What is the Pomodoro Technique?
Francesco Cirillo developed the Pomodoro Technique in the late 1980s, naming it after a tomato-shaped kitchen timer. Choose one task, focus for 25 minutes and take a 5-minute break; after four sessions, take a longer break of 15 to 30 minutes. A pomodoro is a completed focus session: this timer does not count skipped sessions.
How to use the timer
- Optionally type your task. It appears on the board and in today’s list.
- Press Start or Space. The board is green for focus and blue for breaks.
- When a session ends, a sound plays and the next phase is ready. Tick “Start breaks automatically” and “Start the next focus session automatically” to run the sequence hands-free.
- Press Skip or S to move to the next phase without counting the skipped phase. Reset or R restarts the current phase; press it again to return to session 1.
- Use Copy link to share your settings, for example ?w=50&s=10. The parameters w, s and l set focus, short break and long break lengths in minutes; c sets the number of sessions before a long break.
Choosing session lengths
Try 25/5 for the classic pattern, 50/10 for deep work or 90/20 for a long creative block. Use a length for a few days and keep it if your attention holds. For a single interval, use the timer.
Keep the timer reliable
- The timer keeps time in a background tab. Keep the tab open and the computer awake: a sleeping laptop cannot play sound.
- Turn on desktop notifications to see when a session ends while you work in another app.
- On phones, the screen stays on while a session runs if the browser supports it.
- Lengths, auto-start choices and today’s count stay in this browser; nothing is sent to a server.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Pomodoro timer keep running in another tab?
Yes. It measures time against the clock, so it stays accurate in a hidden tab. Keep the tab open and the device awake.
How long should a Pomodoro be?
The classic length is 25 minutes, with 5-minute breaks and a 15 to 30-minute break after four sessions. Many people prefer 50/10; adjust the lengths to suit your attention.
Where is my count of completed pomodoros saved?
It stays in this browser and starts from zero each day. Use Clear today to reset it.
Can I get a notification when a session ends?
Tick Desktop notification and allow it in the browser prompt. Notifications work in desktop browsers and vary on phones.
Can I share my settings?
Copy link creates a URL with your lengths. Anyone opening it gets the same setup for that visit.
Every date, offset and calculation on this page was checked against the sources below.