Run Payroll Using a CSV Upload in Humanised
On this page
- What is a CSV payrun, and when should you use one?
- Step 1: Open the Payroll module and choose CSV
- Step 2: Download the CSV template
- Step 3: Fill in the CSV — column headers explained
- Tell Humanised which pay items are EPF/ETF and APIT liable
- Step 4: Upload the CSV and review the import
- Step 5: Create the draft payroll
- Step 6: Review the draft and save the payrun
- What’s next?
- Frequently asked questions
- What file format does Humanised accept for a CSV payrun?
- Where do I download the CSV template?
- How does Humanised know what each value in the CSV means?
- How do I set which pay items are EPF/ETF and APIT liable?
- How do I enter overtime and no-pay in the CSV?
- Can I edit the figures after uploading?
- What is the difference between Create Draft and Save?
- What do the Errors and Update tabs show?
In short: To run payroll using a CSV in Humanised, open the Payroll module, click Start Payroll Using CSV, download the template, and fill in each employee’s pay items. Humanised reads your column headers to map basic salary, allowances, deductions, overtime and no-pay days, then lets you review, edit and create a draft before saving the final payrun.
What is a CSV payrun, and when should you use one?
A CSV payrun lets you prepare an entire month’s payroll in a spreadsheet, then upload it to Humanised in one go instead of editing each employee on screen. It is the fastest way to run payroll when you already track salaries, allowances, overtime and deductions in a spreadsheet, or when you have a large number of changes to make in a single cycle.
Humanised reads the column headers in your CSV to decide what each value means — basic salary, a fixed allowance, a variable allowance, a lump sum, a deduction, no-pay days or overtime. Get the headers right and the rest is automatic.
Before you start, make sure your employees are added and up to date in the system, and that your account has permission to run payroll. If you are not sure who can run payroll, see user access roles and permissions in Humanised.
Step 1: Open the Payroll module and choose CSV
From the left-hand menu, open the Payroll module. At the top you will see your Total Payroll Last Month and the Next Payroll Date, with a list of Active Payruns below.
You can start a payrun two ways: Start Payroll for the standard on-screen flow, or Start Payroll Using CSV for the bulk upload covered in this guide. Click Start Payroll Using CSV.
Step 2: Download the CSV template
On the Payrun Using CSV screen you will see the Import Salary Details panel. Click the Download link to get the sample salary details sheet — this is your template, already laid out with the correct columns. The uploaded file must be a CSV.
The on-screen How to upload file? steps summarise the process: fill in your payroll details, save the spreadsheet as a CSV, then upload it to process your payroll.
Step 3: Fill in the CSV — column headers explained
This is the part that matters most. Humanised identifies each pay item by the header at the top of its column. Use these exact patterns (the colon, where shown, is required):
| Column header | What it captures |
|---|---|
Basic Salary | The employee’s basic salary |
Fixed Allowance:<name> | A fixed allowance — the colon is required |
Allowance:<name> | A variable allowance |
Lump Sum:<name> | A lump-sum pay item (most often a bonus) |
Deduction:<name> | A deduction |
No Pay | No-pay entered as a number of days — no colon |
OT:<OT type> | Overtime entered as a number of days, using an OT type configured in your company settings |
The text after the colon is the name of that pay item — for example Fixed Allowance:Transport, Allowance:Incentive, Lump Sum:Bonus, Deduction:Loan. For overtime, the value after the colon must match an OT type set up in your company settings, for example OT:Normal.
Tell Humanised which pay items are EPF/ETF and APIT liable
At the top of the CSV there are two control rows that flag, per column, how each pay item is treated:
- EPF/ETF — enter
Yesif the pay item is EPF/ETF liable, orNoif it is not. - APIT — enter
Yesif the pay item is APIT liable, orNoif it is not.
Set these to match how each pay item is treated for your company. A simplified layout looks like this:
| Basic Salary | Fixed Allowance:Transport | Allowance:Incentive | Deduction:Loan | No Pay | OT:Normal | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EPF/ETF | Yes | Yes | No | No | — | — |
| APIT | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | — | — |
| (employee rows below) | 140000 | 5000 | 10000 | 2000 | 1 | 2 |
The Yes/No values above are illustrative — set them to match your own pay items and company configuration; they are not a tax ruling. No-pay and overtime are entered as a number of days in the employee rows, not as liability toggles. Always verify current EPF, ETF and APIT treatment against the latest IRD and EPF guidance.
Once your headers and the two control rows are correct, fill in each employee’s values and save the spreadsheet as a CSV.
Step 4: Upload the CSV and review the import
Back on the Payrun Using CSV screen, click Select File, choose your saved CSV, then click Import.
Humanised displays everything from your file in a table so you can check it before going further, with the reminder to double-check that employee data is correct before importing. Two tabs help you focus: All Employees shows every row, and Updated shows only the rows whose values changed in this upload. Use the Edit link on any row to fix a value on the spot.
Step 5: Create the draft payroll
When the imported data looks right, click Create Draft. Humanised builds a draft payrun from your CSV — nothing is finalised yet, so you still have a chance to make changes.
Step 6: Review the draft and save the payrun
You land inside the draft on the Salary Information screen, which shows summary totals — Employee Count, Total EPF, Total ETF, Total Net Salary and Total Cost to Company — above the full employee table.
Use the tabs to review the run: Payroll is the full list, Errors filters to any rows that need attention, Update shows the values that changed, and Log Trail records the activity on this payrun. For any last-minute change, click Edit on the relevant row.
When everything checks out, click Save and follow the on-screen instructions to generate the payroll. If you need to start over, Delete Pay Run removes the draft, and Back returns you to the previous screen.
What’s next?
- Make sure new joiners are in the system first — onboard employees via email.
- Check who in your team can run a payrun — user access roles and permissions.
- Compare Humanised with other options — best payroll software in Sri Lanka.
Frequently asked questions
What file format does Humanised accept for a CSV payrun?
Only a CSV file. Fill in a copy of the template Humanised provides, then save it as CSV before uploading. Any spreadsheet can be saved as a CSV.
Where do I download the CSV template?
On the Payrun Using CSV screen, click the Download link in the Import Salary Details panel. It gives you the sample salary details sheet with the correct columns already in place.
How does Humanised know what each value in the CSV means?
By the column header. Basic Salary, Fixed Allowance:, Allowance:, Lump Sum:, Deduction:, No Pay and OT: each map to a specific pay-item type. The colon is part of the header where shown, and the text after the colon names that pay item.
How do I set which pay items are EPF/ETF and APIT liable?
Two rows at the top of the CSV — EPF/ETF and APIT — let you mark each pay-item column Yes or No. Set them to match how your company treats each item.
How do I enter overtime and no-pay in the CSV?
Use a No Pay column (no colon) and an OT:<OT type> column, where the OT type matches one set up in your company settings. Both are entered as a number of days in each employee’s row.
Can I edit the figures after uploading?
Yes — twice. After importing, you can edit any row on the review screen before clicking Create Draft. Once the draft is created, you can edit again on the Salary Information screen before you click Save.
What is the difference between Create Draft and Save?
Create Draft turns your imported CSV into an editable draft payrun. Save finalises that draft and generates the payroll once you follow the on-screen instructions.
What do the Errors and Update tabs show?
Errors filters to rows that need attention before you can finalise, and Update shows the values that changed in this run, so you can confirm only what moved.
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