We're excited to launch the brand new WhatPulse Web API, now available to everyone! This version has been completely redesigned with modern tools in mind — whether you want to build dashboards, create bots, or just geek out with your own data, this API has you covered. This upgrade also sets the stage for exciting future data API features, like applications. 👀

What's new​

• RESTful API design
• OAuth-style bearer tokens for easy authentication
• Consistent JSON responses, complete with pagination, filters, and helpful error messages
• Time series access: See your stats broken down per hour, a major upgrade from the previous API — perfect for time-of-day insights
• OpenAPI spec so you can easily generate client libraries or browse the full endpoint list
• Fully documented with a playground to test requests and responses in our Help Center.

Official PHP and Ruby SDKs​

We've also released official SDKs for PHP and Ruby, making it super simple to get started without worrying about pagination, auth headers, or error handling.

• PHP SDK: Install via Composer and call your data with just a few lines.
• Ruby SDK: Available as a RubyGem, get access to all your user, team, and app stats quickly.

More SDKs for other languages will be coming soon. Find the full SDK documentation and installation instructions in our Help Center.

Stay in the loop: Join the developer mailing list​

Want to stay updated on API improvements, new SDK releases, and other developer-focused features? We've launched a developer mailing list just for you.

Subscribe here to get occasional updates.

New achievement: Developer 🏅​

We love rewarding curiosity — create an API key, make your first few API calls, and you'll automatically unlock a shiny Developer badge on your WhatPulse profile!

Sunset notice: Old API retires end of 2025​

If you're still on the old WhatPulse API, now's the time to switch. The old API will remain available until December 31st, 2025, after which it will be fully retired. Upgrading now means better features, cleaner responses, and long-term support. We'll send individual reminders to users still on the old API as we approach the retirement date.

Built with the new API: PulseView 📱​

Curious about what you can build? Check out PulseView, a community-made iOS app powered by the new API! PulseView puts your WhatPulse stats right on your iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and even Apple TV. It's a great example of the flexibility the new API offers.

Get started​

1. Create your API key in your WhatPulse account settings.
2. Choose your SDK (or go HTTP-native).
3. Explore endpoints like /api/v1/user, /computers, /teams, and hourly time series stats.
4. Build something awesome — and share it with the WhatPulse community!

The new API is designed to give you flexibility, security, and deeper insight into your computer habits. Whether it's for personal use, dashboards, or public tools — it's yours to build on. And we can't wait to see what you create.

Happy pulsing!

Have you ever been told that to be truly happy in your work, you should follow your passion?

That passion could be photography, video games, or cycling. Whatever it is, there's probably a way of turning it into a career—if you work hard, play your cards right, and experience a little luck.

But here's the thing: following your passion might not be the best advice you've received. Not because passions are bad, but because work and passion don't always mix well. Two big reasons stand out: money—and the risk of turning something you love into something you dread.

Money doesn't always follow passion​

Let's get the obvious out of the way—yes, you can make money with your passion. Some people make a great living as photographers, athletes, streamers, or artists. But for most people, the reality looks different.

Jobs tied to popular passions like food, creativity, or gaming often don't pay particularly well. Meanwhile, roles in fields like big data, cloud infrastructure, or financial services—things that don't tend to make it onto the “my passion” list—tend to pay a lot more.

The problem is: if your job doesn't pay enough, you might not have the time, energy, or resources left to actually enjoy your passion.

It's not about giving up on your passion entirely—it's about being strategic. You can choose a role that supports your life goals, gives you financial breathing room, and still leaves time and energy to pursue your interests on your own terms. Or you might build skills and experience that open doors to future opportunities, some of which may surprisingly align with your passion.

For example, you could become excellent at project management, then land a role managing projects in the esports industry. Or you could work in tech support, then specialize in creative software you love. Sometimes the path to enjoying your passion isn't by chasing it directly, but by positioning yourself well in the market.

