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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Getting Started
How do I log into hidma?
Navigate to app.hidma.com, enter your email address and password, and click Sign In. If you've forgotten your password, click "Forgot Password" to reset it.
What browsers does hidma support?
hidma works best on modern browsers including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge. We recommend keeping your browser up to date for the best experience.
Can I use hidma on my phone or tablet?
Yes! hidma can be accessed through your mobile browser at app.hidma.com. The mobile web interface is optimized for time tracking and essential functions on the go.
Time Tracking
How do I record time I worked?
Go to Timesheets and click the "Add New" button. Select the client, project, and job, enter the date and time worked, add a description of the work, and click Save.
How do I edit a time entry?
Click on any existing time entry in your timesheet to open the edit dialog, make your changes, and click Save.
How do I delete a time entry?
There are two ways to delete a time entry:
- Click the three dots (⋯) at the end of the time entry row and select "Delete"
- Open the edit dialog for the entry and change the time for that day to 0
Why can't I see certain projects or clients?
You can only see projects and clients that you have permission to access. This is typically controlled by your team assignments and user role. Contact your system administrator or team manager if you need access to additional projects.
Can I enter time for past dates?
Yes, you can enter time for any date, past or future. Simply select the appropriate date when creating your time entry.
Can I see my timers from a previous week?
Yes. The Time Tracker page has a date range picker at the top - use it to move to another week and see the timers you recorded then. See Navigating to Another Week.
Why has my timesheet been reopened?
A manager has reverted it so you can correct something. When they revert a timesheet they can attach a message explaining why, and you'll receive it as an in-app notification and an email. Make the change they've described and resubmit. See Reverting a Timesheet with a Comment.
How do I tell someone why I'm sending their timesheet back?
When you revert the timesheet, type your explanation in the box on the Reverting a Timesheet dialog before clicking Revert. The message goes to the timesheet's owner by notification and email. It's optional, but a specific message ("report these hours under Ongoing Support, not Monthly payroll") usually saves a second round of corrections.
Billing
What's the difference between a bill and an invoice?
In hidma, "bills" and "invoices" typically refer to the same thing - the document you send to clients requesting payment. However, if your organization uses Request for Payments (RFP) mode, bills become RFPs which are converted to invoices after payment.
What is a Request for Payment (RFP)?
An RFP (or Pro Forma Invoice) is a preliminary billing document that requests payment but is not a legally binding invoice. When RFP mode is enabled, all bills you create are RFPs. Once the client pays an RFP in hidma, the system automatically generates an actual invoice. This approach is typically used by legal firms.
How do I create a bill?
Go to the Bills section, click "Create Bill", select the client and billing period, choose which time entries and charges to include, review the amounts, and click Generate Bill.
Can I edit a bill after creating it?
This depends on your organization's settings and the bill's status. Generally, draft bills can be edited, but finalized or paid bills cannot be changed. Check with your administrator about your organization's policies.
How do I add charges or discounts to a bill?
When creating a bill, look for the "Add Charge" or "Add Discount" button (usually near the bill line items). Select the charge/discount type, enter the amount or percentage, add a description, and it will be added to the bill.
What's a recurring charge?
A recurring charge is a fixed fee that can be configured on a client or project profile. Recurring charges must be manually added to bills when you're ready to bill for them - they don't appear automatically.
How do I add a recurring charge to a bill?
When creating a bill, look for the option to include recurring charges associated with that client or project. Select the recurring charges you want to bill for and they'll be added to the bill.
Who changed this bill?
Open the bill and look at its Change History - it lists every change made to the bill, who made it, when, and where the change came from. See Change History & Activity Logs.
How do I show hours on my invoices?
Tick Minutes under Settings → Configuration → Bill Details to show time on every bill, or turn on Show time in the bill rows from an individual bill's More Options (⋮) menu to do it for that bill only. See Showing Time on a Single Bill.
Why doesn't the time show on my Xero invoices?
Two things are needed. First, enable Copy time in bills to Xero under Settings → Integrations → Xero → Settings for Xero. Second, make sure the bill is actually showing time - hidma only exports the time that's displayed. See Exporting Time Entry Details to Xero.
Do I have to type a due date on every recurring bill?
No. Choose Default Due Date on the recurring bill, bill template, or recurring bill template and the generated bills inherit your organisation's configured payment terms. Use Custom Due Date only where a client is on non-standard terms. See Default vs Custom Due Date.
