# Time on Task

Time on Task tracks how long it takes users to complete a specific task, such as submitting a form or finding information. It gives a direct measure of effort and efficiency.Use this metric during usability testing to compare task performance across versions or user types. It’s especially valuable for identifying slowdowns, redundant steps, or overly complex paths that can be optimized for speed.Long completion times may signal confusion, distraction, or excessive complexity. Reducing time on task improves overall usability and user satisfaction.Interpreting the ResultsUse this key to understand what your Time on Task score means and how to interpret that for your product experience. The following ranges represent average scores for an e-commerce platform's checkout flow:How to Calculate Time on TaskThe Time on Task metric measures how long it takes users to complete a specific task or flow. It helps evaluate whether your experience is intuitive and efficient—or if users are struggling to figure things out.Define what to trackTo measure Time on Task, track when a user begins and ends a specific task, such as completing checkout or filling out a form. This typically requires setting up event tracking to capture both the task’s entry point and successful completion point within a session or prototype test.Collect dataAfter instrumentation is in place, record the start and end timestamps for each user who attempts the task. For example, if users are asked to complete a checkout, collect the time it took each one from the moment they hit "Start Checkout" to when they reach "Order Confirmation."Plug data into formulaTime on Task is calculated using the formula:You’ll need:The duration of each successful task attemptThe total number of users who completed the taskTotal task times are summed and averaged across successful completions only.Calculate the Time on TaskFor example, if 25 users completed the task and their total time added up to 800 seconds:This results in an Average Time on Task of 32 seconds, which may be considered Very Good depending on expectations for task complexity. Lower times often signal ease of use, while longer times could indicate confusion or hesitation.When To Use Time on TaskTime on task is valuable for evaluating essential interactions where efficiency is critical. This metric helps teams identify and eliminate friction points that may delay users, particularly in processes that directly impact conversion or user satisfaction.For example, this case study highlights how lowering the time it takes for users to complete tasks improves their experience. Faster task completion keeps users happy and makes them more likely to keep using the product.Case Study Link.Checkout ProcessMonitoring time on task during checkout helps identify steps that slow down users, allowing teams to streamline the flow for quicker and smoother transactions.Form SubmissionsMeasuring time on task for form completion can highlight challenging fields or confusing instructions, guiding design improvements to simplify and accelerate the process.Customer Support SearchesAnalyzing time on task in support searches reveals how quickly users find the help they need, offering insights to optimize help content and enhance user satisfaction with support resources.How We Measured Time on Task in Getup’s Checkout FlowTo evaluate how efficiently users could complete the purchase process, we measured Time on Task for Getup’s checkout flow. This performance metric helps identify friction in a user journey by revealing how long it takes users to complete a specific task when given a clear goal.The SetupTime on Task is calculated by measuring the number of seconds it takes a participant to complete a designated action or task from start to finish. This includes the time spent navigating, reading, inputting information, and making decisions—giving teams a reliable signal of flow efficiency.The ResultsGetup’s checkout flow produced a Time on Task of 32.8 seconds, rated Very Good on the Glare scaleMost users moved swiftly through the flow without hesitation or backtrackingMinor delays were observed in selecting a shipping method, but did not meaningfully affect completion timesThe ImpactThe fast task completion time indicates that Getup’s checkout experience is well-optimized and easy to follow. With efficiency already high, the team may consider adding lightweight upsell opportunities or reassurances (e.g. security badges, return policy highlights) to support conversion without disrupting speed.SourceCSVHow to Use AI to Measure Time on TaskThis AI prompt can be used to calculate the time on task of actions in your platform. Once you've collected data on time stamps for when users start and end a task, you can feed that data into an AI software using a CSV file along with this prompt.Copy this AI prompt to calculate your own Time on Task, and check out the type of output it would produce:Technicals for Measuring Time on TaskOverviewOurUX Metric frameworkintegratesTime on Taskmeasurement within the Helio platform to assess and optimize the user journey through key tasks. Here, we outline the implementation steps and resources available, including how other developers can leverage or contribute to this framework in ourUX Metric framework.How to Use Time on TaskUsing theGlare::UxMetric::TimeOnTaskmodule, you can effectively track the average time users spend on specific tasks within your app or site.Steps:Insert property ID: Retrieve the property ID for Google analytics and ensure the application has both GA4 and Google Tag Manager implemented within the application.Input this ID intoGoogleAnalytics::Credentialsmodule to create a credential instance for task timing data access.Initialize client and track tasks: Create an instance ofGoogleAnalytics::Clientusing your credentials.Apply thetime_on_taskmethod to capture and calculate average task completion time, returning results in seconds or minutes.require "glare/ux_metrics"

credentials = Glare::Analytics::GoogleAnalytics::Credentials.new(
	property_id: "my-property-id",
)

client = Glare::Analytics::GoogleAnalytics::Client.new(
	credentials: credentials
)

# Example task_id represents the task you want to measure
client.time_on_task(task_id: "checkout") # returns Time on Task in seconds as a floatTake This Further with the UX Metrics AI SkillsTime on Task tracks how long it takes users to complete a specific action in your product. TheUX Metrics AI Skillsis a package you load into your LLM so you can ask questions and get expert answers anytime.Set time on task benchmarks for key flowsFind out which tasks are taking longer than they shouldCompare task times across designs or user groupsUse time data to measure whether simplification is workingDrop it into your LLM and start asking questions right away.