Turning a passion into work can ruin it​

Let's be honest—LinkedIn is full of people who want to sell you the dream of “making your passion your paycheck.” The reality is, turning something you love into a job can easily make it feel like… well, a job.

Take gaming, one of the most popular examples. It's fun to relax, play a few rounds, or get lost in a story-driven RPG. But when you try to make it your career—maybe by becoming a streamer or competitive gamer—you end up adding layers of pressure. Suddenly, you're managing social media, designing overlays, grinding specific content to keep viewers entertained, and worrying about your next paycheck being tied to your follower count.

Not quite the same vibe as playing to unwind after work.

And it's not just gaming. I've seen it happen across countless hobbies. A friend of mine used to make beautiful Christmas wreaths for fun. People loved them, orders started rolling in, and within a year she was spending ten-hour days in her cold garage fulfilling orders. She didn't even put one on her own door that Christmas.

The WhatPulse angle: know your habits, protect your joy​

At WhatPulse, we see it all the time—people are surprised by how their computer habits evolve. Maybe your side project turns into 60-hour workweeks. Or you find yourself spending way more time in a video editor than actually filming. That's why tracking your digital activity can be such a useful mirror.

Are you spending your energy on what actually fulfills you? Or are you burning out chasing a dream that's slowly draining the joy out of your passion?

It's not about avoiding your passion—it's about protecting it. Keep your passion something you look forward to. Something you enjoy because it's free of deadlines, KPIs, and external pressure.

And who knows? With the right setup, you might find ways to mix career and passion without sacrificing either. Just don't let a random LinkedIn quote decide your life direction.

Conclusion: Passion is great—just don't turn it into homework​

Following your passion sounds romantic, but it's not always practical—or enjoyable. By building a solid career that gives you stability and freedom, you might get the best of both worlds: a fulfilling job and time to truly enjoy your passion.

If you want to make more intentional decisions about where your time goes, tools like WhatPulse can give you clarity. Because sometimes, the best way to protect what you love is by not forcing it to pay your bills.

WhatPulse 5.10 is here, and it's packed with upgrades—both on the surface and under the hood.

From accurate multi-display heat maps and smarter gamepad tracking to better network stats and faster performance with large datasets, this release is about making WhatPulse more precise, more responsive, and simply nicer to use.

A huge thank you to everyone who tested the early versions and sent in feedback—this one's for you.

🖱️ Multi-display mouse heat maps​

The mouse heatmap now recognizes your entire display setup and maps clicks to the correct monitor. You can zoom into a single screen or see everything at once—ideal for anyone with a dual- or triple-monitor workspace.

Along the way, we refreshed the visuals, improved rendering speed, and added a cap to export sizes (800px wide), so even big heatmaps load and export more smoothly.

🎮 Smarter gamepad support​

Controllers from Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo, and 8BitDo now have correct button layouts. WhatPulse detects the manufacturer and automatically applies the right configuration—so you won't see swapped or missing buttons anymore.

We also reworked how gamepad input is counted, so button presses and releases are now handled the same way as mouse clicks and key taps. This fixes skipped inputs on controllers like the PS5 DualSense and lays the groundwork for supporting more types in future updates.

📊 The Application Activity chart now scrolls back in time​

You can now scroll smoothly through the Application Activity chart beyond the usual 24-hour view. Whether you're analyzing productivity patterns or trying to figure out what app hijacked your Friday afternoon, you can now scroll back and dig in.

🌐 Better network stats​

We've started counting internet traffic separately from local traffic. You won't see it in the interface just yet, but you can already export it via the Export Wizard.

WhatPulse also now uses full packet capture (PCAP) again—ditching the older OS counters that weren't always reliable. The packet buffer is larger (256MB), immediate mode is enabled, and NIC buffering has been improved across platforms.

This upgrade means better accuracy and support for monitoring up to 10Gbit/s of traffic. Yes, really.

🌙 Dark mode refresh​

Dark theme lovers, rejoice! The app's dark mode has been updated to match the new WhatPulse website. It's sharper, sleeker, and easier on the eyes—especially if you're checking stats late at night.

