Setting Up Productivity Rules Last updated June 2, 2026 · Desktop Connect

Productivity Rules define whether time spent on applications and websites counts as productive, unproductive, or neutral work. They are the foundation of Prodoscore's Productivity Intelligence. Set up rules at Settings > Productivity.

Two Components

Component 1: Category Mapping

Category Mapping assigns each application and website to a category. Navigate to Settings > Productivity > Category Mapping. The system pre-populates common applications and websites, but you can add custom entries. For each app/URL, assign it to a category like:

  • Social Media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn)
  • Streaming (YouTube, Netflix, Spotify)
  • Chat (Slack, Microsoft Teams, Discord)
  • Email (Gmail, Outlook)
  • Productivity Tools (Microsoft Office, Google Docs, Jira)
  • Development (Visual Studio, GitHub, Slack)
  • Custom categories specific to your organization

Component 2: Application Policy

An Application Policy marks each category as Productive, Unproductive, or Neutral. Navigate to Settings > Productivity > Application Policy. Click "Create Policy", enter a name, then toggle each category:

  • Productive: Time spent counts toward productivity percentage
  • Unproductive: Time spent reduces productivity percentage
  • Neutral: Time spent neither helps nor hurts productivity (e.g., training, admin work)

Assigning Policies to Teams

1 Create your Productivity Policy at Settings > Productivity > Application Policy

2 Go to Settings > User Management > Teams

3 Click on a team > Team Info tab

4 In the Productivity Policy dropdown, select the policy for this team

5 Click "Save"

Advanced Categorization Layers

Default Mode (Active Time Only): Only keyboard and mouse activity counts as active time. Idle time (no activity) does not count as productive even if a productive app is open. This is the standard mode.

Focus Time Mode: Treats all time (active and idle) as productive if spent on a Focus Time-marked app. Useful for collaborative work, meetings, or deep work where pauses are normal.

Drop Mode: Completely ignores an app/URL — time spent on it is not tracked or displayed in reports. Useful for excluding admin tools, system processes, or sensitive applications.

DLP-Redaction Mode: Time is tracked and counted in metrics, but the app/URL name is hidden in dashboards and reports for privacy. Shows as "Redacted" instead of the actual application name. Useful for sensitive applications.

Best Practices

Tip 1: Involve your teams in defining what counts as productive. Different roles (engineers, sales, HR) may have different productivity profiles. You can create different policies for different teams.
Tip 2: Use Neutral for overhead activities that are necessary but not directly productive (admin tools, expense reports, performance reviews, training). Don't mark them as unproductive.
Tip 3: Regularly review and update your categories. As your tech stack changes (new tools adopted, old tools retired), keep your Category Mapping current.