How do I sync employee data with Nectar using SFTP? | Nectar Help Center

How do I sync employee data with Nectar using SFTP?

Automate your employee data sync to Nectar by using Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP). This setup ensures your user data stays current.

Written by Marissa Tingey
January 29, 2026

SFTP Overview

Save time and reduce manual work by connecting your HRIS to Nectar via Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP). SFTP is like a locked, secure mailbox where your HR system automatically “drops off” employee data files for Nectar. Only authorized systems, using the provided SSH Key, can open it and pick up the contents. This allows employee data to automatically sync into Nectar — keeping your user list accurate and up to date.

Setting up SFTP may require assistance from your IT team or HRIS integration specialist, depending on your system’s capabilities. Some HRIS providers may charge a setup fee for enabling custom exports.

Is SFTP Right for Your Team?

Before you start the process, you will want to determine if SFTP is the right User Provisioning method for your team. We recommend having a discussion with your Customer Success Manager to determine if SFTP is how you should proceed. In most cases, SFTP is going to be our top recommendation for user provisioning as it provides the most customization and easiest troubleshooting process.

Step 1: Create a Custom Report

You’ll first need to create an employee data report in your HRIS that includes all users you want to sync to Nectar. This report will serve as the source of truth for your user data.

Our SFTP File Template is the same as our Bulk Upload template. If you have any questions about what to include after reviewing the below table, please let your Customer Success Manager know.

❗ Expand to see more - What to Include on the File

❗ Highlighted columns are required. If any of that information is missing, the user will not be synced.


File Header	Corresponding Nectar Field	Purpose
first_name	First Name	Will show as their first name unless they have a Preferred Name set in which case this is only visible on their profile page
last_name	Last Name	Will show as their last name - currently no option for Preferred Last Name
preferred_name	Preferred First Name	Will display on the frontend instead of the First Name ⬇️
		This will only sync if the field is blank in Nectar! This is to allow user’s control over this field themselves. SFTP cannot be used to change this field, just fill it in for the first time.
email	Email	This will set the email their account is created with and uses. We recommend using work emails. ⬇️
		This is the unique identifier if you don’t use EEID or if that EEID is not unique across the account.
employee_id	Employee ID	This will act as the unique identifier over email if it is unique across the account. This means if the email changes on the report and we have this field, the email will update in Nectar seamlessly instead of creating a duplicate account. *Highly encouraged to use!!!*
manager_email	Manager’s Email	This will properly assign Manager roles/permissions and assign their teams in Nectar. This automates things like Team Insights and other Analytics.
department	Department	This will set the user’s department. ⬇️
		Functionality is for our system to ignore any special characters or spaces here to avoid any duplicate departments being created.
birth_date	Birthday	We do not process birth year. This is a required field if you want to send birthday shoutouts.
hire_date	Hire Date	We do need the year here so we can properly process the anniversary award. This is a required field if you want to send anniversary shoutouts.
office_location	Office Location	Sets their office location which can be filtered for in Analytics and utilized in Group Give.
active	Active	This is an optional field. See more below and discuss with your CSM if you need this.
phone_number	Phone Number	Used for Internal Comms SMS capabilities.
country_code	Country	Used to lock rewards and for PPP.
language	Language	Used for Internal Comms language translation.
$CustomField or _CustomField	Maps to the matching Custom Property	This will create and/or update Custom Properties. The character in front is what tells our system it’s a Custom Property and different systems can use one or the other.*

Tips:

Include Employee ID’s

Employee IDs, or EEIDs, act as a unique identifier for each user coming through an SFTP integration. When included in a your HRIS report, Nectar uses the EEID to accurately match and update existing users — even if other details like name or email change. This ensures that data stays consistent and users aren’t accidentally duplicated.

Determine If You Need the Active Column

When an SFTP integration is configured, only users included in the HRIS export file can exist in your Nectar account.

This means if someone isn’t listed in your report, they’ll be automatically deactivated each time a new file syncs.
Sometimes you may want to include users not managed in your HRIS, such as contractors or international employees.

Solution 1 (Recommended)

If you need the ability to manually add users to Nectar (outside of the SFTP connection) without those users being deactivated during syncs — there’s a way to configure this!

1️⃣ Update the SFTP Report
You need to add a new column to their SFTP export titled active.

2️⃣ Automate Status Changes
You will need to be sure that active column will be automated based on each user’s employment status.

3️⃣ Configure active Column Use with CSM
Once your SFTP report includes the active column, you can let your Customer Success Manager know and they will configure that on our end so we read that column with your syncs.

Step 2: Generate an SSH key pair

An SSH key pair ensures that your data is transferred securely between your HRIS and Nectar.

To generate keys:

Use your HRIS or SFTP client’s key generation tool.
Confirm that the key format is OpenSSH (not SSH2).
Copy the public key and paste it into Nectar under Workspace Settings → Integrations → HRIS SFTP Sync → Public Key field.

⚠️ Note: Your private key should never be shared with Nectar or anyone outside your organization.

Step 3: Connect Your HRIS/SFTP Client to Nectar

Use the below information to create the server connection:

Field	Description
Protocol	SFTP
Authentication Level	Public key
Host / Hostname	Provided in Nectar on the Integrations page
Username	Provided in Nectar on the Integrations page
Port	22
Destination Directory	Use Root
Delivery Directory	/csvs-to-be-processed/username
Outbound File Name	Whatever you’d like, but must have the file extension of .csv or .xlsx
Export File Type	CSV (preferred) or XLSX
Delivery Frequency	We recommend a daily schedule in the early morning M-F. You can check with your CSM to make sure this schedule is best for your team.
Nectar Technical Contact	Your CSM will be the technical contact for Nectar.
File Encryption	None. SFTP already encrypts by default.

Step 4: Email Invitations

On the Integrations page within your Nectar account, there’s a setting to send invites to new users created through the sync.

This setting defaults to and should remain OFF until launch to prevent invitations from being sent prematurely.
After launch, you can turn it ON if desired, and Nectar will automatically send an email invitation to any new users created through the SFTP sync.

Step 5: Verify and Test Your Connection

After setup:

Run a test export from your HRIS.
Check with your Nectar representative to confirm the file was received and processed correctly.
Once verified, you can schedule automatic file transfers (usually daily or weekly).

Troubleshooting

If you experience issues syncing your data:

Confirm your file headers match the Nectar field naming and formatting requirements.
Check that your public key was added correctly.
Ensure your SFTP client or HRIS has permissions to connect to Nectar’s server.
Have your Customer Success Manager ensure that things are configured properly on Nectar’s backend.