Comparison of clock-in methods

1. Overview

DingTalk supports four attendance methods: location-based clock-in, Wi-Fi clock-in, Zhidian Bluetooth clock-in, and Time Clock clock-in. Admins can refer to this article to learn the use cases, advantages, and disadvantages of each method, and select the option that best fits their Organization.

2. Details

Clock-in method	Use case	Advantages	Disadvantages
Location-based clock-in	Suitable for Organizations with a fixed Work Location that allow users to clock in within a designated range (for example, 3,000 meters).	1. Supports mobile clock-in: Users can clock in without waiting in line, improving efficiency. 2. Supports clock-in via facial recognition. 3. Enables field attendance management: Users can also perform field clock-in when working outside or from home. 4. Easy to configure: Simply add a Location to the attendance group to complete the setup.	1. Location accuracy is easily affected: Positioning accuracy depends on the mobile device and signal strength, and in extreme cases may deviate by hundreds of meters. 2. Mobile clock-in only: Users can only clock in from a mobile device.
Wi-Fi clock-in	The Work Location has office Wi-Fi, allowing users to connect to the Company Wi-Fi to clock in, and provides a relatively complete MAC address.	1. Supports mobile clock-in: Users can clock in without waiting in line, improving efficiency. 2. Supports clock-in via facial recognition. 3. Enables field attendance management: Users can also perform field clock-in when working outside or from home.	1. Multiple inconsistent MAC addresses: Users may be marked as field clock-in even when they are within the designated range. 2. Mobile clock-in only: Users can only clock in from a mobile device.
Zhidian Bluetooth clock-in	Suitable for Organizations with a fixed Work Location that require users to enter the Time Clock’s Bluetooth detection range to clock in.	1. Supports mobile clock-in: Users can clock in without waiting in line, improving efficiency. 2. Anti-cheating: Users must clock in at a designated Location using a designated device, which effectively prevents cheating.	1. Mobile clock-in only: Users primarily clock in from a mobile device. 2. High device management cost: Additional hardware must be purchased.
Time Clock clock-in Buy DingTalk Time Clock now	Suitable for Organizations with a fixed Work Location that require users to clock in via methods supported by the Time Clock (such as card swipe, fingerprint, or facial recognition). Common in factories, banks, and similar workplaces.	1. Anti-cheating: Users must clock in at a designated Location using a designated device, which effectively prevents cheating.	1. Limited use cases and low clock-in efficiency: Mobile clock-in is not supported, so users must wait in line during peak hours. 2. Field clock-in not supported: Users must be physically present at the Time Clock’s Installation Location to clock in. 3. High device management cost: Additional hardware must be purchased.

3. FAQ

What can I do if the Time Clock does not support field clock-in?

To work around the fact that the Time Clock does not support field clock-in, Organizations can use location-based clock-in and Time Clock clock-in together to cover both on-site and field attendance. Go to DingTalk mobile app > Workbench > Attendance > Settings > Global Settings > Add attendance group, or edit an existing attendance group, then go to Clock-in method > Location-based clock-in and turn Location-based clock-in On.

Quick start

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Clock-in methods

Anti-cheating and security

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Scheduling

Attendance FAQ

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3. FAQ