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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.

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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