User Manual
v2.00.03
1. Overview
Timerbot is a collaborative meeting timer designed to keep meetings on track. An operator creates a timer by setting a meeting end time and the number of participants, then runs the timer during the meeting. The available time is divided equally among all participants, and each participant's countdown is displayed in real time.
Participants can view their countdown on a public display page — no login required for public timers. The operator controls the flow: starting the timer, advancing to the next participant, going back to the previous one, pausing, and stopping.
Additional features include configurable audio warnings, custom participant terminology, overtime auto-reset, group-based access control, role-based permissions, activity logging, soft-delete with trash and restore, sortable table columns, light/dark mode, and app-wide settings.
2. Getting Started
Browsing as a Guest
You can browse all public timers without logging in. The Timers page is accessible to everyone and shows all public timers. You can also view the participant display for any public timer by visiting its URL directly.
Registration
Navigate to the Register page and enter your name and email address. A one-time login link will be sent to your email — click it to sign in for the first time. Your avatar is pulled from Gravatar based on your email.
Logging In
Timerbot uses magic link authentication — no passwords. Enter your email on the Login page and a one-time login link will be sent to your inbox. Click the link to sign in. The link expires after 15 minutes.
Navigation
The top navigation bar provides access to all areas of the app:
- Home — The welcome page displaying news and announcements.
- Timers — View, create, and manage timers.
On mobile devices the navigation collapses into a hamburger menu.
3. Timers
Timer List
The Timers page shows all timers you have access to. Guests see only public timers. Logged-in users see public timers plus any private timers belonging to their groups. App admins see all timers. Use the search box and date-range filters to find specific timers.
Click any column header (Name, Visibility, End time, or Participants) to sort the table. Click the same header again to reverse the sort direction. The Status, Group, and Actions columns are not sortable.
4. Participant View
What Participants See
The participant view is a read-only display that updates in real time. It shows:
- Timer name and running status (running, paused, completed, or not running).
- Stats bar: total participants, current time, end time, and meeting time remaining.
- Time allotted per participant (recalculates live as participants complete their turns).
- Current participant number and their countdown timer (using the custom participant term).
- The optional participant message (rich text).
If the current participant goes over time, the per-participant time display flashes red to indicate that remaining participants' allocations are decreasing.
Sharing the Timer URL
Share the timer's URL with participants. For public timers, anyone with the link can view the countdown — no login required. For private timers, viewers must be logged-in group members or app admins.
Keep Screen Awake
The participant view includes a "Keep screen awake" checkbox. Enabling this uses the browser's Wake Lock API to prevent the screen from dimming or locking while the timer is displayed — useful when projecting the timer on a shared screen. The lock is automatically re-acquired if you switch tabs and return.
Real-Time Updates
The participant view polls the server every second for state changes and renders countdowns every 200ms for a smooth display. Time calculations are performed client-side but synchronized to server time to ensure accuracy across devices.
5. Appearance
Light & Dark Mode
Timerbot supports both light and dark themes. Toggle between them using the sun/moon icon in the navigation bar. Your preference is saved in your browser and persists between visits.
Sortable Tables
All table-based pages (Timers, Users, Roles, Trash, Activity Log) feature sortable column headers. Click a column header to sort by that column. Click the same header again to toggle between ascending and descending order. The active sort column is highlighted, and sort preferences are preserved when using filters or navigating between pages.