fields or
triggers.
3. Use the on/off toggle at the top of the Zap to pause it anytime without deleting it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to use Zapier's paid plan? No. Zapier's free plan supports a limited number of Zaps and runs per month, which is enough for most solo businesses running one or two automations. If you need more Zaps, faster (instant) triggers, or multi-step Zaps, you'll need a paid Zapier plan.
Can I track time manually instead of automating it? Yes — you don't need Zapier at all if you'd rather just log time directly in Clockify or Toggl Track's app or browser extension. Zapier is only needed if you want HoneyBook project data to automatically flow into your time tracker.
Will this affect my existing HoneyBook invoices or projects? No. This integration only reads project data from HoneyBook to trigger actions elsewhere — it doesn't change anything inside your HoneyBook account.