How long is a Pomodoro?

Twenty-five minutes of work followed by a five minute break, with a longer break of 15 to 30 minutes after every fourth block. Those lengths are a starting point and adjustable here.

Can I change the timer lengths?

Yes. Work, short break, long break, and how many rounds before the long break are all adjustable. A 50 and 10 split suits deep work better than 25 and 5.

Does the timer keep running if I switch tabs?

Yes. It tracks elapsed real time rather than counting frames, so switching tabs, minimising the window, or locking the screen will not slow it down or lose your place.

Should I skip breaks when I am in flow?

Occasionally, yes. Losing a train of thought costs more than a delayed break. But skipping breaks as a habit is why people run out of focus by mid-afternoon, so treat it as the exception.

Pomodoro timer

Twenty-five minutes of work, five off, a longer break every fourth round. Adjustable if that split does not suit you.

Runs in your browser. Nothing is sent, saved, or shared.

Focus

00:00

0 rounds done

Jump to

Focus

min

Short break

min

Long break

min

Rounds before long

Changing a length reloads the current phase, so adjust while paused. The timer tracks real elapsed time, which means switching tabs or locking your screen will not slow it down.

Try 50 and 10 for work with a long warm-up, such as writing or debugging. Try 15 and 5 on a day when nothing is starting.

What the technique actually is

Work in a fixed block, stop when it ends, take a short break, repeat. After four blocks, take a longer break. The original used a kitchen timer shaped like a tomato, which is where the name comes from.

The mechanism is not concentration. It is that a 25 minute commitment is small enough to start, and starting is the part most people are stuck on. Once the timer runs, continuing is easy.

Stopping when the timer goes is the hard part

The instinct when a block ends mid-flow is to push on. Resist it more often than not. The break is what makes the next block possible, and people who skip breaks tend to get three good rounds and then nothing for the rest of the afternoon.

That said, the rule is not sacred. If you are deep in something that is going well, finishing the thought costs less than losing it. Breaking flow on principle is its own kind of unproductive.

When 25 minutes is the wrong length

For work with a long warm-up, such as writing or debugging, 25 minutes can end just as you get going. Fifty minutes with a ten minute break suits that better, and this timer lets you set it.

The reverse is also true. On a day when nothing is starting, 15 minutes is a lower bar to clear, and three short rounds beat one long one you never began.

What to do in the break

Stand up and look at something further than arm's length away. Both matter, and the second one more than people expect, because sustained close focus is a large part of why screen work is tiring.

Checking messages does not count as a break. It is a different task with its own load, and coming back from it costs the same re-entry as any other interruption.

How to use the Pomodoro technique

1
Decide what you are working on
One task, chosen before the timer starts. Choosing while the clock runs wastes the block.
2
Start a 25 minute block
Work only on that task until the timer ends. Note distractions on paper rather than acting on them.
3
Take the five minute break
Stand up, look away from the screen. Do not start something you cannot stop in five minutes.
4
Take a longer break every fourth round
Fifteen to thirty minutes. This is what makes the afternoon rounds possible.

Questions people ask

How long is a Pomodoro?: Twenty-five minutes of work followed by a five minute break, with a longer break of 15 to 30 minutes after every fourth block. Those lengths are a starting point and adjustable here.
Can I change the timer lengths?: Yes. Work, short break, long break, and how many rounds before the long break are all adjustable. A 50 and 10 split suits deep work better than 25 and 5.
Does the timer keep running if I switch tabs?: Yes. It tracks elapsed real time rather than counting frames, so switching tabs, minimising the window, or locking the screen will not slow it down or lose your place.
Should I skip breaks when I am in flow?: Occasionally, yes. Losing a train of thought costs more than a delayed break. But skipping breaks as a habit is why people run out of focus by mid-afternoon, so treat it as the exception.