CSV export
A CSV export is a downloadable comma-separated-values file containing data from an application. In time tracking, the CSV usually has one row per shift with worker name, start time, end time, duration, and any tags.
CSV is the lingua franca of data export. Almost every payroll provider, accounting tool, and spreadsheet program reads CSV, which makes it the safe default for data-out from any operational system.
A time-tracking CSV typically has columns for: workspace or organization, worker name, worker email, tags (if any), shift start time (UTC and local), shift end time (UTC and local), duration in hours, duration in seconds, source (kiosk, QR, personal link, manual), auto-close flag, review-required flag, notes, and entry ID.
Schema stability matters here. Once a payroll provider has built an import mapping against your CSV format, changes to the column order or names break that mapping. Mature time-tracking tools commit to schema stability, additions go at the end, renames don't happen.
Kangaroo Clock locks the CSV schema as a positioning surface. The format is the same on day one of launch as it will be in year five.
Related terms