AI Desktop Apps: Connect ChatGPT Desktop to Time Doctor

Note: Available only with BETA CUSTOMERS for now.

Note: Time Doctor MCP is available on all Time Doctor subscription plans, for Owners, Admins, and Managers. Access is read-only and follows your Time Doctor role. New to Time Doctor MCP? Start with Connect Time Doctor to Your AI Tools with Time Doctor MCP.

TL;DR:

Connect your ChatGPT account to the Time Doctor MCP through its Developer mode, which you turn on once in ChatGPT settings. What happens next depends on your ChatGPT plan. On personal plans you add the connector yourself. On workspace plans an administrator adds it and publishes it for everyone.

Find Your Setup Path

The steps differ depending on how your ChatGPT account is set up. Find yours below, then follow the matching section.

Your ChatGPT account	Who sets it up
Personal plans, such as Plus and Pro	You, in your own settings
Business	A workspace administrator, who then publishes it for everyone
Enterprise and Edu	A workspace administrator, who publishes it and grants access per user

Time Doctor MCP is read-only, so it only ever reads and reports. It cannot change, add, or delete anything in Time Doctor.

Before You Start (All Plans)

ChatGPT opens in a web browser. Custom connectors do not work in the ChatGPT mobile app
Your Time Doctor login, with the Owner, Admin, or Manager role
Time Doctor MCP enabled for you by an Owner or Admin in Company Settings → AI Connections

The Time Doctor server details, the same on every plan:

Server URL: https://api2.timedoctor.com/api/2.0/mcp/mcp
Authentication: OAuth, which is the sign in with Time Doctor option
Name: Time Doctor

Personal Plans

You can set this up yourself. No administrator is involved.

In ChatGPT in the browser, open Settings, then Security and login.
Scroll to Developer mode and turn it on. ChatGPT shows an elevated risk warning here, because developer mode lets you add connectors that OpenAI has not reviewed. Time Doctor MCP is read-only, so it cannot change your Time Doctor data.
Go to Settings, then Plugins, then Developer mode.
Create a new connector and enter the Time Doctor name and server URL from above, choosing OAuth when asked how to authenticate. [Confirm the exact button and field labels before publishing.]
Select Scan Tools and wait for the scan to finish. Your browser opens the Time Doctor sign-in page: sign in and click Allow access.
Save the connector, then start a new chat and turn on Time Doctor from the plus menu in the message box.

If you do not see Developer mode in your settings, your ChatGPT plan may not include it. See Troubleshooting below.

Business

On Business plans only an administrator can add and publish a connector. If you are not an administrator, send this article to whoever manages your ChatGPT workspace.

As an administrator, turn on developer mode for your own account in Settings, then Security and login, then Developer mode.
Go to Workspace settings, then Apps, then Create.
Enter the Time Doctor name and server URL from above, and choose OAuth as the authentication method.
Select Scan Tools, complete the Time Doctor sign-in, and click Allow access.
Click Create. The connector is saved as a draft.
Publish it from Workspace settings, then Apps, then Drafts.

Important: on Business plans a published connector cannot be edited. To change anything later you have to create and publish it again.

Enterprise and Edu

An administrator sets this up, then chooses who can use it.

As an administrator, turn on developer mode in Settings, then Security and login, then Developer mode.
Go to Workspace settings, then Apps, then Create, and enter the Time Doctor name and server URL from above with OAuth authentication.
Select Scan Tools, complete the Time Doctor sign-in, and click Allow access. Then click Create.
Grant access to the right people in Permissions and Roles, then Connected Data. You can also use Configure Access and Configure Actions to control who uses the connector and what it can do.
Publish the connector from the Drafts list.

Each person then signs in with their own Time Doctor account, so everyone sees only the data their own Time Doctor role allows.

Try Your First Question

Start a new chat, turn on Time Doctor, and paste this:

"Help me get started with my Time Doctor data. Ask me about my goals and build my first report."

If ChatGPT answers without using your data, name the connector directly, for example:

"Using Time Doctor, show hours tracked this week."

What ChatGPT Cannot Do With Time Doctor

These limits come from ChatGPT, not from Time Doctor:

Web browser only. Custom connectors are not available in the ChatGPT mobile app
Not in deep research or company knowledge. Those features need a different kind of connection, so Time Doctor will not appear there
Not in agent mode. ChatGPT's agent mode does not use custom connectors
Marked as unverified. ChatGPT labels connectors that OpenAI has not reviewed. Time Doctor MCP is read-only and cannot change your data

Troubleshooting

Problem	Fix
There is no Developer mode option in settings	Check that you are using ChatGPT in a web browser rather than the mobile app. On Business, Enterprise, and Edu, an administrator may need to enable it for the workspace first. If you still cannot find it, your ChatGPT plan may not include Developer mode.
The connector will not connect, or features that reach external services are unavailable	Check whether Lockdown mode is on, in Settings, Security and login. Lockdown mode blocks features that connect to external services, including custom connectors.
The Time Doctor sign-in page does not open	Check that your browser did not block the pop-up, then run Scan Tools again.
Sign-in fails, or you see a permissions error	Check with your Time Doctor Owner or Admin that Time Doctor MCP is enabled for you in Company Settings → AI Connections, and that your role is Owner, Admin, or Manager.
ChatGPT asks for approval on every request	In Settings, then Plugins, check the Permissions setting. Time Doctor MCP is read-only, so it is safe to allow low-risk actions without prompting.
Time Doctor does not appear in a chat	Start a new chat, then turn Time Doctor on from the plus menu in the message box.
Time Doctor is missing after an administrator added it (Business, Enterprise, Edu)	Check that the connector was published from Drafts, and on Enterprise and Edu that you have been granted access in Permissions and Roles.

Disconnecting

Remove the connector in ChatGPT's settings. On Business, Enterprise, and Edu an administrator removes it for the workspace. You can also end access from the Time Doctor side in Settings → AI Connections, which immediately stops that tool reading your data.

Building an Agent Instead?

If you are building an autonomous agent or a script rather than chatting, use an API key instead of signing in. See Connect Autonomous AI Agents to Time Doctor.

Next Step

See Getting Started — What to Ask Your Time Doctor MCP for examples of what to ask.

Should there be any inconsistencies or concerns regarding the article, contact support@timedoctor.com for prompt assistance.

AI Desktop Apps: Connect ChatGPT Desktop to Time Doctor - Beta