Pomodoro Timer
Free Pomodoro timer. 25-minute focus blocks with 5-minute breaks to beat procrastination. Runs in your browser, no signup.
What the Pomodoro timer does
The Pomodoro technique breaks work into short, uninterrupted focus blocks separated by short breaks. This timer runs in the page and alternates between the two: a 25-minute focus period, then a 5-minute break, repeating until you stop. Both lengths are adjustable, and the timer logs each completed focus session so you can see how many you finished.
How it works
- Set the focus and break lengths in minutes. The defaults are 25 and 5.
- Press Start to begin; the button changes to Pause so you can stop and resume without losing the countdown.
- When a focus block reaches zero, the timer switches automatically to a break, and when the break ends it switches back to focus.
- Reset returns to the start of a focus block using your chosen lengths.
- Completed focus sessions are recorded in the history panel below the timer.
Nothing runs in the background: the countdown is tied to the open tab, and closing or reloading the page resets it. There are no notifications and no sound, by design.
A worked example
With the default 25-minute focus and 5-minute break, one full cycle takes 30 minutes. A classic block of four cycles:
| Round | Focus | Break | Running total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 25 min | 5 min | 30 min |
| 2 | 25 min | 5 min | 60 min |
| 3 | 25 min | 5 min | 90 min |
| 4 | 25 min | 5 min | 120 min |
Four rounds is two hours of wall-clock time and 100 minutes of actual focus. The technique’s advice is to take a longer break after four rounds, but this timer does not insert that automatically — pause it and take 15–30 minutes before starting again.
Choosing your block lengths
| Pattern | Focus | Break | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Classic | 25 min | 5 min | General tasks and email |
| Deep work | 50 min | 10 min | Writing, coding, analysis |
| Light | 15 min | 3 min | Admin, clearing a to-do list |
Common mistakes
- Breaking the focus block. The value comes from not switching tasks mid-block. Note an interruption and deal with it in the break.
- Skipping breaks. The rest is part of the method; back-to-back focus blocks degrade attention and make the timer pointless.
- Setting blocks too long. A 90-minute first attempt usually collapses. Start with 25 minutes and extend once the habit holds.
- Expecting it to run in the background. It is a page timer; keep the tab open, or the countdown stops.
Structuring a full day
A realistic day is eight to ten focus blocks, not a solid eight hours. With 25-minute blocks that is three to four hours of genuine focused work, interspersed with breaks and the usual interruptions:
| Blocks | Focus time | Break time | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 1h 40m | 20m | 2h 0m |
| 6 | 2h 30m | 30m | 3h 0m |
| 8 | 3h 20m | 40m | 4h 0m |
| 10 | 4h 10m | 50m | 5h 0m |
Treat the block count as the measure of a good day rather than the hours on the clock. Ten focused blocks is a demanding day for most knowledge work, and pretending otherwise just spreads the same attention more thinly.
Frequently asked questions
Does the timer persist if I close the tab?
No. The countdown lives in the page and resets on reload. The completed-session count is stored locally in your browser, but an in-progress block is not.
Why 25 minutes?
It is short enough to start without resistance and long enough to make real progress. It is a convention, not a rule — many people do better with 50-minute blocks for deep work.
What should I do in a break?
Step away from the screen: stand up, walk, get water, look out a window. Scrolling a feed is not a break — it uses the same attention you are trying to rest.
How many Pomodoros should I do a day?
Beginners often manage six to eight focused blocks, or three to four hours of genuine focus. That is a solid day of mentally demanding work, even though it sounds small next to an eight-hour clock. If you are tracking output alongside time, the word counter gives a writing session a measurable target, and the sleep cycle calculator handles the recovery side.