What syncs
Every approved timesheet is split into pay types first (regular, overtime, double time, holidays, break premiums, time off), using each site’s rules. Here’s where each lands in Custom payroll file.
| ClockLap | Sent as | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Pay types | Your codes: REG, OT, DT, HOLW, HOL, PREM, VAC, SICK, PERS | Rename freely |
| People | Name, first, last, email, employee number, ID in payroll | – |
| When | Period start and end, work date, clock in and out | – |
| Where | Location, project, department, cost centre | – |
| Amounts | Hours, pay amount when known | – |
| Corrections | “Y” in a correction column | – |
How it works
- Start from a presetOne row per person and pay code; one row per person (a column per pay type); one row per day; one row per shift; or a semicolon file with day/month dates.
- Pick and order columnsRename headers to exactly what your import expects.
- Set formatsComma, semicolon, tab or pipe; ISO, US, day/month or compact dates; decimal hours or hh:mm; 0 to 4 decimals; a file name pattern like hours_{period_start}_{period_end}.csv.
- Map pay codesYour payroll’s code for each pay type.
- Pick delivery and timingDownload, email or SFTP, by hand or on a schedule.
Schedules and review
Choose when hours go to Custom payroll file. Whatever you pick, nothing is sent twice: each period has one send, and anything after it is a correction.
I’ll send each period myself
Nothing goes until an admin presses Send. The default.
When the pay period is locked
Locking the period in Timesheets starts the send.
When every timesheet is approved
The last approval in the period starts the send.
On a schedule
A set number of days after the period ends (0 to 14), at a local time you pick.
- Which timesheets. Approved only (default), or approved and submitted.
- Rounding. Hundredths of an hour (default) or quarter hours.
- Split by. None, location, project or department, each mapped to the payroll system’s department or cost centre code.
- Holiday hours worked. As their own pay type (default) or folded into regular hours.
- Empty lines. People with no hours in the period are skipped.
- Unmatched people. Skip them and warn (default), or block the whole send until they’re matched.
Corrections, as changes
Fixed a missed clock-out after payroll went? Send the period again and ClockLap works out what changed since the last send.
A correction file carries only the differences, and can mark them with a “Y” correction column.
People
Matched by email, employee number or an external ID; the “ID in payroll” column uses whatever was matched.
People who can’t be matched are listed in the preview: skip them with a warning (default) or block the send until they’re matched.
The file
Example: one row per person and pay code. Columns: Employee ID Name Pay code Hours Period start Period end
Delivered by download (kept with the run), email to up to 20 people, or SFTP: ClockLap checks the server, pins its host key on the first connection and writes under a temporary name before renaming, so a payroll system watching the folder never picks up half a file.
What you need
- Your payroll system’s import layout (a sample file is ideal)
- Pay codes as your payroll names them
Every run keeps a history: who and what was sent, per-line results, plain-language errors with a fix, and a redacted request log for admins. Webhooks fire on payroll.run_ready, payroll.run_sent, payroll.run_failed.
Questions
Can I have one connection per country or entity?
Yes. Add as many connections as you need, each limited to certain locations, with its own layout and schedule.
Is the Custom payroll file connection included in the price?
Yes. Payroll and HR connections are part of every ClockLap plan: $1 per staff member and $2 per manager or admin a month, with no add-ons.
Is ClockLap affiliated with Custom payroll file?
No. ClockLap connects to Custom payroll file using files it can import; it isn’t affiliated with or endorsed by Custom payroll file. The connection is generally available.