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Import attendance from a biometric .dat file (or CSV)

Quick answerIn MAJA Payroll go to Employee → Attendance → Import → Biometric .dat file, choose the file exported from your attendance machine, check the preview (employee, punches, worked hours, overtime, status and alerts), and click Save to attendance — punches are matched to employees by Employee ID.
Where: MAJA Payroll → Employee → Attendance → ImportWho: The owner, an admin, or a role allowed to see payroll

Before you start

  • Each employee's Employee ID must equal their user number on the machine.
  • Declare public holidays and set Attendance Rules first, so the preview is right.

Steps

  1. Under Employee, click Attendance.
  2. Click Import and choose Biometric .dat file.
  3. Select the file (.dat, .txt or .csv).
  4. Read the Biometric .dat import preview: punch in and out, worked hours, overtime, day type and status for every employee and day.
  5. Check the warnings: EIDs not found are skipped, and missing punches are listed as alerts.
  6. Optionally click Export CSV to keep a copy of the preview.
  7. Click Save to attendance.

What MAJA does for you

  • Punches are grouped per employee per day; the first is the punch in and the last the punch out, unless the machine states in or out.
  • Late, early, overtime and missing-punch rules from Settings are applied; rest days and public holidays are marked.
  • A day that already has a record for that employee is skipped, and so is a day with no punch.
  • The punches are also kept in the same punch log the attendance machines use.

Good to know

  • The file is read as one punch per line, separated by tabs: the user number, then the date and time (for example 2/1/2026 7:01 or 2026-02-01 07:01:30), then an optional status.
  • To import from a spreadsheet instead, choose Import → CSV file. Use the columns emp id (or employee id), date, punch in and punch out.
  • Delete a wrong day from its row menu and import again, or use Edit.

Related guides

Connect an attendance (biometric) machineSet late arrival, early departure and overtime rulesAdd or correct an attendance record by handRun the monthly payroll for all employees (batch)
People also ask
  • How do I import a .dat attendance file into MAJA Payroll?
  • How do I upload fingerprint machine attendance to MAJA?
  • Why are some EIDs skipped when I import attendance in MAJA?
  • Can I import attendance from CSV in MAJA Payroll?
Still stuck? In the app, tap the ? button at the top and choose Chat with MAJA support — the screen you are on goes with your message and the reply comes to the same place (within one working day). Or write to support@majabooks.com, or ask MAJA's assistant (the round button at the bottom right of MAJA Books).