Anyone exporting a file from an attendance device for the first time.
Which Attendance File Formats and Devices Are Supported
WatheeqaHR reads Excel (.xlsx, .xls) and CSV exports and detects the layout automatically — you do not need a specific device or a fixed template. It handles the three layouts biometric devices commonly produce, and recognises the check-out codes used by ZKTeco, Hikvision and Suprema families. If a column is not recognised you can map it by hand once, and the mapping is saved for next time.
Steps
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Export whatever your device produces
There is no required export format. Devices from ZKTeco, Hikvision, Suprema, Dahua and eSSL all export attendance differently, and firmware changes the layout even within one brand — which is why WatheeqaHR detects the layout from the file rather than asking you to match a template. Export the standard attendance or transaction report as Excel or CSV.
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Check which of the three layouts you have
Layout 1 — one row per employee per day, with separate check-in and check-out columns. Layout 2 — one row per punch, with a single column holding the full date and time together, for example 2026-05-13 08:54. Layout 3 — one row per punch, with the date in one column and the time in another, which is what most raw ZKTeco exports look like. All three are read automatically.
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Let the column detection run
Employee identifier columns are matched across the many names devices use — AC-No, Emp No, Employee ID, Person ID, User ID, Badge No, Card No, PIN, Enroll No and the Arabic equivalents. Date, time, check-in and check-out columns are matched the same way. The date format is inferred from the values themselves, so both 13/05/2026 and 05/13/2026 are read correctly.
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Confirm the check-in and check-out codes
When a file has one row per punch, a column usually says whether the punch was an entry or an exit, and every device family words it differently. WatheeqaHR treats these as check-out: out, check out, checkout, clock out, off duty, exit, the numeric code 1, the single letter o used by legacy ZKTime exports, T&A Out used by Suprema BioStar, and the Arabic انصراف and خروج. Anything else is treated as a check-in.
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Map anything that was not recognised, once
If a column is not detected, the import screen lets you point at the right one yourself. Save it as a mapping template and every future export from the same device is read without asking again.
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Review before it reaches payroll
Every import goes through review before it can affect salaries. Missing punches, duplicate reads, unusually long shifts and days nobody attended are surfaced there. Approving the import is a separate step, restricted to an owner or admin.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a specific attendance device?
My ZKTeco file has a Date column and a Time column, but the Time column contains the full date and time. Is that a problem?
What if the file has no punch-type column at all?
Can I try this without uploading real employee data?
Does importing attendance calculate salaries automatically?
Still need help?
Contact your account owner/admin, or reach our support team from inside the app.
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