Where can I use placeholders like [Year - 1]?
In recurring project names and codes, recurring deadline names, recurring bills, bill templates and recurring bill templates, and standard bills added within a project (including on project templates). hidma replaces the placeholder with the right value when the record is generated. See Smart Placeholders.
What does the "Different organisation" warning on a bill mean?
You've added a project that's normally billed under a different organisation to the one this bill is set to. It's a warning, not a block - the bill stays with its organisation and the project is added. Click Got it to continue, or check the bill's organisation first if the message was a surprise. See Mismatched Organisation Warning.
Payments
How do I record a payment?
Go to Payments, click "Add Payment", select the client, enter the payment amount and date, choose the payment method (check, credit card, bank transfer, etc.), and save. Then allocate the payment to one or more bills.
What's the difference between Quick Payment and Standard Allocation?
Quick Payment is the fastest way to record and allocate payment when a client pays a bill in full - it combines recording the payment and allocating it in one step. Standard Allocation is used when you need to split a payment across multiple bills or apply partial payments.
What are Partial Allocations?
Partial Allocations allow you to allocate payments to specific line items (rows) on bills, not just to entire bills. This gives you granular control when clients pay for some services but not others on the same bill.
Can I allocate one payment to multiple bills?
Yes! Use Standard Allocation to record the payment first, then allocate it across multiple bills in whatever amounts make sense for your situation.
What if a client overpays?
When allocating payment, you can leave some amount unallocated, which remains as a credit on the client's account. This credit can be applied to future bills.
Projects & Jobs
What's the difference between a project and a job?
A project is a major engagement for a client (e.g., "2024 Tax Preparation"). A job is a specific task or work type within a project (e.g., "Federal Return", "State Return"). You track time to jobs, not directly to projects.
Can I have a project without jobs?
No, every project must have at least one job. Jobs are where you actually record time entries.
How do I create a project template?
Go to Projects, click "Create Template", define the project structure including standard jobs and settings, and save it. You can then use this template when creating new projects to save time on setup.
Can a project template set up the billing too?
Yes. Project templates can define the bills, recurring bills, and charges to create on every project made from the template, as well as a Default Team. See Bills, Recurring Bills & Charges on a Template.
When does a recurring project, bill, or charge actually start?
On the start date itself. The start date is the date the first instance is created — it isn't a date the recurrence merely counts from. Every later instance follows on immediately from the recurrence definition, so a monthly schedule starting 1 March produces instances on 1 March, 1 April, and 1 May. As you set the schedule, hidma shows helper text with the dates of the first, second, and third instances so you can confirm the cadence before saving. The same rule applies to recurring projects, recurring bills, and recurring charges.
What start date does each generated recurring project get?
This applies to recurring projects only — generated recurring bills and charges carry no start date of their own. The first instance takes the start date you entered on the recurring setup. Every instance after that gets a start date of the day it is generated — so a monthly schedule beginning 1 March produces projects dated 1 March, 1 April, 1 May, and so on. An instance's start date always reflects when that instance was created rather than staying fixed at the original date, which keeps reporting periods and date placeholders aligned with the period each instance covers. See Recurring Projects.
Can I add a bill or charge to a recurring project that's already running?
Yes. Bills, recurring bills, and charges can be added or changed on an active recurring project. The two cases differ: changing an existing item affects only future, ungenerated instances, while adding a new item applies to future instances and prompts you to choose which already-generated instances should also receive it. See Adding or Changing Billing on an Active Recurring Project.
I changed the amount on a recurring bill — why are the old instances unchanged?
That's expected. Modifying an existing billing item only reaches future instances; ones already generated keep the values they were created with. Correct those individually, or end the item and add a new one, choosing which existing instances pick it up.
Can I copy a project?
Yes — both standard and recurring projects can be duplicated, and you choose which configuration items and settings to clone rather than taking the whole record. You can also convert during the copy: a standard project into a recurring one, or a recurring project into a standard one. See Copying a Project.
How do I stop several recurring projects at once?
On the Projects page, click the Recurring Projects chip, tick the schedules you want to stop, click the Status (traffic lights) icon in the toolbar, and choose Ended. This stops future generation only — instances already created stay exactly as they are. See Deactivating Recurring Projects in Bulk.
Can I delete a recurring project?
