Time tracking via Telegram & WhatsApp
Employees without the LiteLog app clock in and out of their shifts directly in their messenger — the Telegram bot is included in every package, the WhatsApp bot is available as a bookable feature in the license shop. Processing follows fixed rules, without AI: no chat content is sent to a language model.
Connecting employees
- Open the employee profile (Master data → Employees) — section "Connect via Telegram/WhatsApp".
- Choose the channel (Telegram or WhatsApp). The employee scans the QR code with their phone — alternatively share the link or send it via SMS (paid, add-on SMS & Calls required).
- In Telegram the employee taps Start; in WhatsApp they send the prepared message "Verbinden: …". The bot confirms: "Connected as … (company)".
The QR code from the employee profile stays valid for 24 hours and can be scanned multiple times during that window — for example after switching devices or to reconnect; a new connection overwrites the old one. If the Telegram chat with the bot is already open, sending a photo of the connect QR in the chat works too — the bot recognises it and establishes the connection. Only employees you actively invite are connected.
Clocking in and out — three ways
For location and QR photo a single action is enough: LiteLog automatically detects whether a shift is starting or ending.
| Method | How it works |
|---|---|
| Send location | 📎 → Location. LiteLog matches the booking to the right property via the property area. |
| QR photo | Photograph the attendance QR at the property and send it as a photo. |
| Buttons / text command | Tap "✅ Anmelden" (clock in) or "🏁 Feierabend" (end of shift) in Telegram — the buttons stay visible below the chat. Alternatively write "clock me in", "end of shift" or "clock in at ⟨property name⟩". |
Buttons and text commands are directional: clock-in only starts (and never accidentally ends a shift), end-of-shift only stops. Anyone already clocked in who taps clock-in again gets a notice instead of a booking.
If the location matches several properties (or none), the bot asks — answer with a tap or by typing the property name. Duplicate messages within one minute are ignored (no accidental immediate clock-out).
Recording patrol checkpoints
If the employee photographs the QR code of a checkpoint, the scan is recorded as a patrol checkpoint — exactly like a scan in the app.
How bookings appear in the portal
- Time bookings appear in the property's attendance — with source "chatbot".
- The location check flags bookings outside the property area.
- Checkpoint scans appear in the Patrols feature.
Administrator controls
Under Settings → Features you control what the bots may do on three levels (see Features):
- Channel on/off — Telegram and WhatsApp separately. When disabled, employees get a notice in the chat and nothing is booked.
- Allowed actions — time tracking and patrol checkpoints individually.
- Clock-in methods — location, QR photo and chat buttons/text command each separately. A disabled method is answered with a notice.
Good to know
:::tip Note
- No continuous tracking: the location is transmitted only when the employee actively sends it.
- Language-independent: location and QR photo need no text at all — ideal for multilingual teams.
- Photo not recognized? Photograph the QR straight-on and filling the frame, and send it as a photo (not as a file) — or simply share your location.
- The WhatsApp bot requires the booked "WhatsApp channel" feature; without it the bot replies with a notice. :::