Check both the import preview and the final result. A row may pass the preview but fail to save if data or permissions change before you commit it. A partially successful import does not mean you should import every row again.
The file will not open
Use a file format supported by the import. For CSV imports, save an Excel file as CSV first. Renaming its extension is not enough.
Check that the preview separates columns correctly and maps required data to the right fields. CSV imports recognise common separators, but use them consistently within the file. Use a date format such as 2026-04-01.
A staff row is rejected
Check the email address and the names of the unit and working-time model. Names must match records in Kelomo. A staff import can contain up to 500 rows.
Skipped may mean the person already exists. Read the result before importing again. Correct an existing person’s details on their page; do not create another person to fix a typing error.
A time entry is rejected
Check the following:
- The employee is identified by email address or exact name.
- The entry type must exist and be valid on the entry’s date.
- The row needs start and end times or a duration. An end time before the start is treated as the following day.
- A batch can contain up to 5,000 rows, with up to 20 time entries per day.
- A confirmed day or locked payroll period prevents replacement of time entries.
Imported time entries are saved as day drafts and can replace existing entries. When correcting an import for a day, check all the entries needed for that day. Do not import only a missing row assuming it will be added alongside the others.
If you also import absences, check their results separately: processing an absence is not the same as saving a draft time entry.
A balance row is rejected
Check the employee, balance account or leave type, value and effective date. Create a missing balance account and preview again. Also check the unit: balance accounts use hours, while leave types use days.
Do not import previously recorded opening balances as a new batch without checking the earlier result. An opening balance creates a balance transaction.
The imported records are wrong
Correct an individual time entry in the day draft. Reversing a time import can remove drafts created by that batch, but days already edited or confirmed may be left unchanged. Reversing a balance import creates offsetting transactions. Staff imports have no equivalent reversal action.
See Importing data for the steps for each import. Check the consequences before confirming a reversal.