Inspiration
The idea for WorkScope came from a feeling that every developer knows well. After hours of coding, committing, and bouncing between browser tabs, it is easy to stop and wonder, “What did I just do?” We wanted to build something that could answer that question clearly and automatically. Instead of leaving developers to guess how they spent their time, WorkScope keeps track of the work that happens in files, repositories, and the browser, then turns that activity into insights. The inspiration was to create a tool that feels like a personal productivity diary, one that quietly records progress and makes it easier to reflect on the day.
What it does
WorkScope is a personal productivity tracker that helps developers answer the question “What did I just do?” It automatically records activity across files, Git repositories, and the browser, then organizes everything into a timeline that makes it easy to see how time was spent. The tool generates daily productivity reports, provides summaries of recent work, and offers smart suggestions for improving workflow. It also includes a Q&A console where users can ask questions like “What did I do in the last three hours?” and get an instant, AI-powered answer. By combining system-level tracking with AI insights, WorkScope gives developers a clear and human-readable view of their workday.
How we built it
We built WorkScope as a full-stack project with three main parts: the backend, the frontend, and a Chrome extension. The backend is powered by FastAPI with SQLite as the database, using SQLModel as the ORM to store events and repository paths. Watchdog monitors file changes such as edits, creations, deletions, and renames, while GitPython polls user-selected repositories to track staged files, commits, and pushes. We added CORS middleware so the frontend and extension can send events smoothly, and integrated the Google Gemini API to generate summaries, daily reports, suggestions, and answers to user questions. On the frontend, we used Next.js with TailwindCSS to build an interface that makes the timeline and productivity reports easy to read and navigate. The Chrome extension tracks browser activity, including tab usage, navigation, and clicks, and sends that data to the backend through an events endpoint. All of these pieces come together to give users a timeline of their work along with AI-powered insights that explain what they have been doing.
Challenges we ran into
One of the hardest parts was configuring the Chrome extension so it could capture activity in a useful way. For example, when we clicked on navigation or menu items, it often did not provide clear descriptions, which made logging events more difficult than we expected. We also struggled with Watchdog because filtering and tracking the correct files worked differently across operating systems, and keeping it consistent on macOS, Windows, and Linux took a lot of trial and error. Another challenge came with Git activity since we had to design a polling system that would reliably catch staged files, commits, and pushes without overwhelming the system. Managing the constant flow of events from files, Git, and the browser was another tricky part, as we needed to keep everything in sync and avoid duplicates. On top of that, working with the Gemini API taught us how sensitive AI output can be to prompts, and we had to tune it carefully to get useful summaries rather than generic responses.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
We are proud that we built a full-stack system that connects file activity, Git tracking, and browser interactions into one unified timeline. In a short time we shipped a working Chrome extension that successfully tracks tab events and integrates with our backend, while also achieving cross-platform support on macOS, Windows, and Linux using Watchdog. We designed a clean and intuitive frontend with Next.js and TailwindCSS that makes complex data easy to understand, and we integrated the Google Gemini API to generate meaningful daily reports, smart suggestions, and natural language Q&A. Most importantly, we created a tool that feels practical and developer-friendly, something we would actually want to use ourselves.
What we learned
We learned how to connect very different parts of a project and make them work together, from tracking files and Git commits to capturing browser activity and generating AI insights. Along the way we became more comfortable with tools like FastAPI, Next.js, and TailwindCSS, and we also saw how important good prompt design is when working with Gemini. Most of all, we learned how to move quickly, make trade-offs, and rely on each other to turn a rough idea into something real in a short amount of time.
What's next for WorkScope
In the future, we want WorkScope to go beyond simple summaries and provide deeper insights into focus, habits, and productivity trends over time. We see it expanding to track activity directly inside IDEs, across multiple browsers, and alongside tools like Slack or Notion. A desktop app with clean dashboards would make it easier to use, and eventually WorkScope could support teams by sharing progress in a collaborative and privacy-friendly way.
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