How to Set Up SFTP in Confido

SFTP lets you exchange files securely:

You manage your file configurations and mappings in Confido.

Your Confido team sets up the connection and provides the server address, port, username, authentication instructions, and folders assigned to your company.

For example, your folders may be named To_Confido and From_Confido. Use the actual folders provided for your company.

Note: A working connection allows files to be transferred. File configurations and mappings determine what those files contain and how they are processed.

You need customer admin access to manage file configurations. Your ERP's export settings describe the files it sends; its import requirements describe the files it can receive. Use those settings to configure the appropriate sections below.

Everything below lives under Integrations → Business Systems:

Screenshot 1. Integrations → Business Systems. File configurations and SFTP runs appear once your Confido team has set up the connection.
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Both screens have Imports and Exports tabs. Imports are the files your ERP sends to Confido; exports are the files Confido creates for your ERP.

Confido supports importing open invoices, customers, items, and shipments. Follow the steps below for each file format you send.

Use CSV or delimited text files. An Excel workbook (.xlsx) is not supported by this import workflow. Changing a workbook's filename to .csv does not convert it; export it as CSV instead.
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Screenshot 2. Choosing what kind of data a new configuration handles.

New configurations start with their required fields already added, and they open expanded so you can fill them in. Saved configurations start collapsed — click a configuration's title to open it.

Screenshot 3. An open invoice configuration.

You can have multiple configurations for the same type of data, such as invoice files from different folders or with different formats. Give each configuration a distinct folder and filename pattern so it is clear which files it handles. Select the subsidiary that should receive the data, or use your company's default subsidiary.

​Note: The file type cannot be changed after a configuration is saved. If you picked the wrong one, deactivate it and add a new one.

Use the filename exactly as it will arrive, or use * to match a changing part of the name.

For example, Invoices_*.csv matches both:

Match the capitalization used by your ERP. Use Invoices_*.csv rather than a date placeholder such as Invoices_{YYYYMMDD}.csv. Date placeholders are not expanded automatically.

Keep folders out of the filename pattern. Put them in Inbound path instead.

The inbound path is relative to the upload folder provided by your Confido team.

If your upload folder is To_Confido:

Do not enter the upload folder again, a leading slash, or a full server address. Folder matching is exact: invoices does not also include invoices/archive.

​Tip: Avoid overlapping patterns such as *.csv and Invoices_*.csv in the same folder. Confido uses the first matching configuration; it does not import the same file through every matching configuration. Ask your Confido team for help if existing patterns overlap.
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Match these settings to the file your ERP actually produces:

Each data row should have the same number of columns. In a comma-separated file, quote values that contain commas. For example, the amount 1,250.00 should appear as "1,250.00" in the CSV.
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Reconciliation determines what happens to records already in Confido when they are missing from a new file.

Add new records and update matching records using their IDs. Records absent from the file remain unchanged.

Use this when your ERP sends only new or changed records. For example, a file containing two updated invoices changes those invoices without closing other invoices.

Treat the file as the complete set for the import's reconciliation scope. Missing records can be changed even though they do not appear in the file:

Important: Only choose this when every file contains the complete expected set. A snapshot's effect can extend beyond records imported by that specific filename pattern. Confirm the scope with your Confido team before using multiple snapshot configurations for related data.

An empty full snapshot is rejected. When rows are rejected, Confido skips missing-record reconciliation for that run; inspect the errors before sending or rerunning a corrected file.

Replace the shipment lines for each invoice represented in the file. Existing lines missing from that invoice's new set are removed. Invoices not represented in the file are left unchanged.

For example, invoice INV-1001 currently has lines L1, L2, and L3. A file containing only L1 and L2 for that invoice removes L3 from its active lines. Include every line you want to retain for each invoice you send.
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A mapping connects a value in your file to a field in Confido. Your column names do not need to match Confido's field names.

For each destination field:

Screenshot 4. One completed mapping: the Invoice ID column in the file fills the Invoice ID field in Confido.
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Use the exact header from the file, including capitalization and spacing.

Example: map your Invoice ID column to the Invoice ID field. A cell containing INV-1001 becomes that invoice's external ID in Confido.

Note: If a file has duplicate column names, a column-name mapping uses the first occurrence. Use column numbers to distinguish repeated headers.

Use this for files without headers or with duplicate header names. Column numbers start at 1: column 1 is the first column, 2 is the second, and 3 is the third.

