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How to log when you open and close an app to a CSV file

Give a KeyRoutines routine App launched and App quit triggers for the app. Format date writes the time, Started by trigger tells start from stop, and Add text to file appends a line like 2026-11-01 09:02,start to a CSV you can open in Excel.

Steps

  1. 1

    Watch the app

    Add App launched and App quit triggers for the app you want to track.

  2. 2

    Get the time

    Add Format date with an empty date and the format yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm.

  3. 3

    Start or stop?

    Add an If with Started by trigger set to App launched, and Set variable event to start or stop in each branch.

  4. 4

    Write the line

    Add Add text to file with your CSV path and the text "date,event", with On new line turned on.

Tips

  • The file stays on your PC; KeyRoutines doesn't send it anywhere.

Questions

Can it work out the hours for me?
Time between dates can work out the minutes between a remembered start time and now, if you'd rather log durations.
Does it count time the app sits in the background?
It logs open and close. Use App focused instead if you want time in front.

Blocks this routine uses

Trigger · AppsFree

App launched

App launched starts a routine when a chosen app or game opens. It's ideal when you start apps your usual way and want the rest of the setup to follow on its own.

Trigger · AppsFree

App quit

App quit starts a routine when a chosen app or game has fully closed. It's the natural partner of App launched for putting things back the way they were.

Step · Data and variablesFree

Format date

Format date writes a date as text in the layout you choose. It's the step behind dated file names, readable times in messages and timestamps in log files.

Condition · Flow and routinesFree

Started by trigger

Started by trigger checks which of a routine's own triggers began this run. That lets one routine react a little differently to a hotkey, a schedule or an app opening without keeping separate copies.

Step · Flow and routinesFree

Set variable

Set variable puts a value under a name so later steps can use it. By default it lasts for this run only, which makes it the usual way to keep a counter, a file path or a result to use further down.

Step · FilesFree

Add text to file

Add text to file writes new text at the end of a text file without touching what is already there. It is the easy way to keep a running log, a journal entry per day, or a list of things a routine has handled.

More how-to guides

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