--- title: "Employee File" description: "Use a spreadsheet as your source of employees: download the sample file, fill the columns, upload it, and re-upload to update. The way to run Pyn without an HRIS." sidebar: label: Overview order: 0 area: integrations feature: employee-file appPath: /settings/integrations/available lastVerified: 2026-10-22 version: "2026-10-16" audience: admin related: - integrations - directory/employees - integrations/sync-and-matching - integrations/sample-data intercom: - id: "16755797" title: How to Upload Employee Data Manually (Pyn 2) url: https://intercom.help/pyn/en/articles/16755797-how-to-upload-employee-data-manually-pyn-2 note: replaces - id: "16755703" title: Connect to your HRIS (Pyn 2) url: https://intercom.help/pyn/en/articles/16755703-connect-to-your-hris-pyn-2 note: draws on - id: "6024080" title: How to upload employee data manually (Pyn 1) url: https://intercom.help/pyn/en/articles/6024080-how-to-upload-employee-data-manually-pyn-1 note: "Pyn 1 article, kept for reference" --- Employee File turns a spreadsheet into your employee directory. Each row is one employee, each column a Pyn property, and every upload is an upsert by employee id: new rows are added, changed rows are updated. Pyn validates the file before anything is saved and tells you which rows and columns it could not read. ## Before you start - You are an admin or owner. - Prepare a CSV, XLS or XLSX whose column headers are the property names below. **Download Sample File** gives you a CSV with every column and five example rows. - Every row needs `employeeId` and `primaryEmail`. For employees in the US, Canada or Australia, give a `timeZone` or a `postalCode` with the `country`, or Pyn cannot place them in a zone. ![The Employee File integration under Installed, with the upload panel open.](https://support.pynhq.com/media/integrations/employee-file/integrations-employee-file-tile.png) ## Connect 1. In Pyn, open **Settings** in the left navigation, then **Available** under **Integrations**. 2. Select the **Employee File** tile; its cover reads **File Upload**. Pyn creates the integration and opens its panel: "Upload a spreadsheet of your employees to get started. Use the sample file to see the expected columns." 3. Select **Download Sample File** and build your file on it, keeping the header row. 4. Select **Upload** and choose your file. The panel shows **Uploading...** while it validates and saves. 5. On success it reads "Success! Uploaded n records. Head over to the Directory to see employees after processing completes. This can take a minute or two." If rows fail, the panel lists them under "There were n errors found in the uploaded file:" with the row and the problem, for example `Unknown country: "Engalnd"`, `Could not determine timezone from country "United States". Add a postal code or choose a time zone.` or `Invalid birthday format. Expected MM-dd, dd/MM, yyyy-MM-dd or ISO8601 datetime.` Fix those rows and upload again; the valid rows were saved. ## What syncs | Column | Required | Notes | | --- | --- | --- | | `employeeId` | Yes | Your stable id for the person; uploads match on it | | `primaryEmail` | Yes | Work email, also used to match Slack and Google accounts | | `displayName`, `legalName`, `preferredName`, `jobTitle` | | | | `personalEmail`, `secondaryEmail`, `avatarUri` | | Personal email is used for pre-boarding | | `status` | | `active`, `inactive` or `leave` | | `startDate`, `terminationDate`, `tenureDate` | | `yyyy-MM-dd` | | `birthday` | | `MM-dd`, `dd/MM`, `yyyy-MM-dd` or an ISO date-time | | `country`, `postalCode`, `timeZone` | | Country as a name or ISO code; time zone as an IANA name such as `Europe/London` | | `businessUnit`, `department`, `division`, `location`, `team` | | Become demographics and groups | | `managerId`, `buddyId`, `hrbpId`, `mentorId` | | The `employeeId` of the related person | There is no scheduled refresh; the file is read when you upload it. The **Advanced** tab lists **Fields in Employee File** with a count per column. You can also add one person at a time with **Add employee** in [Employees](https://support.pynhq.com/directory/employees/), which asks for **Full name**, **Preferred name**, **Work email**, **Personal email**, **Start date**, **Country**, **Time zone** and **Manager**, and adds them as an upcoming joiner. ## Test it Open [Employees](https://support.pynhq.com/directory/employees/) a minute or two after the upload. Active rows appear under **Active**, future start dates under **Upcoming**, and `status` of `inactive` under **Inactive**. Open a person to check their manager link. ## Reconnect or disconnect There are no credentials. Upload a new file to change data; rows absent from a later file are left as they were. **Deactivate** keeps the data but ignores uploads; **Activate** re-enables them. ## Troubleshooting | What you see | What it means | | --- | --- | | "The uploaded file was empty" | No data rows below the header, or the header row is missing. | | A row error naming `country` or `postalCode` | The country name was not recognised, or the postal code did not resolve to a zone. Add `timeZone`. | | A manager is not linked | `managerId` does not match any row's `employeeId`. | | Someone shows twice | Their `employeeId` changed between uploads. Keep ids stable. | ## Related - [Integrations](https://support.pynhq.com/integrations/) for the HRIS alternatives. - [Employees](https://support.pynhq.com/directory/employees/) to check the uploaded records and add one person. - [Sync cadence and matching](https://support.pynhq.com/integrations/sync-and-matching/) for how ids and emails match. - [Sample Data](https://support.pynhq.com/integrations/sample-data/) to try Pyn with a fictional roster instead. ## Related Intercom articles - [How to Upload Employee Data Manually (Pyn 2)](https://intercom.help/pyn/en/articles/16755797-how-to-upload-employee-data-manually-pyn-2) — replaces - [Connect to your HRIS (Pyn 2)](https://intercom.help/pyn/en/articles/16755703-connect-to-your-hris-pyn-2) — draws on - [How to upload employee data manually (Pyn 1)](https://intercom.help/pyn/en/articles/6024080-how-to-upload-employee-data-manually-pyn-1) — Pyn 1 article, kept for reference