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FreshBooks

FreshBooks Node

Actions22

Overview

This node operation retrieves a specific time tracking entry from FreshBooks by its unique Time Entry ID within a given Business ID. It is useful when you want to fetch detailed information about a particular recorded time entry, such as the duration, date, and associated notes or metadata.

Common scenarios:

  • Fetching details of a single time entry for review or reporting.
  • Integrating FreshBooks time entries into other systems or workflows.
  • Validating or auditing time entries before invoicing or payroll processing.

Example:
You have a time entry ID for a consultant's logged hours and want to retrieve all details about that entry to display in a dashboard or send in an email.

Properties

Name Meaning
Business ID Your FreshBooks Business ID. Found in your FreshBooks account URL or via the user info API endpoint.
Time Entry ID The unique identifier of the time entry you want to retrieve.

Output

The output JSON contains the details of the requested time entry under the json field. The structure corresponds to the FreshBooks API response for a single time entry and typically includes fields such as:

  • id: The time entry's unique identifier.
  • started_at: The start date/time of the time entry.
  • duration: The length of time tracked (in seconds).
  • note: Any notes associated with the time entry.
  • is_logged: Boolean indicating if the time entry is logged.
  • Other metadata related to the time entry.

No binary data output is involved in this operation.

Dependencies

  • Requires an API authentication token credential for FreshBooks (OAuth2 or API key).
  • The node makes HTTP GET requests to the FreshBooks API endpoint:
    /timetracking/business/{businessId}/time_entries/{timeEntryId}
  • Requires the user to provide valid businessId and timeEntryId parameters.
  • The base URL for API requests is https://api.freshbooks.com.

Troubleshooting

  • Common issues:

    • Invalid or missing businessId or timeEntryId will cause the API request to fail.
    • Expired or invalid API authentication token will result in authorization errors.
    • Network connectivity issues may prevent successful API calls.

  • Common error messages:

    • 404 Not Found: The specified time entry ID does not exist for the given business.
    • 401 Unauthorized: Authentication failed due to invalid or missing credentials.
    • 400 Bad Request: The request parameters are malformed or missing required fields.

  • Resolutions:

    • Verify that the businessId and timeEntryId are correct and exist in your FreshBooks account.
    • Ensure your API credentials are valid and have not expired.
    • Check network connectivity and retry the request.

Links and References

Discussion