Best Practices

Recommended setup

Start with a filtered view

If your TimeTonic table is large, create or select a view that filters by date range, status (approved only), or project. This reduces export size and speeds up data flows.

Use meaningful column names

In TimeTonic, name custom fields and columns clearly (e.g., "Billable Hours" instead of "Field1"). Clear names make it easier to work with the data in your destination.

Set up a dedicated export table

If you frequently export TimeTonic data, create a table or view in TimeTonic specifically for exports. This isolates export logic from your working data and makes maintenance easier.

Document your API key securely

Store your TimeTonic API key in a password manager or secure vault. Never share it or commit it to version control. Regenerate it periodically for security.

Data refresh and scheduling

Run manual tests before scheduling

Always complete a successful manual run of your data flow and verify the data in your destination before setting up a schedule. This confirms the connection, table selection, and data quality.

Schedule refreshes after payroll or billing cutoffs

If exporting for payroll or invoicing, schedule the data flow to run after your cutoff date. For example, run on the first of each month to capture the prior month's complete data.

Use hourly or daily refreshes for dashboards

If feeding Looker Studio or Google Sheets dashboards, use hourly or daily scheduled refreshes (depending on how current your data needs to be) to keep dashboards up-to-date without manual intervention.

Performance optimization

Use views to pre-filter data

Instead of exporting all rows and filtering in your destination, use TimeTonic views to pre-filter (e.g., approved entries, current month). This reduces data transfer and processing time.

Export only the columns you need

If your TimeTonic table has many columns, configure the view to show only the columns you actually use. Fewer columns mean faster exports and smaller file sizes in your destination.

Break large exports into multiple flows

If exporting multiple years or thousands of rows, create separate data flows for different time periods or projects. Run them in parallel or on a staggered schedule to avoid timeouts.

Common pitfalls

Do

• Select the correct view upfront — verify filters and column selection match your needs

• Test the connection with a small view before running full exports

• Monitor the first few scheduled runs to confirm data quality

• Use Append transformations to combine multiple months or teams into one table

Don't

• Export without testing — always run a manual test first and check the destination

• Change your TimeTonic table structure without updating your view — this can break exports

• Schedule refreshes too frequently for small data sets (hourly refreshes of 10 rows is wasteful)

• Rely on draft or unapproved entries for payroll — always filter to approved status