⚡ Performance & reliability improvements​

Building on the performance enhancements of WhatPulse 5.9, a lot changed behind the scenes to make WhatPulse smoother and faster:

• App and database loading is significantly faster, even with years of local data.
• We introduced weekly database integrity checks and auto-repair for structural issues, improving long-term reliability.
• Interface lag is reduced, thanks to a new caching system.

If you've been using WhatPulse for a long time—or on multiple computers—this update should feel snappier right away.

🧠 Smarter incident handling​

• WhatPulse is now more resilient when your computer sleeps and wakes. We added more checks to avoid duplicate events and rare crashes.
• Network requests now have timeouts, so if something hangs, the app won't stay stuck in a “busy” state.
• The app can now log helpful stack traces in case of a crash, which will make troubleshooting easier if things ever go sideways.

🐧 Linux fixes & compatibility​

Linux users get a few quality-of-life improvements, including:

• Proper detection of light/dark theme settings
• Better window dragging on GNOME
• Correct toolbar button placement
• Support for detecting displays in mouse tracking

🐞 Bug fixes​

Here's a roundup of some of the most impactful fixes in 5.10:

• The keyboard heat map now groups apps more cleanly and shows full paths in tooltips.
• Windows: Fixed UAC prompts appearing for some users during update checks.
• Fixed a bug where deleting a profile caused its stats to be added to global totals (duplicating the stats).
• Fixed an issue where the updater didn't appear to upgrade the app, even though it did.
• Mouse details no longer show stale button data when switching time ranges, making the overview more accurate.
• Clicks at coordinates 0,0 are exiled for good, so you won't see clicks congregating at the top-left corner of your screen.
• Uptime chart no longer stretches the Y-axis to 24 hours when no data is present.
• Fixed a styling issue where startup error messages were unreadable if the app failed badly.
• Network time series now groups correctly by hour and day on multi-adapter systems (not used yet, but groundwork is in place).
• Fixed a bug where the Client API Swagger UI returned JSON instead of loading the page.

Be quick and collect the 5.10 badge!​

To celebrate the release, we're giving out a special 5.10 badge to anyone who upgrades to WhatPulse 5.10 in the next week (so before June 24th, 2025).

How to update​

You can grab WhatPulse 5.10 from the Downloads page or check for updates inside the app.

Already using it? We'd love to hear what you think. Join us on Discord or send feedback straight from your dashboard.

Thanks again to everyone who helped test this release—onward to the next one!

Martijn & the WhatPulse team

We've got a small but fun update if you're a TypeTest user and part of the WhatPulse community (or vice versa): you can now log in to TypeTest.io with your WhatPulse account. No new passwords. No switching tabs to figure out which email you signed up with. Just one account to rule them all.

And yep, that also means your WhatPulse profile and your typing stats are finally starting to talk to each other.

With this new login integration:​

• You can use your WhatPulse credentials to log into TypeTest
• If you already had a TypeTest account, it will automatically connect based on your email address
• Your TypeTest tests will now include a link to your WhatPulse profile
• And soon, you'll be able to show off your typing stats directly on your WhatPulse profile 🤫

If you're already a WhatPulse user, it's a no-brainer. Your data becomes more connected, more meaningful—and yeah, a bit more fun.

What to expect when logging in​

When you hit Login with WhatPulse on the TypeTest website, you'll be redirected to whatpulse.org to securely log in. Once authenticated, you'll land back on TypeTest, now signed in and connected. This also means that two-factor authentication (2FA) is supported, so your account security remains top-notch.

If you had an existing TypeTest account, it'll link up automatically—as long as your email addresses match. So double-check that your WhatPulse and TypeTest accounts use the same email for the smoothest experience.

And if you're new to TypeTest? No problem. A fresh account will be created and linked to your WhatPulse profile.

