Introduction
In this guide, we'll delve into how to configure LazyWork for the best results to work with Hubstaff time tracker. We will provide an introduction on LazyWork, a quick deep dive into how Hubstaff tracks activity and the optimal setting for LazyWork that will be you achieve the optimal activity level for your day to day Hubstaff activity.
Key Features of LazyWork
LazyWork boasts several features that can be fine-tuned to your needs:
- Mouse Movement: Adjusts the cursor's movement to simulate activity.
- Keypress Settings: Mimics keyboard usage patterns.
- Window Tabbing: Automates switching between windows to show diverse application usage.
- Mouse Clicking: Simulates mouse clicks at regular intervals.
Each feature is customizable with minimum and maximum wait times, ensuring that the activity appears natural and have some form of randomization to avoid pattern detection algorithms. For more on how LazyWork is designed to trick Hubstaff and hack the activity level, take a look at our in depth guide here.
How is Hubstaff activity level calculated?
Hubstaff is a popular time tracking and productivity tool used by teams worldwide. It monitors activity levels, offering valuable insights into work habits. LazyWork, on the other hand, is designed to complement Hubstaff by enhancing these activity levels through strategic automation. It's important to note that while LazyWork can significantly improve your Hubstaff statistics, it should be used responsibly and ethically.
Hubstaff has provided an official guide on how their activity levels are monitored and calculated.
The most important part of the article is the following snippet
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- For every second, we label the user as active or inactive. A mouse movement or keyboard stroke = active. No keyboard or mouse = inactive.
- We add all of these numbers up and give a total % of activity for that 10-minute segment using this equation: Active seconds / 600 = activity rate %
- Also, we track if the user was active or not. By default, 20 minutes without inactivity triggers an inactive status, in which case the desktop client gives the contractor the option of removing that time from their log because they were inactive.
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To summarize, activity rate is the main metric tracked by Hubstaff and shown to employers. The data is collected and summarized for every 10 minute period Hubstaff is active and tracking work time. The core calculation is based on activity per second over the 10 minute period, where activity is split into keyboard activity or mouse activity.
Keep in mind activity rate is unique to each task and role, which means the "optimal" activity level for one person/job may be completely different to another person. For example, a customer service representative that responds in chat would have a significantly higher activity rate than someone who takes sales calls and mostly interact through non-keyboard/mouse movements.
In the next section, we will take this information and convert it into the optimal setting for LazyWork.
Configuring LazyWork for Optimal Performance
Now that we know how Hubstaff activity is calculated, we also have a better idea how to optimize this for individual use cases. Please keep in mind the following settings may not apply to your particular use case but is meant to be used as a baseline to adjust to any use case.
We aim to optimize for "human-like movement" with medium to medium-high activity levels to avoid suspicion from employers and introduce a high level of randomness to avoid programmatic detection of automation.
The key to maximizing your Hubstaff activity with LazyWork lies in the configuration. Here are the suggested settings for Hubstaff users aiming to trick their activity trackers:
- Mouse Movement: Between 1 - 5 seconds (i.e minimum time between mouse movement = 1, maximum time between mouse movement = 5)
- Keypress Settings: 5-10 WPM, between 0-1 min - we recommend "LEFT" arrow key since "CAPSLOCK" is not a productive key for Hubstaff
- Window Tabbing: 5-30 seconds, this really depends on how frequent your screenshots are being taken
- Mouse Clicking (Professional Only): Between 3-5 seconds
These settings strike a balance between enhancing your activity levels and maintaining a natural work pattern. Please adjust these settings based on your specific situations. Reach out to us if you need help/suggestion for your use case.
Best Practices for LazyWork Users
While LazyWork is a powerful tool, it's crucial to use it wisely. Here are some best practices:
- Set realistic activity levels: Avoid setting the parameters too high, which might appear unnatural.
- Update configurations regularly: Change your settings periodically to mimic natural work variations.
- Use LazyWork judiciously: Remember, the goal is to enhance productivity, not to replace genuine work efforts.
For more information on how LazyWork performs on Hubstaff, see this live demo we have for Hubstaff
Conclusion
LazyWork is an excellent tool for enhancing your time tracker based productivity levels, including Hubstaff's activity levels trackers. By configuring the settings as suggested and using the tool responsibly, you can ensure that your work metrics genuinely reflect your productivity. Remember, the key is to use LazyWork as a supplement to your work ethic, not as a substitute.