How to Track Coding Time in VS Code (Complete 2026 Guide)

Tracking your coding time is one of the highest-ROI habits a developer can build. This guide walks through everything from choosing the right tool to getting actionable insights from your data.

Why Bother Tracking Coding Time?

Before the how, let's address the why. Developers who track their time consistently report:

35% better project estimates - because they have historical data
More accurate freelance invoicing - automatic records vs. memory
Clearer productivity patterns - discovering their best coding hours
Better work-life balance - data prevents unnoticed overwork

Step 1: Choose the Right Tool

For VS Code, you have several options:

Lync (Recommended - Free Forever) - Zero-config setup, syncs every 5 minutes - Full dashboard with project/language breakdown - Completely free with no feature limitations - Privacy-first: never reads your code

WakaTime (Feature-rich, Paid) - Industry standard, 20+ editor support - $9/month for full features - 14-day history limit on free plan

ActivityWatch (Open Source, Self-hosted) - Maximum privacy control - Requires self-hosting infrastructure - More complex setup

For most developers, Lync is the right starting point - full features, zero cost.

Step 2: Install the Lync Extension

Open VS Code
Press Ctrl+P (or Cmd+P on Mac) to open the Quick Open dialog
Type: ext install rishabhsharma.lync-coding-time-tracker
Press Enter to install

Alternatively, search "Lync" in the VS Code Extensions panel (Ctrl+Shift+X).

Step 3: Create Your Account

Visit lync.life/signup
Enter your email and create a password
Verify your email - check your inbox for the confirmation link
Copy your API key from the dashboard settings

The entire signup process takes under 90 seconds.

Step 4: Connect VS Code to Lync

Open VS Code Settings (Ctrl+,)
Search for "Lync"
Paste your API key into the "Lync: API Key" field
Save settings

You're done! Lync will start tracking immediately when you open any file.

Step 5: Understand Your Dashboard

After 24-48 hours, your dashboard will start showing useful data:

Daily Summary See total coding time for the day, broken down by hour. Identify your productive windows.

Project Breakdown How much time per project? Useful for freelancers billing multiple clients, and for anyone evaluating where time goes.

Language Stats Are you spending more time in TypeScript or Python? Are you learning a new language? The data shows your evolution.

Streak Tracking Coding consistency matters. Streak tracking encourages daily practice.

Step 6: Use Your Data Effectively

Raw data is only valuable when you act on it. Here's how:

For Project Estimation Before starting a new feature, check: "How long did the last similar feature take?" Use actual hours, not guesses.

For Billing (Freelancers) Export weekly reports or screenshot your dashboard for client billing. Beats manual time logs.

For Productivity Optimization Identify your 2-3 most productive hours. Schedule complex tasks during those windows.

For Learning Tracking Watching your TypeScript hours grow week over week is motivating and shows skill progression.

Common Questions

Q: Does tracking affect VS Code performance? A: No. The extension runs in the background with minimal CPU impact - typically unmeasurable.

Q: What if I forget to open VS Code? A: Lync only tracks when VS Code is active. If you coded in another editor, that time won't be captured (this is VS Code-specific tracking by design).

Q: How accurate is the tracking? A: Very accurate. Lync uses heartbeat-based tracking: it records that you're active every 2 minutes while you're typing or switching files. Idle time (like reading documentation) is intelligently excluded after 15 minutes of inactivity.

Start Tracking Today

The hardest part is starting. Once tracking is set up, it runs entirely in the background.

Free forever. Setup in 2 minutes.

Install Lync Now →