> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.videodb.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Focusd - Productivity and Personal Work Memory
> AI-powered desktop app that records your screen, understands what you're doing, and builds your personal work memory
Complete source code, installation guide, and demo download
## What Is It?
Your personal productivity oracle.
You know that sinking feeling at 5 PM when you wonder "where did my day go?" Or when you bill clients and can't remember what you worked on Tuesday morning? Or when you want to optimize your workflow but have no data about where time actually goes?
Focusd solves this by running invisibly all day, watching your screen and understanding contextโnot just "you used Chrome," but "what you were reading in Chrome and which project it relates to." No manual timers. No app-switching. No logging. Just automatic, intelligent tracking that tells you where your time went, what you accomplished, and how to improve tomorrow.
**The Insight**: "You spent 2.3 hours on the authentication refactor, switching between VSCode (67%) and documentation (33%). You were blocked for 23 minutes waiting for builds. Consider optimizing your build pipeline."
> **Platform Support**: macOS and Windows (Linux support coming soon)
## Why It's Different
### Automatic Everything
Forget manual time tracking. Focusd:
* Records continuously in background
* Understands context from your screen
* Detects when you switch projects
* Identifies productive vs idle time
* Generates summaries automatically
### Smart Analysis
Not just "you used Chrome for 3 hours."
Focusd knows:
* *What* you were reading in Chrome
* *Which* project you were working on
* *Why* you switched contexts
* *How* productive each session was
### Real Improvements
Daily recaps include:
* Session summaries with context
* App usage breakdown by project
* Productivity patterns identified
* Specific suggestions to improve
## The 5-Layer Pipeline
Focusd transforms raw screen captures into structured insights through intelligent summarization:
Screen indexed every \~3 seconds. Extracts app names, page titles, visible content.
Events grouped into time-based chunks (e.g., 5-minute windows).
Each segment summarized by LLM: *what you did, which app, productive or not*.
Micro-summaries roll up into session overviews with app stats and project breakdown.
Everything consolidates into a headline, highlights, and actionable suggestions.
**Why 5 Layers?**
This hierarchical approach balances cost, accuracy, and latency. Layer 0 captures everything (cheap, fast). Layers 1-2 group and summarize in small batches (moderate cost). Layers 3-4 synthesize larger contexts (higher cost but fewer calls).
The result: near-instant activity tracking at the bottom, actionable insights at the top, and a reasonable API bill. Without this structure, running LLM calls on every screen capture would be prohibitively expensive.
## Key Features
Real-time feed of what you're doing, updated every few seconds. See your work unfold as it happens.
Automatic overviews of each work session:
* What you worked on
* Which apps you used
* Projects and time breakdown
* Productivity assessment
Select any time range for detailed breakdown:
* App usage percentages
* Project time distribution
* Context from screen captures
Visual insights:
* Total tracked time
* Productive time percentage
* Top applications used
* Project distribution
End-of-day report with:
* Headline summary
* Session highlights
* Productivity insights
* Tomorrow's suggestions
Browse past days with full summaries and activity data. Understand your weekly and monthly patterns.
## Who It's For
Track client projects automatically. Generate accurate time reports without manual logging.
Understand where coding time goes. Identify interruptions, context switches, and optimize your flow.
See how much time you spend in meetings vs deep work. Find patterns in your most productive hours.
Stay accountable without micromanagement. Get insights into your work patterns and share summaries with your team.
## Tech Stack
Built with modern desktop technologies for performance and reliability:
Desktop app shell with React UI
Type-safe throughout
Local data storage for privacy
Screen capture and AI indexing
LLM for summarization pipeline
Dashboard visualizations
## Getting Started
**Prerequisites**
* macOS 12+ (Apple Silicon or Intel) or Windows 10+
* Node.js 18+
* [VideoDB API key](https://console.videodb.io)
```bash theme={null}
git clone https://github.com/video-db/focusd.git
cd focusd
npm install
```
Copy `.env.sample` to `.env` and add your VideoDB API key.
Run `npm run dev` to start the app in development mode.
macOS will prompt for Screen Recording permission. Grant it in System Settings.
Hit the record button. Wait a few minutes, then check your live timeline and dashboard!
**System Permissions**
Required in **System Settings > Privacy & Security**:
* Screen Recording (mandatory)
* System Audio Recording (optional, for audio context)
## Configuration
All settings adjustable from the Settings page:
| Setting | Default | Purpose |
| ---------------------- | ------- | ------------------------------------ |
| `segment_flush_mins` | 5 min | How often events group into segments |
| `micro_summary_mins` | 10 min | Frequency of segment summarization |
| `session_summary_mins` | 30 min | Session-level summary generation |
| `idle_threshold_mins` | 5 min | Inactivity threshold before pausing |
Tweak these to balance between insight granularity and performance.
## Privacy First
**Local Storage** - All data stored in SQLite on your machine (`~/Library/Application Support/VideoDB Focusd/`)
**Encrypted Keys** - API keys stored in macOS Keychain via Electron's safeStorage
**No Cloud Storage** - Summaries generated, then stored locally. Screen captures processed and discarded.
**Full Control** - Delete all data anytime: `rm -rf ~/Library/Application\ Support/VideoDB\ Focusd/`
***
Detailed installation instructions, configuration guide, and troubleshooting help
## Related Tutorials
Screen recorder for creating searchable video documentation
Transform Claude Code into a context-aware AI coding assistant
Learn how to build screen capture apps with VideoDB