Imports let you add or change data for many records at once from a spreadsheet: employees, awards, company structure and financial reporting rates. You choose what to import, upload a file, match its columns to fields in Optio and fix any errors before anything is saved. Every import is recorded, so you can always see what it did.
Imports sit under Imports in the left-hand menu. The page has two tabs: Imports directory, where you start an import, and Import log, where you find every import run for your company.
Worth knowing: an import that changes existing records (Update existing) writes every column you match, including empty cells. Read How to update existing records with an import before your first update.
Before you start
- You need admin access to your company in the portal.
- Records you refer to must exist first. For example, import employees before you import awards for them.
- Have your data in a spreadsheet.
Open the Imports directory
- Select Imports in the left-hand menu.
- The Imports directory opens. Imports are grouped by area. Each card describes what the import does and offers one or more actions, each with its own Template.
| Area | Import | Actions |
|---|---|---|
| Employees | Employee | Add new, Update existing |
| Employees | Employee salary | Add new or update existing |
| Employees | Employee dimension | Update existing |
| Employees | Employee bank details | Add new or update existing |
| Employees | Document assignment | Update existing |
| Employees | Mobility | Add new |
| Awards | Awards | Update existing |
| Awards | Transaction | Add new, Update existing |
| Awards | Program | Add new by tranches, Add new by awards |
| Company structure | Company structure | Add new, Update existing |
| Financial reporting | Currency conversion rates | Add new or update existing |
| Financial reporting | Turnover rates | Add new or update existing |
The directory only shows the imports your access allows. Currency conversion rates and turnover rates appear when the matching financial reporting features are active for your company.
Choose the right action
| Action | What it does |
|---|---|
| Add new | Creates records. Use it for new employees, new transactions or new entities. |
| Update existing | Changes records that already exist. Each row is matched to a record through an identifying column, such as the company email for employees. |
| Add new or update existing | Used for rates and other reference data. |
Prepare your file
You can start from the template or from a file you already have.
- Use the template. Select Template next to the action you need. The template holds exactly the columns that import accepts, and each column header carries a note that explains the field, whether it is required and which values it takes. Download a fresh template each time, since columns can be added over time.
- Use your own file. An export from your HR or payroll system works as it is. Column names do not need to match anything, because you match each column to an Optio field during the import. Columns you do not match are ignored, so there is no need to strip the file down first.
A few things make a file go through cleanly:
- Format date columns as dates in Excel, not as text. Dates stored as text may not be read correctly.
- Put one record on each row.
- Values are read in context. A country can be written as a code or a name (NO or Norway), and small typos are matched to the right value. Check the suggested values in the review step.
- For the Program import, pick the action that matches your file: one row per tranche (Add new by tranches) or one row per award (Add new by awards).
Upload your file and match the columns
- On the card, select the action you need, for example Add new on the Employee card. Your file browser opens.
- Select your file. The import opens in a guided flow.
- Confirm which row in your file holds the column names.
- In Match columns, choose the Optio field each column holds, or ignore the column. Suggested matches are a starting point: check each one before you continue.
Two labels tell you what a field needs:
| Label | What it means |
|---|---|
| Required | Every row needs a value in this column. |
| Must be matched | The column identifies which record a row belongs to, so the import cannot run without it. You see it on Update existing imports. |
Fix errors before you submit
The review step checks every row before anything is saved. It checks the format of each value and also checks against your company's data, for example that an employee you refer to exists.
- Cells with a problem are marked. Select a marked cell, read the message and correct the value in place.
- Use the tools in the review step to work faster: show only rows with errors, find and replace a value across the file, or correct the same mistake in every row at once.
- To reformat a whole column, use Transform data and describe the change in plain words. Name both the current format and the one you want, for example: "Dates are written as 31.12.2025. Change them to 2025-12-31." A vague instruction gives a poor result, so check the column afterwards.
- When the file is clean, select Finish and confirm.
You can submit while some rows still have errors. Those rows are not imported, and they show as ignored in the import details.
Check the result
After you submit, the import details page opens and shows progress while the import runs. When it finishes, you see how many rows were created or updated, how many failed and how many were ignored, with a reason next to each failed row.
Open the records themselves to confirm the result, for example the Employees page after an employee import. For more on reading the outcome and downloading what changed, see How to review an import and download its changes.
What participants see
Importing employees does not send them an invitation or any other notification. Awards created through an import show in the participant's portal in the same way as awards created one by one. If your awards need to be accepted, acceptance is set up separately.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Do I have to use the template?
A: No. Any spreadsheet works, as long as you match its columns to Optio fields during the import.
Q: Is my file uploaded anywhere before I submit?
A: Your file is read and checked in your browser. Nothing is saved to your company's data until you submit.
Q: Can I undo an import?
A: No. Every import records what it changed, and you can download those changes from the import details. See How to review an import and download its changes for how to correct a mistake.
Q: What happens if I run the same file twice?
A: An Add new import creates the records again where the data allows it. Check the Import log before you re-run a file.
Related articles
- How to update existing records with an import: how to change records safely, and why empty cells matter.
- How to review an import and download its changes: read the outcome of an import and download what it changed.
- How to merge employees: combine duplicate employee records.
- Managing employee mobility: mobility records and their dates.