For the row INV-1001,CUST-001,1250.00, column 1 contains the invoice ID and column 3 contains the balance.

A fixed value supplies the same value for every row, without reading a column.

For example, map the fixed value USD to the Currency iso field if every invoice in this configuration uses US dollars. You can also map true to the Is customer field.

Note: Choose one type per source. Do not use a fixed value for a record's unique ID, because every row would receive the same ID.

Every required field needs a mapping and a nonblank value on each row. Use stable IDs from your ERP; changing an ID can create a new record instead of updating the existing one.
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1. Open invoices

Required: Invoice ID.

Other supported fields: Number, Customer ID, Open balance, Total amount, Invoice date, Due date, Paid on date, and Currency iso (a code such as USD or CAD).

For a useful open-invoice import, include the customer ID and open balance as well as the invoice ID. A new invoice uses its ID as the invoice number when no number is mapped.
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2. Customers

Required: Customer ID.

Other supported fields: Name, Parent ID, Is customer, and Is vendor.

For the customer and vendor flags, use true or false. Values such as Yes, No, 1, and 0 are not accepted by these fields.
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3. Items

Required: Account number.

Other supported fields: Remote ID and Name. If a remote ID is not supplied, the account number is used as the ID.

In this accounting import workflow, Items refers to account records, not the product catalog. Check with your Confido team if your ERP uses "items" to mean products or SKUs.
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4. Shipments

Required: Invoice ID (the parent invoice) and Line ID.

The parent invoice must exist in the selected subsidiary. Each line needs a stable ID within its invoice.

Other supported fields: Description, Unit price, Quantity, Total amount, Item ID, Account ID, and List price. Shipments also accept Custom shipment field, for values your ERP sends that have no standard Confido field.

Transforms clean or convert individual values before they are saved. They run in the order you choose, separately for each source, before values are combined.

Screenshot 5. Three transforms on Open Balance, applied in order.

For a quoted CSV value of "(1,250.50)", apply:

Note: These are the supported transforms. If your file needs a different conversion, reach out to your Confido contact before completing setup.
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Use + Add source to give one Confido field more than one source, then set the combine mode on each.

Use this when one Confido field is made from several source columns. Set their order and the separator before each subsequent value.

Screenshot 6. Division and Customer Code joined into one Customer ID, with a dash before the second value. A file containing 01 and ABC produces 01-ABC.

Empty parts are skipped, including their separator. If the second part is empty, the result is 01, not 01-.
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Use this when you have a preferred column and a fallback. Put the preferred source first.
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Example: use Display Name; if it is blank, use Legal Name. A blank display name and a legal name of Larkspur Foods Ltd produce Larkspur Foods Ltd.
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Note: This is a fallback for blank values, not errors. If a transform fails on the first source, the row is rejected rather than falling back to the second source.
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Suppose your ERP exports:

Invoice ID,Customer ID,Invoice Date,Open Balance,Currency

INV-1001,CUST-001,09/10/2026,"1,250.50",USD

INV-1002,CUST-002,09/11/2026,75.00,USD

Configure Invoices_*.csv for Open invoices, with comma delimiter, headers enabled, and UTF-8 encoding. Use Incremental if this file contains only new or changed invoices.
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Add these mappings:

The first row identifies invoice INV-1001, sets its customer ID to CUST-001, its invoice date to September 10, 2026, and its open balance to 1250.50.
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Important: A newly saved configuration is active immediately, but it cannot import successfully without the required mappings.

Screenshot 7. Import history. Each row is the latest attempt for an uploaded file, with the rows imported and rejected. Use the status filters to show only the runs that need attention.

Statuses you will see: Queued and Running while the file is being processed, Successful when every row imported, Partially imported when some rows were rejected, Failed when nothing imported, and Stalled when processing stopped without an outcome.

Click a row to see its attempt history and the reason rows were rejected.

Screenshot 8. The attempt history for a partially imported file, including the error that rejected four rows.

Saving a configuration does not automatically reprocess earlier files. If a run failed because of a configuration issue, correct the settings and use Rerun. A rerun uses the same uploaded file contents with the current configuration, and earlier attempts stay in the history. If the contents themselves need correction, upload a corrected file.

You can also download the original file from the File column to check exactly what was sent.

For shipments, send the parent invoices first. Confido briefly waits for invoice imports that are still processing, but it cannot create shipment lines for an invoice that never arrives.

Exports create CSV files from Confido data for your ERP to collect and import. Configure the output using your ERP's file-import requirements.

