We are currently facing a challenge with metric calculation in our Asana dashboards and wanted to ask whether anyone has encountered something similar.
For our reporting, we use timestamp fields that are automatically populated:
- Timestamp A → when a task enters Project/Section A (we treat this as the “creation/start” moment)
- Timestamp B → when the task moves to Section B
Our expectation was that:
Timestamp B - Timestamp A = actual time spent in the section
To calculate this, we use a Formula custom field that subtracts one timestamp from another.
However, when we compare the result of this formula with Asana’s native Time in section value, we receive completely different numbers.
Has anyone experienced this behavior before or knows:
- How exactly does Asana calculate “Time in section”
- Whether formula fields process timestamps differently
- Or whether there are hidden rounding/timezone/business-hours mechanics involved?
Thanks!
Hi @Artjom_Tsernov,
Thanks for sharing such a detailed explanation of your setup!
Out of curiosity, how large is the discrepancy you’re seeing? Is it just a few seconds or minutes, or are the values significantly different?
I’d expect some differences between your formula field and Asana’s native Time in section metric because they’re calculated in different ways.
Your formula simply subtracts Timestamp A from Timestamp B, whereas Time in section is a system-generated metric based on the task’s movement between sections. Since the native calculation is handled internally by Asana, it won’t always align exactly with timestamps populated by automation.
A few things I’d recommend checking:
- Rule timing: Automation rules don’t always execute at the exact moment a task changes sections, so even a small delay when populating your timestamp fields can affect the formula result.
- Task movement history: If a task moves through additional sections or is moved multiple times before reaching Section B, your timestamp fields may not capture the full sequence of events that Asana uses for its native metric.
- Field configuration: Verify that your timestamp fields are true date/time fields and that your formula is returning the expected unit (minutes, hours, etc.).
One useful troubleshooting step is to compare a single task’s activity history with the values stored in your timestamp fields. This can help determine whether the timestamps are being written at the same moment the section transition occurs.
If your goal is specifically to measure the amount of time spent in Section A, another approach is to capture both the entry and exit timestamps for that section with automation and calculate the difference between those two values. That may provide results that more closely reflect the time spent in the section.
Hi @Iren_Vilaniso
Thanks for your answer. The discrepancy that we can see for a particular section is more than 1 day of calculated time, which is much more than we expect. It can be related to a large number of requests we process.
Regarding other details you’ve provided:
“If your goal is specifically to measure the amount of time spent in Section A, another approach is to capture both the entry and exit timestamps for that section with automation and calculate the difference between those two values. That may provide results that more closely reflect the time spent in the section.” → That’s what we are talking about. We use that formula, but the numbers do not match the “Time in Section”. To what numbers should we trust?
Br,