Export

The export screen lets you download filtered timesheet data in different formats. You can use it for a quick customer report, an internal Excel analysis, or a CSV file for another system.

You can find it at Time Tracking > Export.

Export vs. invoice

Both features work with timesheet data, but they serve different goals:

• Use export when you want to download filtered timesheet data in a reusable file format
• Use invoice when you need a billing document with calculations like taxes and invoice numbers
• Exports can be created without selecting one dedicated customer
• Invoices are always customer-based

Supported output formats:

If you need automation or integration, you can also use the API to export data.

How export works

The workflow is always the same:

1. Open Time Tracking > Export
2. Filter the timesheet records you want to include
3. Choose a built-in format or one of your saved templates
4. Download the file

Always use your custom template instead of choosing the default column setup, which can change over time.

Supported formats

Kimai supports these export formats:

• PDF for a fixed, easy-to-share document
• XLSX (Excel) for calculations, pivots, and internal reporting
• CSV for importing data into accounting, BI, or other business systems
• HTML for a browser-friendly print view that you can review or save as PDF

Export state

Invoices and exports share the same export state. It is used to mark timesheet records as processed.

Exported records:

• are locked for regular users
• are excluded by default from later exports and invoices
• can be marked automatically during export

To set that state automatically, enable the checkbox before creating the export.

For more details, read the timesheet documentation.

Reusable export templates

Kimai includes ready-to-use export buttons and also supports reusable templates for recurring exports. This is useful if you often need the same columns, language, or file format. The template editor is meant for reusable PDF, XLSX and CSV exports. If you want to change the layout of PDF or HTML exports, use custom Twig templates instead.

After filtering timesheets, you will see the export buttons. Next to them is the button, which opens the template dialog.

In the template, you can define:

• the exported file type such as PDF, CSV or Excel
• the language for translated column headers
• the columns that should be exported
• whether the template is shared with all users through Allow access for all users

The selected language controls header translations. If you do not set one, Kimai uses the current request language.

Create a template

1. Filter the data you want to export
2. Click the button
3. Enter a name for the template
4. Choose the file type and columns
5. Save the template

The export button for that format will then show a dropdown, so you can reuse the template later.

When you hover a saved template in the dropdown, you can edit or delete it.

PDF option

• Title
• Summary (export column summary on the first page of the PDF)
• Font (pick one from the built-in list of fonts)
• Page size (A4, A5, A6, Legal, Letter)
• Orientation (Portrait or Landscape)

CSV option

CSV templates support an additional setting:

• Separator with comma or semicolon

Share templates with care

Enabling Allow access for all users makes the template available in My times and All times.

Custom PDF and HTML templates

If you need your own branding, layout, or special formatting, you can create custom Twig templates for PDF and HTML exports. This is an advanced topic and usually only needed for company-specific workflows.

How to create your first template:

• Copy & paste the default templates
• Read the dedicated chapter about PDF templates
• Adjust the template to your needs and add it to Kimai

Be aware of the following rules:

• HTML templates have the file extension .html.twig
• PDF templates have the file extension .pdf.twig
• Use unique filenames and prefix them with your company name, for example company-export.html.twig
• The names timesheet.html.twig, timesheet.pdf.twig, default.pdf.twig, and default.html.twig are reserved
• After updating an existing template, you have to clear the cache to see the results

Access custom fields in PDF templates

You can access custom fields with entry.metaField('name'). Always protect the call in case the custom field does not exist:

{% set cf = entry.metaField('example') %}
{% if cf is not null and cf.value is not null %}
    {{ cf.value }}
{% endif %}

Time format

The following information is partly outdated, as you define the duration type in your custom export template. This toggle and behaviour will be removed in the future.

Only the default templates still use this user-based setting. For recurring workflows, define the required duration output directly in your custom template instead of relying on the default templates.

Kimai supports both natural and decimal duration formats:

• natural format such as 1:15 is usually easier to read
• decimal format such as 1.25 is better for calculations

You can choose the format in your user preferences. Open your username menu in the top right and select Preferences.

The setting Use decimal duration in export switches between the two versions:

Automation and integrations

If you need exports outside the UI, Kimai also supports:

• the REST API for integrations and custom workflows
• the command line exporter for scheduled or scripted exports

Permissions

• The export does not guarantee to respect permissions like view_rate_other_timesheet and view_rate_own_timesheet
• The “mark as export” checkbox is only available for users with the edit_export_other_timesheet permission