No — recurring projects can't be deleted, and neither can the instances they've generated or any other project. Deleting them would break your historical reporting and audit trail. To stop a recurring project, set its Recurring Setup to Ended so no new instances are created, then set any instances you no longer need to Closed. Both are reversible. If the recurring project was set up by mistake (a duplicate, a test, or the wrong clients), end it, close its instances, and email support@hidma.com. See Deleting a Recurring Project.
How do I delete a project?
You can't — projects cannot be deleted in hidma. Set the project to Closed using its status indicator instead: it disappears from active lists while its time, bills, and history stay intact. For a duplicate or test project, close it and email support@hidma.com. See Project Status.
How do I know when a new recurring project instance has been created?
Configure it under Settings ➔ Notifications ➔ Projects ➔ Recurring Projects, choosing who is notified and by which channel. See Notifications.
Who changed this project template or recurring schedule?
Change history now covers Project Templates, Recurring Projects, and Recurring Bills as well as clients, projects, users, and bills. Open the template or setup and look for the Change History panel. This is often the only record of why instances generated before and after a certain date differ. See Change History & Activity Logs.
Why do some projects show different rates?
Charge-out rates can be set at multiple levels: project level, user level, team level, and default rates. hidma follows a hierarchy: Project Rate > User Rate > Team Rate > Default Rate. The most specific rate applies.
How do I activate projects for a client?
Click the project's status indicator — the small coloured dot and status label with a dropdown chevron — and choose Active. This indicator appears anywhere a project is shown, so the easiest way is to open the client's dashboard and change the status on each of their project cards. You can also do it from the Projects list or the Billing → Ready for billing view. The change saves immediately. Activating a previously closed project is the same as reopening it — see Project Status.
How do I change a project's status?
Click the project's status indicator (coloured dot + label) wherever the project appears and pick the new status from the dropdown. Out of the box the statuses are Active, On Hold, and Closed; custom statuses can be added for your tenant. See Project Status.
Clients
How do I create a new client?
Go to the Clients section, click "Add Client", enter the client's name and contact information, configure any client-specific settings (rates, billing preferences), and save.
What are client groups?
Client groups allow you to organize clients into categories (e.g., by industry, size, or service type). This helps with reporting and managing large numbers of clients.
Can I set different billing rates for different clients?
Yes! You can set client-specific rates when creating or editing a client. You can also set project-specific rates, which override client rates.
How do I copy our client's accounts department on invoices?
Add them as a contact on the client and switch on Include in Email Communications on that contact. They'll then be included on emailed invoices and billing correspondence alongside the primary contact. If you use the Xero integration, the flag syncs with Xero's own contact settings, so you don't have to set it up in both places. See Client Contacts.
Where can I see all the recurring work set up for a client?
Open the client's dashboard and use the Recurring Projects tab next to Projects. It lists the recurrence schedules running for that client, so you don't have to filter the full Projects list. See Managing Clients.
How do I change a client's status?
Click the client's status indicator — the small coloured dot and status label with a dropdown chevron — and pick the new status. You don't need to open an edit form: the indicator is clickable anywhere the client appears, including on client cards in the Clients list, the stats/summary view, and the client dashboard. The change saves immediately. Out of the box the statuses are Active, Inactive, and Closed; custom statuses can be added for your tenant. See Managing Clients.
How do I delete a client?
You can't — clients cannot be deleted in hidma. Because projects, time entries, bills, and payments all hang off the client record, deleting one would break your historical reporting and audit trail. Instead, click the client's status indicator and set them to Closed, which is hidma's equivalent of archiving: they disappear from active lists while all their history stays intact. If a record should never have existed at all (a duplicate or a test client), close it and email support@hidma.com — self-service deletion isn't available at the moment. See Closing, Archiving, or Deleting a Client.
How do I remove a client from my client list?
Set the client to Closed using their status indicator. Closed clients drop out of active lists, filters, and pickers, but nothing is lost — their bills, time entries, and reports remain. Use the status filter at the top of the Clients list to see Closed clients again, and switch one back to Active to reopen it. See Managing Clients.
How do I archive a client?
Closing a client is how you archive one. Click the status indicator and choose Closed. If you use the Xero integration, you'll also be offered the option to archive the matching Xero contact at the same time.
What's the difference between Inactive and Closed for a client?
