Goal
Payroll data has started arriving — synced from a connected provider or uploaded by a sponsor through the portal. This guide covers what happens next on your side: check that the data landed, map uploaded files into CX, make sure mapping to the plan's compensation definitions is complete, and validate the numbers with an export.
Prerequisites
A payroll connection or upload task is set up for the client — see Setting Up Payroll for a Client.
You know the plan's provisions, so you can sanity-check compensation and contribution figures.
Step 1: Check what came in
Open the Payrolls page from the left sidebar.
Search for the client and read the Payroll Status badge:
Syncing — data is still being pulled in. No action needed; timing varies with employer size.
Awaiting Mapping — data is in the platform but not yet mapped to the plan's compensation definitions.
Active — the connection is healthy and data is syncing normally.
Click the client's row to open the connection and see the synced payroll detail.
For every status and its action, see Payroll Statuses Explained.
Step 2: Map uploaded files (drag-and-drop clients)
When a sponsor uploads a payroll report through a portal task, the file's format and columns need to be mapped into CX so the data lands in the right fields:
Open the completed upload task's file in CX.
Map the file's format and columns to the corresponding CX fields.
After the first mapping, recurring uploads from the same sponsor follow the same format. See Drag and Drop Payroll Uploading.
Step 3: Let mapping to plan definitions finish
For connected providers, the Stax.ai team maps pay codes to the plan's definitions of compensation based on its provisions. While this is in progress, the status shows Awaiting Mapping — no action needed on your side.
Tip: Need a mapping faster? Email [email protected] with the company name.
Step 4: Validate the data with an export
Before you rely on the data for census or contribution work, reconcile it:
Open the client's payroll connection, click the More menu, and select Export Payroll Data.
Enter the pay period or check dates you want, confirm, and download the Excel file.
Compare the Payroll by Period tab totals to the sponsor's internal payroll or funding reports.
If something doesn't tie out, use the Pay Statements tab to pinpoint the employee or payroll type causing the difference.
See Exporting Payroll Data for what's in each worksheet.
Important: Pick one date basis — pay period dates or check dates — and stick with it. Mixing them makes totals differ from internal reports. And remember the export contains SSNs; follow your firm's data security policies.
Expected outcome
The client's payroll data is in CX, mapped to the plan's compensation definitions, and validated against the sponsor's own reports. Census collection and contribution calculations can now run on data you trust.
Related features
Payroll Statuses Explained — read the pipeline at a glance
Drag and Drop Payroll Uploading — the upload task and mapping flow
Exporting Payroll Data — the reconciliation export in detail
Participant Census Data and Statuses — where payroll data goes to work
Tips
Validate the first period closely. Once the first upload or sync reconciles cleanly, later periods rarely surprise you.
Watch for stuck statuses. A connection sitting in Syncing or Awaiting Mapping for a long time is worth a check — see Troubleshooting Payroll Issues.
Name recurring upload tasks clearly ("Upload March payroll report") so sponsors send the right file for the right period.