Creating Projects
What is a Project?
A project is a container for organizing time tracking, tasks, and budgets related to a specific piece of work. Projects belong to workspaces and help you categorize your time entries for better reporting and client billing.
Project Examples
- Freelancer: "Client ABC Website Redesign", "Monthly Retainer - Company XYZ"
- Agency: "Marketing Campaign Q1", "Product Development - Mobile App"
- Enterprise: "Internal HR System Upgrade", "Sales Dashboard 2026"
Project Creation Process
Step 1: Navigate to Projects
- Log in to your CADENSA account
- Select your workspace from the workspace selector
- Navigate to Projects in the sidebar
- Click the "New Project" button
Step 2: Fill in Project Details
Required Fields
Project Name
- Clear, descriptive name for the project
- Length: 3-100 characters
- Examples:
"Website Redesign - ABC Corp"- "Q1 Marketing Campaign"
"Project 1" (too generic)- "Proj" (too short)
Optional Fields
Client Name
- Name of the client or customer
- Helps organize projects by client
- Example: "ABC Corporation", "John Smith"
- Use case: Generate client-specific reports
Description
- Detailed project description
- Visible to all workspace members
- Length: Up to 1000 characters
- Example: "Complete website redesign including homepage, about page, and contact form. Includes mobile responsiveness and SEO optimization."
Project Color
- Visual identifier for quick recognition
- Color picker with predefined palette
- Default: Random color assigned
- Use case: Quickly identify projects in timer and reports
Deadline
- Target completion date
- Format: YYYY-MM-DD
- Optional but recommended for tracking
- Alerts: System can notify you when deadline approaches (PRO+)
Budget (PRO+ only)
- Financial limit for the project
- See Project Budgets for details
- Types:
- Fixed budget (e.g., €5,000)
- Hourly budget (e.g., 100 hours × €50/hour)
Is Billable
- Toggle: Billable or Non-billable
- Billable: Time tracked will be included in invoices
- Non-billable: Internal work, overhead, training
- Default: Billable (enabled)
Client Contact (PRO+)
- Client email and phone number
- Used for project-specific communications
- Example: john.doe@abccorp.com, +36 30 123 4567
Step 3: Advanced Settings (Optional)
Project Template (ENTERPRISE)
- Use existing project as template
- Copies tasks, rates, and settings
- Use case: Recurring projects with similar structure
Task Import (PRO+)
- Import tasks from CSV
- Bulk task creation
- Format: task_name, description, priority, deadline
Rate Override
- Set project-specific hourly rate
- Overrides workspace default rate
- See Rate Management for hierarchy
Time Entry Settings
- Require task for time entry: Force task selection
- Auto-start timer: Timer starts when opening project
- Round time entries: 5, 10, 15, or 30-minute intervals
Step 4: Create Project
Click "Create Project" button to finalize.
What happens next:
- Project created and visible in project list
- 📧 Team members notified (if notifications enabled)
- 🎨 Project color appears in timer dropdown
- 📊 Project available in reports
Tier Restrictions
Different subscription tiers have different project limits:
| Tier | Max Projects per Workspace | Budget Tracking | Project Templates | Archiving |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FREE | 10 | | | |
| PRO | Unlimited | | | |
| ENTERPRISE | Unlimited | | | |
FREE Tier Limit
FREE tier allows only 10 projects per workspace. Upgrade to PRO for unlimited projects.