Open File configurations and switch to the Exports tab. The outbound folder your files are written to is shown above the list.
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Choose a file type and click + Add File Type:

Create separate configurations when your ERP expects separate files or layouts.
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Screenshot 9. An Apply checks export.

Set the outbound subfolder, filename template, and CSV options to match your ERP's requirements. Confirm whether your ERP expects column headers and which delimiter it accepts.
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Import filename patterns select files that already exist. Export filenames name files Confido creates. Do not copy an import wildcard such as Invoices_*.csv into an export filename.
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Use {{date}} or {{datetime}} in the filename template if each delivery needs a distinct filename. They are filled in with the scheduled UTC date or time, and Confido shows an example filename below the field.
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For imports, the source is your file and the destination is a Confido field. For exports, the source is a Confido field and the destination is a column in the file your ERP receives.

For each output column, click + Add output column, then:

Screenshot 10. One output column.

Drag the handle at the left of a column to reorder columns. Unused column numbers produce empty columns.

For example, if your ERP expects a payment identifier under a header named ReceiptID, map Payment ID to that output column. If the ERP requires the same company code on every row, use a fixed value.

Important: Required export columns are determined by your ERP and the type of file it accepts. Include each required column, in the correct order and format. The required fields listed in the import section are not an export specification.

Only use fields and transforms available for the selected export type. If your ERP needs a value or conversion that is not available, contact your Confido team.
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Exports run once a day, on the hour, at the Daily export time (UTC) you choose. UTC does not shift with daylight saving time, so the local time of the export moves by an hour twice a year. Arrange for your ERP to collect files after they are generated.

​Note: Export scope controls what Confido puts in the file. It does not control whether your ERP adds, replaces, or duplicates records when it reads that file.

Use Exclude rows (optional) if your ERP should not receive certain rows — for example, rows whose amount is zero. Exclusions are applied to Confido's values before any transforms run.
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Save the configuration. Saving a new export enables its daily schedule.

After the scheduled export, check SFTP runs → Exports, then confirm in the outbound folder that your ERP accepts the file's headers, column order, and values.

Screenshot 11. Export history. Delivered means the file is in the outbound folder; it does not confirm that your ERP accepted it.
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A file being delivered successfully does not mean your ERP has imported it successfully. Check the ERP's import result before relying on the scheduled exchange.
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Open the Imports tab, click Deactivate on the configuration, then confirm the change. Future files will no longer match that configuration. Deactivation preserves the configuration, its mappings, and import history; it does not undo data already imported or cancel an import already in progress.

Screenshot 12. Deactivate the configuration you no longer want files matched to.

Screenshot 13. The confirmation. Existing imports and history are kept.

Deactivated configurations are hidden from your list. Contact your Confido team to reactivate one.
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Note: If another active configuration matches the same files, those files can still be imported through that configuration.
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Save or discard any unsaved changes before deactivating a configuration.

Exports are paused rather than deactivated. On the Exports tab, click Pause on the configuration and confirm. Scheduled exports stop, and existing files and history are kept. Click Resume to start the schedule again.

The run shows as Failed with the type Unclassified. Check the filename, capitalization, inbound folder, and whether the configuration is active. Remember that folders match exactly and filenames use wildcards rather than date placeholders.

Add mappings for every required field for the selected file type. If the mappings exist, check that the corresponding cells are not blank. Adding a file configuration alone does not create its mappings.

Check the header text, delimiter, and Has header setting. For mappings by column number, confirm that the column exists in every row and that the ERP has not changed the column order.

Compare the failing value with the configured transform. Check date order, thousands separators, parentheses, and currency symbols. Correct the file or the transform settings, then try again.

Open the run and read its error details for the affected rows and fields. Typical causes include blank required IDs, invalid values, and inconsistent column counts. Do not assume that every row imported successfully because the run created some records.

Check that the parent invoice was imported into the same subsidiary and that the shipment's Invoice ID matches the invoice's Invoice ID exactly.

Ask your Confido team to investigate duplicate existing records before rerunning. Changing the mapping to an unrelated ID can create additional duplicates.

Review the reconciliation mode and whether the file contained a complete snapshot. Contact your Confido team before sending another snapshot if its scope is unclear.

Reach out to your Confido contact. Share the relevant filename, file type, and error message through your usual support channel. For exports, include any error reported by your ERP. Do not include SFTP passwords or private keys.