# Time Estimates

Time estimates in Super Productivity solve the problem of visualizing and planning your workload over time. Without estimates, you can list tasks and track how long they take, but you cannot see how they fit into a day or week. Estimates fill that gap: they enable the [[4.04-Schedule-View]] to automatically generate a timeline showing how planned tasks will play out, distinguishing between fixed scheduled tasks and flexible regular tasks that flow around them. The system uses estimates as planning tools rather than strict commitments—you can change them as work evolves, and the app emphasizes learning from the comparison between estimated and actual time.

## How Time Estimates Influence Planning and Prioritization

Time estimates directly impact planning through the Schedule feature, which requires estimates to function. The system uses estimates to:

- **Generate visual timelines** — Show when tasks will occur over the upcoming 30 days. The Schedule uses your estimates to place tasks on the timeline so you can see how much work fits in a given day or week and whether you are over- or under-committed.
- **Distinguish task types** — Scheduled tasks (with a specific due time) appear at that time; regular tasks (without a fixed time) flow around those fixed events. Estimates determine how much space each regular task takes on the timeline and where it can logically sit relative to meetings or other scheduled work.
- **Respect work boundaries** — When work start/end times are configured in [[3.02-Settings-and-Preferences]], regular tasks never appear outside those boundaries. The Schedule keeps flexible work within your defined day so the timeline reflects reality.
- **Calculate remaining work** — The system continuously computes remaining time as estimate minus time spent. That value drives what you see as "left to do" on a task and, for parent tasks, is derived from the sum of remaining time on incomplete subtasks so the plan stays consistent as you log time or change estimates.

Together, these behaviors make estimates central to planning: they turn a list of tasks into a time-based view of your workload.

## Handling Inaccurate or Changing Estimates

Super Productivity treats estimates as flexible and updatable. Real work often takes more or less time than expected; the app is built to accommodate that.

- **Real-time updates** — Estimates can be changed at any time (for example via the estimate dialog or short syntax). There is no lock-in: if you learn that a task will take longer, you adjust the estimate and the Schedule and remaining-work calculations update accordingly.
- **Parent task aggregation** — When subtask estimates change (or when you log time on subtasks), parent tasks automatically recalculate their total remaining time from all incomplete subtasks. You do not have to maintain parent estimates by hand; the system keeps them in sync so the plan reflects the sum of the parts.
- **Short syntax** — Estimates can be set or updated quickly using syntax such as `10m` or `5h` in task titles; see [[3.04-Short-Syntax]] for the full grammar. That makes it easy to tweak estimates without opening dialogs.
- **No penalty for inaccuracy** — The system focuses on tracking actual vs. estimated time rather than punishing incorrect estimates. Over- or under-estimating does not block features or trigger negative consequences; the goal is to support planning and to help you improve estimation over time by comparing estimates with what you actually log.

Time estimates can be disabled in [[3.02-Settings-and-Preferences]] if you prefer not to use them; the Schedule and remaining-work displays depend on them, but the rest of the app (task lists, time logging, projects, tags) works without estimates.

## Relationship to Logged Time and Review

Time estimates work alongside logged time to provide complete time-tracking insights. The two together—what you planned and what you did—are what make estimates useful for learning and for planning.

- **Visual comparison** — Tasks display both time spent and estimates side by side (for example, "2h / 3h"). That immediate comparison helps you see whether you are on track, ahead, or over estimate without doing mental math.
- **Remaining time** — The system continuously calculates estimate minus time spent to show work remaining. As you log time, remaining time decreases; if you increase the estimate, remaining time increases. That keeps the Schedule and task views aligned with how much work is left.
- **Exceeded estimate notifications** — When time spent exceeds the estimate, the app alerts you. That is informational, not punitive: it prompts you to decide whether to extend the estimate, wrap up the task, or adjust the plan.
- **Summary tables** — Review screens show estimates alongside actual time spent for performance analysis. Over time, that comparison helps you notice patterns (for example, certain types of tasks always run over) and improve future estimates.

The system treats estimates as planning tools rather than strict commitments. The emphasis is on the learning process: improving estimation accuracy through continuous comparison with actual time spent, and updating plans when reality diverges from the initial estimate.

## Related

- [[4.14-How-Time-Is-Logged]] — How time is recorded and how the estimated-vs-actual comparison updates in real time
- [[4.04-Schedule-View]] — How the Schedule uses estimates to build the timeline
- [[4.03-Planner-View]] — Day-level planning
- [[3.04-Short-Syntax]] — Setting estimates via title syntax (e.g. `10m`, `5h`)
- [[3.02-Settings-and-Preferences]] — Enabling or disabling time estimates and short syntax