Project Types & Use Cases
Client Projects (Billable)
Configuration:
- Billable: Enabled
- Budget: Set fixed or hourly budget
- Client contact: Add client email
- Deadline: Set project deadline
Example:
Project Name: Website Redesign - ABC Corp
Client: ABC Corporation
Description: Redesign corporate website with 5 pages
Budget: €5,000 (fixed)
Deadline: 2026-03-15
Billable: Yes
Color: Blue
Internal Projects (Non-billable)
Configuration:
- Billable: Disabled
- 📝 Description: Internal purpose
- 🔄 Recurring: May use template (ENTERPRISE)
Example:
Project Name: Internal Team Training
Client: (empty)
Description: Q1 professional development sessions
Budget: Not applicable
Deadline: 2026-03-31
Billable: No
Color: Grey
Retainer Projects
Configuration:
- Billable: Enabled
- ⏰ Budget: Monthly hour budget
- 🔄 Recurring: Create monthly (use template ENTERPRISE)
Example:
Project Name: Monthly Retainer - XYZ Company
Client: XYZ Company
Description: 20 hours/month ongoing support
Budget: 20 hours × €75/hour = €1,500
Deadline: End of each month
Billable: Yes
Color: Green
R&D Projects
Configuration:
- Billable: Disabled (internal)
- Budget: Department budget allocation
- Deadline: Quarter or year-end
Example:
Project Name: AI Integration Research
Client: (empty)
Description: Research and POC for AI features
Budget: 200 hours
Deadline: 2026-06-30
Billable: No
Color: Purple
Best Practices
Do's
- Use descriptive names - Include client and project type
- Set deadlines - Helps with prioritization and alerts
- Assign colors strategically - Group related projects with similar colors
- Add descriptions - Future you will thank present you
- Track budgets - Even if not client-facing (PRO+)
- Mark billable status correctly - Affects invoicing and reports
- Use client names - Enables client-based reporting
Don'ts
- Don't use generic names - "Project 1", "Test", "Misc"
- Don't create too many projects - Consolidate related work
- Don't forget to archive - Old projects clutter project lists (ENTERPRISE)
- Don't skip budget setup - Hard to add retroactively (PRO+)
- Don't mix billable/non-billable - Create separate projects
Quick Start Examples
Freelancer: 10-Project Setup (FREE Tier)
Project 1: Client Work - Active Projects
Billable: Yes
Use for: Current client billable hours
Project 2: Administrative Tasks
Billable: No
Use for: Emails, invoicing, marketing
Project 3: Professional Development
Billable: No
Use for: Learning, training, networking
Agency: Multi-Client Setup (PRO Tier)
Client A Projects:
- Website Development
- Monthly Retainer
- Bug Fixes & Support
Client B Projects:
- Marketing Campaign Q1
- Social Media Management
Internal Projects:
- Team Meetings
- Training & Development
- Sales & Marketing
Enterprise: Department-Based Setup (ENTERPRISE Tier)
Marketing Department:
- Q1 Campaign Planning
- Website Updates
- Content Creation
Development Department:
- Product Feature A
- Product Feature B
- Technical Debt
Operations:
- Process Improvement
- Team Onboarding
- Documentation
After Creation
Once your project is created:
- Add tasks - See Task Management
- Set project-specific rates - See Rate Management
- Configure project settings - See Project Settings
- Start tracking time - See Timer Usage
- Invite project members - Assign team to project (PRO+)
Troubleshooting
"Maximum projects reached" error
Problem: You've reached your tier's project limit.
Solutions:
- FREE tier: Delete unused projects or upgrade to PRO
- Check workspace: Limit is per workspace, not total
- Archive instead of delete: ENTERPRISE tier only
Cannot create project
Problem: "Create Project" button is disabled.
Reasons:
- No permission (must be Manager or Owner)
- Workspace limit reached
- Browser issue (try refresh)
Solutions:
- Check your role in Team → Active Members
- Ask workspace Owner to create project
- Refresh browser (F5)
Project not showing in timer dropdown
Problem: Created project doesn't appear when starting timer.
Solutions:
- Refresh page (F5)
- Check if project is in correct workspace
- Verify project wasn't accidentally deleted
- Check browser console for errors
Budget not working
Problem: Cannot set budget for project.
Reason: Budget tracking is PRO+ feature only.
Solution: Upgrade to PRO or ENTERPRISE tier.
Project Limits Summary
| Feature | FREE | PRO | ENTERPRISE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Projects per Workspace | 10 | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Total Projects (all workspaces) | 20 (2 workspaces) | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Project Budgets | | | |
| Budget Alerts | | | |
| Project Templates | | | |
| Project Archiving | | | |
| Custom Fields | | | |
| Client Contact Info | | | |
| Task Import (CSV) | | | |
Next Steps
- Project Settings → - Configure advanced project options
- Task Management → - Add and manage tasks
- Project Budgets → - Set up budget tracking (PRO+)
- Time Tracking → - Start tracking time on your project
Need Help?
- Email: support@cadensa.io
- Community: community.cadensa.io
- FAQ: Project FAQ