Closed means the relationship or engagement is finished — it's the normal end state and hidma's equivalent of archiving. Inactive is usually an intermediate step: the client is dormant or paused, and you haven't decided yet whether work will resume. Both hide the client from active lists, and both are reversible by switching the client back to Active.
Settings & Configuration
What are charge-out rates?
Charge-out rates determine how much clients are billed for work. They can be hourly rates for staff time or fixed prices for specific services. Rates can be set at the default level, team level, user level, or project level.
What's the difference between a cost rate and a charge-out rate?
They measure two different things:
- Charge-out rate is what you bill the client per hour. It appears on invoices and drives your revenue. It can be set at the default, team, user, or project level.
- Cost rate is what an hour of a team member's time costs your organization (based on salary, benefits, and overhead). It's set per user on their profile and is never shown to clients.
In short: the charge-out rate is the price, the cost rate is the cost. The gap between them is your profit margin on the work.
What is a cost rate used for?
The cost rate is what powers every cost and profitability figure in hidma. As team members log time, each entry's cost is calculated from the user's cost rate (hours × cost rate), and these accumulate to give the total cost of a job or project. That cost figure is what lets you measure your margin - comparing what work cost to deliver against what you'll bill for it.
This means cost rates aren't really something to skip: without them, the cost-based numbers you rely on simply won't be there. The Cost column on the Client WIP report stays empty, project cost can't be calculated, and you lose the ability to see whether work is profitable or running at a loss. If you want any visibility into margins, you need cost rates configured. You set a user's cost rate on their profile under Team > Members.
The cost rate field is also flexible. Some firms don't track a separate internal cost and instead enter each user's billing rate in the cost rate field, skipping charge-out rates altogether. This is perfectly valid - it just means the Cost and project-cost figures reflect billable value rather than true cost, giving a quick revenue estimate without configuring the full charge-out rate hierarchy.
What user roles are available in hidma?
- Super User: Complete access to everything
- HR Manager: User and team management without full system access
- Team Manager: Manage their team's projects, time entries, and bills
- Team Member: Record time and manage their own work
- Client Portal User: Limited access for clients to view their bills and make payments
How do I add custom fields?
Go to Settings > Customisations > Custom Fields, click "Add Custom Field", choose the field type (text, number, date, dropdown, saved data), specify where it appears (clients, projects, time entries, bills), and save.
Can I customize invoice templates?
Yes! Go to Settings > Customisations > Document Templates to customize your invoice, receipt, and statement layouts. You can upload your logo, change colors, and configure what information appears on documents (grouping, user names, dates, comments, time amounts).
What are tax rates used for?
Tax rates are applied to charges and fees on bills. You can set up multiple tax rates (e.g., GST, VAT, sales tax) and specify which rate applies to different charge types.
What is document numbering?
Document numbering controls how your bills, receipts, and other documents are numbered. You can use sequential numbering or incorporate client codes into your numbering scheme.
Mobile Access
Can I do everything on mobile that I can on the web?
The mobile web interface focuses on core time tracking and essential workflows. For more complex tasks like creating bills, generating reports, or configuring settings, you'll need to use the desktop web application.
Does hidma work offline on mobile?
No, hidma requires an internet connection to function. All data is stored in the cloud and accessed in real-time.
Permissions & Access
What is a role used for?
A role controls what a user can see and do in hidma - it's how you grant the right level of access to each person. Every user must have at least one role; without one, their account exists but they can't perform any actions. Roles come in two types:
- System roles apply across the whole organization (e.g. Super User for full access, HR Manager for managing people).
- Team roles apply only within a specific team (e.g. Team Manager, Team Member, Viewer), so someone can manage one team while just being a member of another.
A user can hold several roles at once, and their access is the combination of all of them. A role only governs permissions - it has nothing to do with a user's charge-out rate or cost rate, which control billing and cost separately. See User Roles & Permissions for the full list of roles and what each can do.
Why can't I see the Billing section?
Access to billing features depends on your user role. Only users with appropriate permissions (typically Super Users and Team Managers with billing rights) can access billing. Contact your administrator if you need billing access.
How do I request access to a project?
Contact your team manager or system administrator to request project access. They can assign you to the project's team or add you as a project member.
How do I find out who changed something?
Open the record and look at its Change History panel. Clients, client groups, projects, users, and individual bills each keep a log of who changed what, when, and whether the change was made in hidma or came in through an integration. See Change History & Activity Logs.
