Overview: The GPS Activity Report, available with the real-time GPS feature, provides a visual representation of employee movements over a specific timeframe.
Important: Advanced GPS data is only available for the last 30 days. Prior data is deleted.
Additionally, real-time GPS information is view-only. Real-time breadcrumbs show on Time Cards, the Dashboard, and the GPS Activity Report. There’s currently no export option for any GPS data.
View GPS Activity Report
After enabling real-time GPS and workers start punching in, the GPS Activity Report can show you real-time GPS routes for select employees on a specific day or over a specified timeframe.
1. To view the GPS Activity Report, start by clicking Reports in the top navigation, followed by GPS Activity:
2. From here, you can select Employee(s), enter a Start/End Date, and Submit to populate GPS data:
3. If there's any data available, a list of employees will populate on the left-hand side under GPS Positions. Any employees without GPS data will be listed under No GPS:
4. For those under GPS Positions, the color of their name will be the same color as their route. By clicking an employee's name, you can center focus on their route:
FAQ
Q: What do the dots on the map represent?
A: Each dot indicates a timestamp showing where the employee was located at that time. You can hover over a dot to see the employee's name and the time the GPS coordinates were captured.
Q: What do the arrows mean on the lines between dots?
A: The arrows between each dot indicate the direction traveled based on the chronological order in which the coordinates were received.
Q: Can employees view their own GPS punch history?
A: While employees can always see their punch times and locations on their personal timesheet, the detailed GPS punch history (with exact coordinates) isn’t visible to them. This helps keep location data secure while still giving everyone a clear view of their clock-in and clock-out records.
Q: Can employees view their GPS route history?
A: Currently, route mapping (the path between punch points) is only available to managers with the proper permissions and administrators. Employees can review their timesheet entries and locations, but the full “route” view remains a manager and administrator-facing feature to maintain data privacy.
Q: Can GPS be captured on breaks or mid-shift job switches?
A. Buddy Punch records GPS only at punch events—clock-in, clock-out, and mid-shift job switches. It does not generate a GPS stamp for time spent on break, but as soon as an employee clocks back in or switches tasks, a new GPS location is captured.
Q: What GPS accuracy can I expect, and is it audit-ready?
A: Buddy Punch relies on each device’s built-in GPS hardware, typically accurate to 5–10 meters outdoors (indoor accuracy may vary). Every GPS stamp is saved with a precise timestamp and latitude/longitude, so you can confidently use these records for internal audits and compliance checks.
Q: Can GPS data be exported?
A: No. GPS information is view-only: basic location stamps appear on Time Cards and the Dashboard, and real-time breadcrumbs show on Time Cards, the Dashboard, and the GPS Activity Report. There’s currently no export option for any GPS data.
Q: What happens in low-signal environments—will real-time GPS coordinates still be recorded?
A: If Real-Time GPS is On and an employee's GPS signal is lost or otherwise does not have a strong enough signal strength to successfully report GPS coordinates, they won’t be able to punch in, out, or switch between jobs.
If the employee is already punched in and loses signal, there will be no coordinates reflected on the GPS Activity Report or on the Map section of an employee's timecard during that timeframe.
Once there is a stable, strong connection again, the coordinates will be recorded from that point forward. This could appear as large gaps in the data points on the GPS Activity report and the employee's Map, as if an employee is "teleporting" from one location to another, rather than following a continuous route.