Using Parallax Timesheets and API Actuals Together
Guidance for customers using both time recording methods across teams
March 2026
Overview
Parallax supports two methods for recording employee time: Parallax Timesheets (PXTS), where employees log their own hours directly in the product, and API-based time recording, where an external system pushes time records into Parallax programmatically. Some customers operate both methods simultaneously across different teams within their organization.
This document explains the rules, behaviors, and current limitations you need to understand before enabling both methods within a single organization.
Critical Rule: One Method Per Employee
Each employee must use only one time recording method — either PXTS or the API — never both.
⚠️ Risk: Doubled Hours If an employee submits 40 hours via PXTS and an API call also posts 40 hours for that same employee, Parallax will record 80 hours. This will surface in reports, billing exports, and timesheet views. API-entered time does not appear in timesheet line items and is only reflected in each day’s total hours. If an employee uses both PXTS and API-based time, their total hours may include time that is not visible in the project rows, making the timesheet difficult to interpret and reconcile. |
Do not use the API to add, update, or delete time for any employee who is actively using PXTS.
How the Two Methods Work
Parallax Timesheets (PXTS)
- Employees log time directly in the Parallax interface.
- A two-week lock prevents changes to finalized periods for PXTS users.
- Timesheet managers can view and approve submissions for their assigned employees. (if enabled)
API-Based Time Recording
- An external system posts time records to Parallax via the API.
- API-provided time is not subject to the two-week lock — it can be modified at any time.
- API time shows up as actuals in project shaper, assignments view, reports, and billing exports, similar to PXTS time, but does not appear in the detailed timesheet rows in the timesheet UI.
- In the timesheet UI, API-entered time contributes only to each day’s total hours and is not visible within individual project rows.
Current Limitations
The following limitations apply to the current release. We are actively working to address them in an upcoming update.
| Limitation | Detail |
| No provenance tracking | Parallax does not currently record whether a time entry originated from PXTS or the API. |
| No UI toggle for time recording method | There is currently no in-product setting to designate whether an employee uses PXTS or the API. This distinction must be managed operationally by your team. |
| Switching methods requires effort | Moving an employee from PXTS to API-based time recording (or vice versa) must be done at a time when they are not using both PXTS and the API recording in the same week. |
Recommendations
- Maintain a clear internal list of which employees are PXTS users and which are API users, and keep it up to date.
- Audit reports periodically to check for unexpected hour totals that may indicate a method overlap.
- Coordinate with your Parallax account team before enabling API time recording to ensure your setup is configured correctly and that testing has been completed in a non-production environment first.
Questions? Contact your Parallax Customer Success Manager for setup support or to discuss your specific configuration.