Timers can help you track your progress and stay focused during writing sprints, or working toward word count targets.
Choose a countdown timer to write for a set amount of time toward a timed goal, or use the stopwatch to track your writing session without a time limit. Both the countdown and stopwatch include optional word targets. Timers are also available in focus mode.
Free users can also access the countdown timer (without the word target).
How to access the countdown timer and stopwatch
Open any document or draft in the editor
Select the hourglass icon (⌛️) at the top of your screen
From the timer panel, choose either the countdown or stopwatch
Starting a countdown timer
Open the timer panel from the hourglass icon (⌛️)
Countdown will be selected by default
Choose a preset time, or enter your preferred time. You can choose from preset durations of 10–45 minutes, or set your own custom duration of up to 23 hours, 59 minutes, and 59 seconds.
You can also set an optional word target: both from recommended presets, or customize your own by hitting the pencil icon (✏️)
Select Start to begin your session
Once your countdown starts, a clock will appear at the top of your editor. You can select the clock at any time to reopen the timer panel and check your progress, pause the timer, resume a session, or reset it.
Your timer will continue counting down even if you close the panel, switch tabs, or leave the editor idle. You can also reload your editor without losing an active or paused session.
Each document and draft has its own separate countdown timer. Switching between a document's main editor and its drafts won't combine their timers or word counts.
Note: Your timer sessions won’t carry across devices.
Pausing, resuming, and resetting
You can control your countdown timer at any point during your session:
Pause—Temporarily stop your countdown. (Any words added or removed while paused will not count toward your session).
Resume—Continue your session where you left off (and resume tracking word count changes).
Reset—Restart your session (the word count will reset in your timer).
Stop—End your session early. You can start a new session at any time.
When your countdown reaches zero, you'll receive a notification letting you know your session has ended. You can also select the stop button to view your session report.
Stopwatch
If you want to sprint without a deadline, the stopwatch tracks how long you've been writing. Unlike the countdown timer, the stopwatch has no set duration or time limit; just start writing when you're ready, and stop when you're finished.
Starting the stopwatch
Open the timer panel from the hourglass icon (⌛️)
Select Stopwatch
You can also set an optional word target: both from recommended presets, or customize your own by hitting the pencil icon (✏️)
Select Start to begin your session
Your stopwatch clock will appear at the top of your editor. From the panel, can pause, resume, or reset the stopwatch at any time. When you're finished, select the stop button to view your session report.
The stopwatch won't stop automatically when you reach a word target. If you reach your word target, the timer will continue running but appear in green. You can keep the timer running as long as you’d like.
Setting a word target
To set an optional word target:
Open the timer panel and choose timer or stopwatch
Select one of the preset word targets, or enter your own custom target:
Select Start to begin
Your word target can be any number between 1 and 9,999,999 words (wow!). As you write, your progress will update automatically, showing how close you are to your target count.
Note: Word target progress reflects the net change in your document's word count during the session. If you delete words after reaching your target, your progress will drop below the target again.
The countdown timer, stopwatch and collaboration
The timer and stopwatch are private and individual to you, even when you're collaborating on the same document with other writers.
Other collaborators won't see your timer or stopwatch (and you won't see theirs).
A collaborator writing in your document while you have an active timer session will contribute to your word count.
Timers are stored locally on your device, so a session won’t carry across devices.
You can use timers on documents where you have editing access. Collaborators with Can View or Can Comment access can still use the countdown timer to track time, but word targets won't be available.
Using timers with Goals
Timers and writing goals are separate features, and you can use them together!
A goal tracks progress toward a word count target for your document or draft, with an optional deadline. A timer tracks progress during an individual writing session.
Setting a word target for your timer won't change your existing goal, and you can use both features at the same time.
Can free users access timers?
Countdown timers, preset durations, and basic session reports are available to everyone, for free.
With Ellipsus Plus, you also unlock the stopwatch and word targets (for both the timer and stopwatch).
Access to Plus features depends on your own subscription, not the document owner's. For example, if you're a Plus subscriber collaborating on a document owned by a free user, you'll still have access to your Plus timer features.
How word count works
Your session's word count is based on the net number of words added or removed while your timer is running. Things to keep in mind:
Added words increase your session's word count
Deleted words decrease your session's word count. (Your total can be negative if you remove more words than you add)
Pasted text is included in your session's word count
Changes made while your timer/stopwatch is paused won't count toward your session
And collaborator edits on the same document or draft will count toward your session's progress
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