Improved account dropdown, too​

We also added a shiny new account dropdown on the TypeTest site. It makes it much easier to access your profile, see your tests, and manage your account.

It's not just about logging in; it's about making everything more seamless.

What's next?​

We're working on deeper integration between WhatPulse and TypeTest, so your typing stats can become part of the bigger picture—right next to your keystrokes, mouse clicks, and app usage.

We'll be adding typing test results directly to your WhatPulse public profile soon, so keep an eye out. And if you've got ideas for how else these two should connect, drop by the Discord and let us know.

Happy typing!

Martijn & the WhatPulse team

Hey everyone! I wanted to share something a bit different today - a productivity tool that I've been quietly using for months to keep myself focused and motivated. It's called Deep Work Streaks, and after several WhatPulse users asked if they could use it too, I decided to polish it up and make it available at whatpulse.org/deepworkstreaks.

The story behind it​

Like many, I struggle with staying focused with so many distractions. I've tried countless productivity apps, but they all seemed to be missing something - that satisfying feeling of maintaining a streak, that little dopamine hit you get when you see your progress visualized over time. Sound familiar? That's because it's the same principle that makes WhatPulse so fun!

So I built something for myself: a simple app that combines focused work sessions with streak tracking. I've been using it daily for months now, and honestly, it's become an essential part of my routine. The visual feedback of seeing my streak grow has been incredibly motivating.

What is Deep Work Streaks?​

At its core, the app is built around Cal Newport's concept of "deep work" - the ability to focus without distraction on cognitively demanding tasks. But I've made it flexible enough to work however you prefer:

The timer​

• Classic Pomodoro: 25-minute focus sessions with 5-minute breaks (fully customizable)
• Extended Deep Work: Crank up the timer to 2-3 hours if you're in the zone
• Flexible Breaks: Short breaks for quick sessions, longer breaks for extended work

The tasks​

• Simple task list to keep track of what you're working on today
• Task templates for common workflows (I have templates for "Writing content," "Feature building," "Planning the month," etc.)
• Complete tasks to extend your streak

The beautiful part: Streaks​

Both completing tasks AND finishing timer sessions extend your streak. You can use them together or separately - whatever works for your workflow. The app even includes weekend grace periods, so you won't break your streak if you choose to take weekends off.

Privacy and simplicity​

It's completely separate from WhatPulse accounts. No login required, no data sent anywhere - everything is stored locally in your browser. Your data stays on your device, period. Just you, your tasks, and your focus time.

How I use it (and how you might too)​

My typical workflow looks like this:

1. Start my day by reviewing my task templates and adding specific tasks
2. Fire up a 90-minute deep work session for coding or writing
3. Take a proper break (I actually step away from the computer)
4. Maybe do a few 25-minute Pomodoros for smaller tasks throughout the rest of the day
5. Glee at the streak visualization as it grows

But the beauty is in its flexibility. Some days I just use the timer without any tasks - perfect for reading or research where I don't have specific deliverables. Other days I focus purely on task completion without timing myself. Both approaches maintain the streak.

What's next?​

Right now, this is a standalone tool that has zero connection to WhatPulse accounts. There's a small possibility we might add optional WhatPulse integration in the future - imagine seeing your deep work streaks alongside your keystroke and click stats! But that's very much a "maybe someday" feature, and it depends entirely on how much people enjoy using the current version.

The app works perfectly as-is, and honestly, there's something pure about keeping it simple and local.

Try it out!​

Head over to whatpulse.org/deepworkstreaks and give it a spin. No account creation, no commitments - just open the page and start your first session. I'm curious to hear what you think and how you end up using it.

Will it work for everyone? Probably not. But if you're someone who gets motivated by streaks, enjoys the satisfaction of completing tasks, and wants to build better focus habits, it might just become as essential to your routine as it has become to mine.

Let me know on Discord how it goes - I'd love to hear about your workflows and whether the streak visualization gives you the same little dopamine hit that it gives me!

Happy focusing!

Martijn