SFTP (SSH File Transfer Protocol) automatically moves employee data between your HR system and Tilt every day, so employee records, leave surveys, and pay calculations stay current without manual data entry.
Who this applies to / Prerequisites
- HR admins who manage employee data in Tilt
- IT partners or HRIS administrators helping connect your company's HR system to Tilt
- Companies that update employee data often and want to stop uploading files by hand
- You need an HRIS or other HR system that can send and receive files over SFTP
Steps
- Your HRIS system exports an employee data file.
- Your IT team sends that file to Tilt through SFTP — on a schedule or ad hoc.
- Tilt reads the file and creates or updates employee accounts and payroll information.
- Tilt drops leave-related data into an exports folder every night, so you can pull it back into your HRIS.
What if it doesn't work
- Employee accounts missing from the file upload get deactivated. See "Why is my SFTP import failing, and what file format does Tilt require?"
- New or updated employee data doesn't show up in Tilt — confirm SFTP is actually turned on. See "How do I set up SFTP file integration in Tilt?"
- Data changes you made manually in Tilt disappeared — once SFTP is running, manual edits get overwritten by the next scheduled import. This isn't a bug; the import is the source of truth.
Limits and exceptions
- SFTP doesn't currently support exporting payroll data out of Tilt — only employee profile and leave data flow through it.
- Tilt doesn't automatically deactivate HR or Payroll users through implicit termination. You have to deactivate those accounts manually.
- Once SFTP is set up, all employee data must be managed through the import. You can't mix manual edits with automated imports going forward.
Related questions
- How do I set up SFTP file integration in Tilt?
- Why is my SFTP import failing, and what file format does Tilt require?
- How do I manually import employee profile data?
- How do I deactivate an employee's account?