Can I limit what team members can see?
Yes, through team assignments and user roles. Team members typically only see projects and clients assigned to their teams. System roles (Super User, HR Manager) provide organization-wide access, while Team roles (Team Manager, Team Member) provide team-specific access.
Reporting
What reports are available in hidma?
hidma provides dashboards with key metrics and several detailed reports. The main reports available include:
- Time Reports (detailed time tracking data)
- Aged Debtors and Detailed Aged Debtors (outstanding invoices grouped into aging buckets, at client level or drilled down to each bill)
- Hours by Team and Detailed Hours by Team (hours pivoted into a column per team, with the detailed version splitting each user's hours by client and project)
- Other raw reports for analyzing billing and productivity
Additionally, you can access the Client WIP (Work in Progress) report from individual client dashboards.
Can I change the aging buckets on the Aged Debtors reports?
Yes. The aging buckets on the Aged Debtors and Detailed Aged Debtors Standard Reports are fully customisable per tenant. Contact support@hidma.com with the timeframes you'd like to use and we'll update them for you.
Can I export report data?
Yes! Most reports can be exported to Excel, CSV, or PDF formats. Look for the Export button when viewing a report. CSV and Excel files list the parameters used to create them, such as the date range, teams, users and other filters, at the top of the file.
How do I see my team's productivity?
Use the Time Reports and dashboards, which show hours worked, billable vs non-billable time, and other productivity metrics for your team members.
How do I see how each person's hours split across projects?
Use the Detailed Hours by Team Standard Report. It opens as one row per user with their hours pivoted into a column per team; expanding a user shows the clients and projects those hours were booked to. Because a project belongs to exactly one team, the column totals reconcile with the Hours by Team report run over the same filters.
How do I generate a timesheet report for a specific client?
There are two ways to generate a timesheet report for a client:
Raw Reporting (All Data tab) - Go to the Reports page and select the All Data tab. Use the filters to select the client you want to report on, along with any other criteria such as date range, projects, or team members. This gives you full access to all time entry data for that client, which you can sort, analyze, and export to CSV or PDF.
Client Work in Progress Report - Navigate to the client's dashboard and click View Work in Progress Report. When configuring the report, select Billed Time and Non-billable entries in addition to the default unbilled time. This gives you a complete picture of all time worked for that client — unbilled, billed, and non-billable — effectively serving as a full timesheet report.
What is the Client WIP report?
The Client WIP (Work in Progress) report shows unbilled work for a specific client. You can access this report from the client's dashboard to see time entries and charges that haven't been invoiced yet.
Files & Attachments
How do I upload files to a client, project, job, or bill?
Open the record in hidma and find the Files widget. You can either click the upload button and pick a file, or drag and drop a file directly onto the widget.
Can I upload multiple files at once?
Yes. The file widget supports bulk uploads - simply drag and drop a group of files onto the widget and they will be uploaded together. You no longer need to upload documents one at a time, which is a noticeable time-saver when attaching a batch of supporting documents.
Troubleshooting
I forgot my password. How do I reset it?
On the login page at app.hidma.com, click "Forgot Password", enter your email address, and you'll receive a password reset link. Follow the link to create a new password.
Time entries aren't showing on my bill. Why?
Check that: (1) the time entries are within the billing period, (2) they're marked as billable, (3) they've been approved if your organization requires approval, and (4) they haven't already been billed.
My changes aren't saving. What should I do?
Try refreshing your browser, checking your internet connection, and trying again. If the problem persists, try clearing your browser cache or logging out and back in.
I'm getting a permissions error. What does this mean?
This means you don't have access to perform that action or view that information. Contact your administrator or team manager to request the necessary permissions.
Why can't I delete a time entry?
Make sure the time entry hasn't been billed yet. Once time entries are included in a bill, they typically cannot be deleted. Also check that you have permission to delete entries - you can usually only delete your own entries unless you're a manager.
Getting Help
How do I contact support?
Contact your organization's hidma administrator first, as they can often resolve issues quickly. For technical issues or product questions, your administrator can escalate to hidma support.
Where can I find training materials?
Check the Video Tutorials section of this help site for walkthroughs of major features including the comprehensive Onboarding Guide. Your organization may also have internal training materials.
What if I can't find the answer to my question?
Start by using the search function in this help site. If you can't find what you need, contact your organization's hidma administrator who can help answer questions or provide additional training.