This article explains how to import multiple documents to the corresponding employee profiles. To upload a single document or use document templates, learn how to add documents to an employee profile.
Before you start
- To import documents, you need edit permissions for Documents import. Users with Document import permission can import documents for all employees only. It's not possible to limit the document import to specific employee groups. Learn more about import permissions.
- Imports cannot be reverted. Make sure the data you're importing is correct, and consider importing a small data set first to test the results.
- All files must follow specific naming conventions for automatic employee matching. Refer to the section below on how to prepare files for import.
- If you plan to use the employee ID in your file names, you must first create a custom "Employee ID" attribute in Personio and mark it as a unique value. This is different from the internal Personio ID that Personio automatically assigns to each employee.
- Use the employee's legal name (not preferred name) when creating file names to ensure proper matching.
Prepare files for import
Before uploading any files to Personio, make sure you save all file names using one of the formats below. These naming conventions help Personio auto-match uploaded files to the correct employee.
- Firstname_Lastname_Category_ddmmyyyy
- Firstname_Lastname_Category_dd.mm.yyyy
- EmployeeID_Firstname_Lastname_Category_ddmmyyyy
- EmployeeID_Firstname_Lastname_Category_dd.mm.yyyy
- EmployeeID___Category_ddmmyyyy
- EmployeeID___Category_dd.mm.yyyy
Tip:
Create the long bar between Employee ID and Category (as seen in the last two format types above) with three consecutive underscores "_ _ _".
Special cases
See the table below for special cases or exceptions when naming files.
| Case | More information |
| Additional details in the file name | Include additional details in the file name after the date. Use an underscore "_" to separate them. For example: EmployeeID___Category_dd.mm.yyyy_additional details |
| Employee ID attribute | When including the Employee ID in a file name, the "Employee ID" attribute in Personio must be in English or German and use one of these: "Employee ID", "Employee Number", "Mitarbeiter ID", or "Personalnummer". |
| Underscores in a file name | Only use underscores to separate the different parts of a file name. For example, between a Last name and a Category. Do not use underscores inside a single part, like within category name. Use spaces within parts instead. |
| Multiple surnames | If an employee has multiple surnames, separate the surnames with a space (not an underscore). For example: Firstname_FirstLastname SecondLastname_Category_ddmmyyyy |
| No category or date in the file name | If you don't include the category and date in the file name, Personio still assigns the document to the right employee. You need to manually select the document category and date. |
Upload multiple files using the Import feature
Check that all files are correct. Then, follow these steps to upload multiple files at once:
- Go to Settings.
- Under Organization, click Imports.
- Select Documents as the import type and click Next.
- Select or drag-and-drop all the documents into the files field. You can upload up to 100 documents with each import.
- Configure the columns for each document uploaded. Ensure the correct Employee, Category, and Document date is assigned. Edit as necessary.
- To delete a document from the list, select the checkbox next to the file name and click Remove.
- Click Upload to complete the import.
Personio scans documents for viruses. Once imported, go to the Documents tab of the relevant employee profile to view them under the assigned category.
Tip:
Your IT department can create an API integration that automatically uploads several documents to the respective employee profiles. Find all the technical documentation in our Developer Hub.
Next steps
- Learn how to access and edit documents in the employee profile.
- Learn how to use a template to create a document for multiple employees.