Example prompts
Real things you can ask your AI assistant once Hoursmith MCP is connected — log time, look up unpaid invoices, create a client, and more.
Once you've connected your client, you can drive Hoursmith in plain language. Here are realistic prompts, grouped by what they do, with the tool each one leans on.
Your assistant can only do what your token's role allows. If a prompt comes back with a permission error, check your role against Available tools.
Track time
Log 90 minutes to the Acme redesign for today with a note.
What did I track this week?
Show my running timer.
These map to create_time_entry, list_time_entries, and get_running_timer.
"Start a timer" doesn't run the UI timer. There's no live-timer control in MCP. If you say "Start
a timer on the Acme website project," the assistant logs a time entry via create_time_entry
rather than starting the running timer you'd use in the app. To read a timer you started in the app,
ask it to "show my running timer" (get_running_timer).
Look up invoices
Which invoices are unpaid?
Show me invoice #1043.
These read invoices with list_invoices (filtered) and get_invoice.
The assistant can read invoices but cannot create or send them. There's no invoice write tool in MCP. To bill a client, create the invoice in the app — see Invoices.
Manage clients and projects
Create a client called Globex with email billing@globex.com.
Add a task "Draft proposal" to the Acme project assigned to me.
These use create_client and create_task. Creating clients and projects needs a
Manager+ role.
Check on yourself and your team
Show me my Hoursmith profile.
Who's on my team?
These read with get_me and list_members. Note that the assistant cannot invite or manage
members via MCP — that's read-only.
What it can and can't do
To keep expectations accurate:
- Can: create and edit time entries, create clients/projects/tasks (with the right role), and read invoices, members, and your whole workspace.
- Can't: create or send invoices, manage members, or run the app's live UI timer.
For the exhaustive list — including the 5 destructive tools — see Available tools.
Available tools
All 31 Hoursmith MCP tools grouped by resource, the REST API call each maps to, the roles they need, and the 5 destructive ones.
Security
How the Hoursmith MCP server handles your token and permissions — it adds nothing beyond the REST API, never stores or prints your token, and uses HTTPS.