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CSV Integration via SFTP

 

The ClickTime + CSV (SFTP) integration provides a simple way to exchange data between ClickTime and systems without a native connector. It supports inbound (your system sends files to ClickTime) and outbound (your system retrieves files from ClickTime) CSV transfers through secure SFTP.

IMPORTANT: This integration is implemented by ClickTime (not self-service). ClickTime will provision an SFTP endpoint and folder structure, and work with you to validate mappings and scheduling.  This integration is available to customers on the Premier Plan and above.

Interested? Email support@clicktime.com.

 

 

Quick Start Checklist

  • ✅ You can send and receive files over SFTP.
  • ✅ You can produce or consume CSV files (UTF-8, comma-delimited, quoted as needed).
  • ✅ You’ve identified data owners, field mappings, and a transfer schedule.

 

How to Get Started

  1. Email support@clicktime.com to request an SFTP integration.
  2. ClickTime will provision:
    • An SFTP host, username, and authentication method (SSH key or password).
    • A simple folder structure:
      • /in — drop files here for ClickTime to process (inbound flow).
      • /out — pick up files here generated by ClickTime (outbound flow).
  3. We’ll confirm file naming, mappings, and schedule, then run a test cycle (one sample file in each direction).
  4. Once validated, we’ll activate the schedule and monitor the initial run with you.

 

What Flows Are Supported

Inbound to ClickTime (/inbound — your system ⟶ ClickTime)

Drop CSV files into /inbound to automatically update data in ClickTime. Common inbound use cases include:

  • Employee/User provisioning — name, email, department, active status, etc.
  • Client, Project, or Task creation — master data synchronization.
  • Pre-load rate or cost information for financial or departmental rollups.
  • Trigger: File arrival in /inbound
  • Frequency: On delivery (event-driven) or scheduled polling
  • Validation: Header and schema checks; invalid rows are skipped and logged

 

Outbound from ClickTime (/outbound — ClickTime ⟶ your system)

Retrieve CSV files from /outbound for downstream systems such as payroll, ERP, or BI tools. Common outbound exports include:

  • Approved Timesheets — project, employee, date, hours, billable flag, and notes.
  • Detailed Time Entries — line-level data for reconciliation or analysis.
  • Project or Client lists — reference data exports for reporting.
  • Trigger: Scheduled export (hourly, nightly, or weekly)
  • Frequency: As configured during implementation

 

File Specs & Formats

Transport

  • SFTP over SSH (key-based authentication preferred).
  • UTF-8 encoding; maximum size and row limits are agreed upon during setup.

Naming & Frequency

  • Use consistent file naming, e.g., ct_timesheets_YYYYMMDD_HHMM.csv.
  • Each run should produce one file per direction.

CSV Conventions

  • Comma-delimited, double-quoted as needed (RFC-4180).
  • Dates in ISO-8601 (YYYY-MM-DD); datetimes as UTC.
  • Booleans as true/false or Y/N.

Common Schemas

Inbound: Users
employee_id,first_name,last_name,email,status,start_date,department
12345,Avery,Nguyen,avery@example.com,Active,2024-01-08,Consulting
Inbound: Projects
project_code,project_name,client_name,status,start_date,end_date
P-1001,Website Redesign,Acme Corp,Active,2024-02-01,2024-06-30
Outbound: Approved Timesheets
employee_email,period_start,period_end,entry_date,client,project,task,hours,billable,notes
avery@example.com,2024-03-18,2024-03-24,2024-03-19,Acme Corp,Website Redesign,Design,6.0,true,"Homepage wireframes"

 

Requirements

  • ClickTime: Team, Premier, Enterprise, or Nonprofit plans.
  • SFTP: Capability to send/receive files using SSH key or password.
  • Contact: An internal owner to validate mappings and monitor transfers.

 

Known Limitations

  • CSV only: Other flat-file formats (XLSX, JSON) are not supported.
  • Schema enforcement: Files must match the agreed column headers and order.
  • Transport only: No built-in archive or error folder; files are handled per schedule.

 

Troubleshooting & FAQs

👆 We dropped a file but nothing happened.
  • Confirm the file was placed in /inbound (not another folder).
  • Ensure the filename matches the agreed pattern and ends with .csv.
  • Check for proper UTF-8 encoding and header consistency.
👆 Our downstream system can’t read the file from ClickTime.
  • Confirm you’re pulling from /outbound and using the correct schema version.
  • Make sure your importer handles quoted commas and multi-line fields.

 

Feedback & Support

Questions or want to set up an integration? Email support@clicktime.com.

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