Payroll & Finance

Exporting to Sage

Step-by-step instructions for exporting timesheet data to Sage 50, Sage Business Cloud, or as a Detailed CSV, and importing the files into Sage.

5 min read

Before You Start

What you need for a Sage export.

Before you start

  • Access to the TempClock manage portal (/manage)
  • Admin or Manager role with payroll/reports access
  • Approved timesheet entries for the period you want to export
  • Sage 50 or Sage Business Cloud installed and set up with your employees
Important

Make sure all timesheets are approved before exporting. Only approved entries are included in the export file. See the Approving Timesheets guide if you need help with this.

Open the manage portal

Log in to your TempClock manage portal.

Go to Reports

In the sidebar, click Reports to expand the reports section.

Click "Sage Export"

Under Reports, click Sage Export. This opens the dedicated Sage export page with format options, filters, and a preview table.

Choose Your Export Format

Pick the right format for your version of Sage.

TempClock supports three export formats for Sage users. Choose the one that matches the version of Sage you use:

Export Format Selection
Choose export format
Sage 50
CSV format compatible with Sage 50 Payroll import
Sage Business Cloud
CSV format compatible with Sage Business Cloud Payroll
Detailed CSV
Full breakdown with every shift on a separate row
Sage 50

One row per worker with aggregated hours. Designed for the Sage 50 Payroll import wizard.

Sage Business Cloud

One row per worker, formatted for Sage Business Cloud Payroll. Includes field headers that match Sage's expected layout.

Detailed CSV

One row per shift with full detail (clock-in/out times, location, rate rule). Useful for auditing or custom integrations.

Tip

Not sure which version of Sage you use? Sage 50 is the desktop software (installed on your computer). Sage Business Cloud is the online version you access through a web browser.

Filter and Preview

Check the data before downloading.

Set the date range

Use the date range picker to select the pay period you want to export. This is usually a specific week or month that aligns with your payroll schedule.

Filter by client or location (optional)

If you need to export data for a specific client or location, use the Client and Location dropdowns to narrow the results.

Review the preview table

The preview table shows exactly what will be included in the exported file. Check that the workers, hours, and pay amounts look correct before downloading.

Export Preview
Date Range
03 Mar – 09 Mar 2026
Client
All Clients
Location
All Locations
Preview — 3 workers, 15 shifts
Employee ID Name Hours OT Hours Gross Pay
EMP-0042 Sarah Johnson 40.0 8.0 £624.00
EMP-0043 James Peters 40.0 0.5 £570.50
EMP-0044 Maria Lopez 32.0 0 £366.08
Tip

Always review the preview before downloading. It is much easier to spot problems here than after importing into Sage.

Download the File

Get the CSV file to your computer.

Click "Download"

Once you are happy with the preview, click the orange Download button. A CSV file will be saved to your Downloads folder.

Check the file

The file will be named something like sage-export-2026-03-09.csv. You can open it in Excel or a text editor to double-check the contents before importing into Sage.

Importing into Sage 50

How to get the data into Sage 50 Payroll.

Once you have downloaded the Sage 50 format CSV, follow these steps to import it:

Open Sage 50 Payroll

Launch Sage 50 Payroll on your computer and log in to your company.

Go to File > Import

In the top menu, click File, then select Import. This opens the import wizard.

Select "Timesheet Data"

Choose Timesheet Data as the import type and click Next.

Browse for the file

Click Browse and navigate to the CSV file you downloaded from TempClock. Select it and click Open.

Map the fields

Sage will show a mapping screen. In most cases, the fields will map automatically because TempClock uses Sage's expected column names. Review the mappings and click Next.

Complete the import

Review the summary, then click Import to bring the data into Sage 50. You will see a confirmation message when it is done.

Important

Make sure the Employee IDs in TempClock match the Employee References in Sage 50. If they do not match, Sage will not be able to link the hours to the correct employees.

Importing into Sage Business Cloud

How to get the data into Sage Business Cloud Payroll.

Log in to Sage Business Cloud

Open your browser and log in to Sage Business Cloud Payroll.

Navigate to Payroll > Timesheets

In the left-hand menu, go to Payroll and then click Timesheets.

Click "Import"

Click the Import button and select the CSV file you downloaded from TempClock.

Review and confirm

Sage will preview the data. Check that everything looks correct, then click Confirm Import.

Note

Sage Business Cloud may require specific date formats. TempClock exports dates in DD/MM/YYYY format by default, which is the UK standard that Sage expects.

The Detailed CSV Option

When you need a full breakdown of every shift.

The Detailed CSV format is different from the Sage 50 and Sage Business Cloud formats. Instead of one row per worker, it gives you one row per shift with full detail:

Worker name and employee ID
Date, clock-in time, and clock-out time
Total hours for the shift
Location and client
Pay rate, charge rate, and gross pay for the shift
Whether the hours were regular, overtime, weekend, or bank holiday
The rate rule that was applied

This format is useful when:

You need to audit individual shifts before processing payroll
Your payroll system is not Sage and you need a generic CSV to import
You want a detailed record of every shift for your files
You need to reconcile TempClock data with another system
Note

The Detailed CSV can contain a lot of rows for busy periods. If you only need summary data per worker, use the Sage 50 or Sage Business Cloud format instead — or the standard payroll CSV from the Payroll Reports page.

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