What is the Pomodoro Technique?

Developed by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s, the Pomodoro Technique involves working in focused intervals (originally 25 minutes, named after a tomato-shaped kitchen timer) separated by short breaks. After four intervals, a longer break follows. The structure is designed to maintain focus while preventing cognitive fatigue. Review this figure each week to see whether your actual usage matches your plan.

Can I customize the timer intervals?

Yes. The classic 25/5/15 setup works for most tasks, but longer intervals suit deeper work. Many people prefer 50-minute focus periods with 10-minute breaks for writing, coding, or analysis. Shorter intervals (15 minutes) work well for tasks that require frequent context switching. Adjust all three durations to match your workflow.

Why does the browser tab title change?

When the timer is running, the page title updates to \\\"[MM:SS] Pomodoro | OnSumo\\\" every second. This lets you see the remaining time at a glance from any other tab without switching back. When the session ends, the title returns to normal and the audio notification fires.

Does it track sessions across days?

The session log covers your current browser session. Closing the browser clears the log. Your timer settings (durations, long break interval, auto-start) are saved in browser storage and persist between sessions. If you want to track daily Pomodoro counts over time, note your total at the end of each day.

What is the auto-start breaks option?

When enabled, the break timer starts automatically when a focus session ends, and the next focus session starts automatically when the break ends. This removes the friction of clicking Start repeatedly and keeps the rhythm continuous. Useful for high-output work blocks where you do not want any interruption to the cycle.

Can I pause the timer?

Yes. Pause stops the countdown at its current value. Resume continues from where it left off. The Pomodoro purist view is that pausing breaks the session's integrity, if you are interrupted enough to need a pause, it may be more productive to reset and start fresh. That is your call to make.

Pomodoro Timer

Run focus blocks with short and long breaks, session logging, and tab title countdown.

Settings

Focus (min)Short break (min)Long break (min)Long break after

SoundTask name (optional)

Auto-start breaks after focus

Ready

25:00

Session 0 of 4 · Today: 0 sessions · 0 min focus

Timer and session log stay in your browser for this visit. Only settings are saved locally.

How this tool works

Click Start. The timer counts down from 25 minutes (or your custom duration). When focus time ends, an audio notification plays and the timer switches to a 5-minute short break. After 4 focus sessions, the timer switches to a 15-minute long break. You can adjust all durations, set how many sessions trigger the long break, and toggle auto-start for breaks.

Worked example

Settings: 25-minute focus, 5-minute short break, 15-minute long break, long break after 4 sessions. Task: "Write quarterly report." Session 1: 09:00-09:25. Short break: 09:25-09:30. Session 2: 09:30-09:55. Short break: 09:55-10:00. Session 3: 10:00-10:25. Short break: 10:25-10:30. Session 4: 10:30-10:55. Long break: 10:55-11:10. Total focus time: 1 hour 40 minutes. 4 sessions logged.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the Pomodoro Technique?
Developed by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s, the Pomodoro Technique involves working in focused intervals (originally 25 minutes, named after a tomato-shaped kitchen timer) separated by short breaks. After four intervals, a longer break follows. The structure is designed to maintain focus while preventing cognitive fatigue. Review this figure each week to see whether your actual usage matches your plan.
Can I customize the timer intervals?
Yes. The classic 25/5/15 setup works for most tasks, but longer intervals suit deeper work. Many people prefer 50-minute focus periods with 10-minute breaks for writing, coding, or analysis. Shorter intervals (15 minutes) work well for tasks that require frequent context switching. Adjust all three durations to match your workflow.
Why does the browser tab title change?
When the timer is running, the page title updates to \\\"[MM:SS] Pomodoro | OnSumo\\\" every second. This lets you see the remaining time at a glance from any other tab without switching back. When the session ends, the title returns to normal and the audio notification fires.
Does it track sessions across days?
The session log covers your current browser session. Closing the browser clears the log. Your timer settings (durations, long break interval, auto-start) are saved in browser storage and persist between sessions. If you want to track daily Pomodoro counts over time, note your total at the end of each day.
What is the auto-start breaks option?
When enabled, the break timer starts automatically when a focus session ends, and the next focus session starts automatically when the break ends. This removes the friction of clicking Start repeatedly and keeps the rhythm continuous. Useful for high-output work blocks where you do not want any interruption to the cycle.
Can I pause the timer?
Yes. Pause stops the countdown at its current value. Resume continues from where it left off. The Pomodoro purist view is that pausing breaks the session's integrity, if you are interrupted enough to need a pause, it may be more productive to reset and start fresh. That is your call to make.