Importing data from CSV

Flow Payroll uses one import wizard everywhere a CSV can be uploaded. Export a file from your HR platform or previous payroll system as-is — you don’t need to rearrange columns or match a fixed layout. The importer maps your columns to Flow’s fields, and once you save that mapping, every future export from the same system is recognised automatically.

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Where you can import

Each import accepts different columns, but the wizard itself always works the same way. Every import moves through five steps: Upload, Map Columns, Validate, Review, and Complete.

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Step 1 — Upload

Drag and drop a file, or click to browse. The importer accepts:

• CSV (.csv)
• Excel (.xlsx or .xls) — Flow picks the sheet with your data automatically
• One file at a time, up to 20 MB

You don’t need to clean the file first. The importer finds the header row on its own — title rows or notes above your data are skipped — and blank rows are ignored. Duplicate column names are kept apart automatically. Click Download template at the bottom of the upload step to get a starter file for that import: one header row with every available column, plus an example row showing the expected format. The same templates are available in each guide linked above — with a download link — so you can grab them without opening the wizard.

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Step 2 — Map Columns

The mapping step lists every Flow field with the CSV column it matched, a default value, and sample values from your file so you can sanity-check each match at a glance.

• Auto-matching — the importer recognises a wide range of header names for each field (“Date of birth”, “DOB”, and “BirthDate” all map to the birth date field). On employee imports each match also gets a confidence badge: green High confidence matches are safe to accept, amber Review match ones deserve a look.
• Required fields — fields marked * must be mapped before you can continue. The badges along the bottom of the step show each required field, green with a tick once it’s satisfied; click a badge to jump to its row.
• Default value — every field takes an optional default, applied whenever the CSV cell is empty or the field has no column at all. Setting a default satisfies a required field, which is handy when your export simply doesn’t carry a column Flow needs (for example, a fixed Payroll Config for every imported employee).
• Combine columns — on description fields you can build the value from several columns instead of one. Click Combine columns and type a template such as {Site} – {Shift}; typing { opens a column picker, and a live preview shows the result from your first row. If a column is empty for a row, the separator next to it is dropped, so you never import dangling dashes.
• Search — with long field lists (employee imports have 60+), use Search system fields… to jump to a field.

Payments and employee imports also let you attach tag mappings — tags applied to every imported row, from a CSV column or a fixed value. See running a pay run for details.

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Save the mapping once, reuse it forever

Mapping columns is a one-time job. When you’re happy with the mapping, click Save Mapping, give it a name — “BambooHR export”, “Sage payroll lines” — and it’s stored for your whole organisation. The next time anyone in your organisation uploads a file with the same structure, Flow recognises the headers and offers the saved mapping straight away: Click Use Selected Mapping and the wizard skips the mapping step entirely, jumping straight to validation — column matches, default values, combined-column templates, and tag mappings are all restored exactly as you saved them. Click Map Manually to ignore the suggestion and map from scratch. A few things worth knowing:

• Saved mappings are shared across your organisation and scoped to the import type — an employee mapping is never offered on a payments import.
• To change a saved mapping, load it, adjust the columns, and click Update mapping — or Save as new to keep both versions.
• Rename or delete a mapping from the pencil and bin icons wherever it’s listed.
• The Draft saved on this device badge in the save dialog refers only to the name you’re typing, kept in your browser. The mapping itself is only stored once you click Save Mapping.

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Steps 3 and 4 — Validate and Review

Every row is checked against the same rules as manual entry — formats, required values, and consistency (for example, that a pay element code actually exists). The review step then summarises the result in four cards — Total Rows, Valid, Warnings, Errors — and clicking a card filters the row table beneath it.

• Rows with warnings are imported. Warnings flag things worth checking — an unusually high amount, an odd postcode — but don’t block the row.
• Rows with errors are skipped. The import goes ahead with the valid rows; errored rows are left out.
• Errors can’t be edited in the wizard. Click Download Errors to get a CSV of just the failed rows with a column describing each problem, fix it in your spreadsheet, and re-upload — your saved mapping makes the second pass instant. Alternatively, go Back to mapping if the fix is a wrong column match or a missing default.

Click Import N Rows to run the import.

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Step 5 — Complete

The final step confirms how many rows were imported. If any rows failed at this stage — for example, a conflict with an existing record — they’re listed with the reason, and Download Failures gives you a CSV of just those rows to correct and re-import. On a fully successful import the page refreshes automatically after a few seconds.

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Where to go next