# Log hours as a contractor

> Log time, send your timesheet and check your pay period from the terminal or your AI app.

Source: https://app.getoatmilk.com/docs/terminal/hours

If a company pays you as a contractor through Oatmilk, you can do your hours without opening the portal. The terminal uses the same timesheet as the portal, so anything you log shows up there too.

## 1. Install it and sign in

Accept the invitation email from the company first. Then:

```bash
curl -fsSL https://getoatmilk.com/install.sh | sh
oatmilk hours
```

The first time, it asks to sign in with your browser. Use the email the invitation went to. On Windows, install with `npm install -g @getoatmilk/cli`.

## 2. Log time

```bash
oatmilk hours add 2h "Design review"
oatmilk hours add 1h30m "Client call" --date yesterday
oatmilk hours add 45m "Fixes" --date mon
```

- **How long:** `2h`, `1h30m`, `90m`, `1.5` or `1:30`, up to 24 hours.
- **Which day:** today when you leave it out, or `yesterday`, a weekday like `mon`, or a date like `2026-10-06`. Days still to come aren't allowed.
- Logging the same work on the same day twice asks first; `--yes` keeps both.

## 3. Send it for review

```bash
oatmilk hours           # this pay period: what's logged, what's not sent, when it's due
oatmilk hours submit    # sends everything not sent yet, after asking
oatmilk hours none      # tells the company you had no hours this period
```

Entries the company sent back show why, and go out again with the next `oatmilk hours submit`.

## More than one company

```bash
oatmilk hours companies
oatmilk hours use "Acme"
```

`--org <id>` picks a company for one command.

## In the app

Running `oatmilk` opens your hours. `a` logs time one question at a time, `s` sends the period for review, `[` and `]` move between pay periods, and `o` opens the portal.

## From your AI app

Connect Claude, ChatGPT or another AI app to only your own tools, then ask it "Log 2 hours today for the design review":

```bash
claude mcp add --transport http oatmilk "https://app.getoatmilk.com/api/mcp?toolset=contractor"
```

In the portal, your account menu has **Log hours faster** with the steps for each app. See [Contractors](https://app.getoatmilk.com/docs/contractors.md).

## What stays in the portal

Signing agreements, your payment details, tax numbers and the extra fields some companies ask for on each entry. `oatmilk hours open` opens the portal at your timesheet.