The Pomodoro Technique splits work into 25-minute focus sessions separated by 5-minute breaks, with a longer break of 15 to 30 minutes after every four sessions. With a 15-minute long break, one full round takes 2 hours and 10 minutes: 100 minutes of focused work, three short breaks and one long break.
Our free Pomodoro timer runs those intervals in your browser. It starts with the classic 25, 5 and 15 minutes and a long break every four sessions, moves from focus to break on its own and counts the sessions you finish. This guide explains how the technique works, how to adapt the intervals and how to get the most from each session.
What is the Pomodoro Technique?
Francesco Cirillo developed the method in the late 1980s while he was a university student, using a tomato-shaped kitchen timer. Pomodoro is Italian for tomato, and each focus session is called a pomodoro.
The technique works for three reasons. A fixed, short block makes it easier to start a task you have been putting off. Regular breaks keep tiredness from building up over a long day. And counting finished sessions gives you a simple measure of effort, which makes it easier to estimate how long similar work will take next time.
How to do the Pomodoro Technique
- Choose one task. Write it down so it is clear what the next 25 minutes are for.
- Start a 25-minute focus session.
- Work only on that task. If a distraction or a new idea comes up, note it on paper and get back to work.
- Take a 5-minute break when the session ends. Stand up, stretch or get a drink, and step away from the screen.
- After four sessions, take a long break of 15 to 30 minutes.
- Repeat, and keep count of the pomodoros each task takes.
What one full round looks like
Here is a round with the default settings, starting at 9:00 AM:
| Step | Length | Clock time |
|---|---|---|
| Focus 1 | 25 min | 9:00 – 9:25 |
| Short break | 5 min | 9:25 – 9:30 |
| Focus 2 | 25 min | 9:30 – 9:55 |
| Short break | 5 min | 9:55 – 10:00 |
| Focus 3 | 25 min | 10:00 – 10:25 |
| Short break | 5 min | 10:25 – 10:30 |
| Focus 4 | 25 min | 10:30 – 10:55 |
| Long break | 15 min | 10:55 – 11:10 |
Two rounds take you from 9:00 AM to 1:20 PM with eight pomodoros, or 3 hours and 20 minutes, of focused work.
Choosing your intervals
Twenty-five minutes is a starting point, not a rule. Longer sessions suit work that takes a while to get into, such as writing or programming, while shorter ones help on low-energy days or with tasks you are avoiding. These are common setups and how to enter them in the timer:
| Setup | Focus | Short break | Long break | Long break every |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Classic | 25 min | 5 min | 15 min | 4 sessions |
| Short sprints | 15 min | 3 min | 15 min | 4 sessions |
| Deep work | 50 min | 10 min | 30 min | 2 sessions |
| 52/17 | 52 min | 17 min | 17 min | 4 sessions |
Try one setup for a week before changing it. If you keep stopping early, shorten the focus time; if you are still deep in a task when the break starts, lengthen it.
How to use the Pomodoro timer
- Open the Pomodoro timer.
- Under Durations, set Focus, Short break and Long break in whole minutes, and Long break every to the number of focus sessions before a long break. The minimum for each is 1. While the timer is stopped, the clock updates as soon as you change a value.
- Press Start. Pause stops the countdown, and Start picks it up again.
- When a countdown reaches zero, a short chime plays and the timer moves straight into the next stage and keeps running: a short break after each focus session, a long break after every few sessions, then focus again. The session counter, such as "Sessions 2/4", shows how far you are through the round, and starts again from 0 after the long break.
- To jump to a stage yourself, choose Focus, Short break or Long break. The clock stops and resets to that stage's length. Reset stops the clock and sets it back to the full length of the current stage.
The timer runs entirely in your browser. It keeps time by the clock rather than by counting ticks, so it stays accurate in a background tab, and while it runs the tab title shows the time left. The chime tells you when a stage ends, so you can keep the timer in another tab, but leave sound on and the tab open: closing it or going to another page stops the timer.
Tips for better pomodoros
- Plan in pomodoros. Estimate each task in sessions instead of hours. If a report needs about two hours, budget five pomodoros. To spread a bigger project over the time you have, count the days to the deadline with the date difference calculator.
- Protect the session. Silence notifications and put your phone out of reach. If something urgent interrupts you, stop, deal with it and start a fresh pomodoro rather than counting a broken one.
- Batch small tasks. Email replies, quick messages and filing fit well together in a single pomodoro.
- Use breaks for your body. Stand, walk and look at something far away. Refilling a glass of water on each break also helps you reach the daily amount suggested by the water intake calculator.
- Measure your output. For writing, paste each session's text into the word counter to see how many words a typical pomodoro produces.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Pomodoro Technique?
It is a time-management method that alternates 25-minute focus sessions with 5-minute breaks and takes a longer break after every four sessions. Francesco Cirillo created it in the late 1980s and named it after his tomato-shaped kitchen timer.
How long is a pomodoro?
A classic pomodoro is 25 minutes of focused work, followed by a 5-minute break. Many people adjust it to between 15 and 50 minutes to suit their work.
How many pomodoros should I do in a day?
There is no fixed number. Eight to twelve pomodoros, about 3 to 5 hours of focused work, is a productive day for many people, since the rest of the day goes to meetings, messages and breaks.
Can I change the timer's intervals?
Yes. Set the focus, short break and long break lengths in whole minutes, and choose how many focus sessions come before each long break. The defaults are 25, 5 and 15 minutes, with a long break every 4 sessions.
What happens when a session ends?
A short chime plays and the timer switches to the next stage, then keeps counting down without waiting for you, so a focus session flows into its break. After the long break, the session count starts again for a new round.
Is the Pomodoro Technique good for studying?
Yes. Short, timed sessions make it easier to start revising and to stay with one subject, and the breaks help you avoid long, unproductive stretches. Use one pomodoro per topic or per set of practice questions.