What is the flat-file integration?
The flat-file integration brings your results data (actuals and performance figures) into Camphouse automatically, by reading CSV files you keep in a shared location — either an Amazon S3 bucket or an SFTP server.
Instead of uploading a file every time new data arrives, you keep files in one place and Camphouse reads them on a regular schedule. It's a good fit for data that comes in monthly, like sales or spend exports from a partner or another system, where a one-time setup is easier than repeating a manual upload.
⚠️ This integration brings in results data only. It does not load planning data. To build or edit a plan, use the sheet view or a spreadsheet import instead.
Before you start: file requirements
Whether you use Amazon S3 or SFTP, your files need to meet the same requirements.
File format: CSV, saved in UTF-8 encoding, with column names in the first row.
One file per month: each file must cover a single calendar month.
File naming: files must follow the pattern <prefix>-YYYY-MM.csv. The prefix is a word you agree on with the Camphouse team (for example sales or spend).
Folder: keep all files for this export in a single dedicated folder.
⚠️ Files with incorrect names or missing dates will not be imported. Check these before setting up the connection.
File naming rules
The file name must start with your agreed prefix, followed by the year and month in YYYY-MM format (4-digit year, 2-digit month). A separator between the prefix and the date is optional — supported separators are -, _, |, ., or a space. You can add extra text after the month (for example -v2) as long as the file ends in .csv.
Valid examples (using the prefix sales):
sales-2024-01.csvsales_2024-01.csvsales2024-01.csv(no separator, also fine)sales-2024-02-v2.csv
Not valid:
sales-24-01.csv— year must be 4 digitsreport-2024-01.csv— wrong prefix
CSV content rules
The first row must contain column headers.
Include a column called
datewith one date per row. Accepted date formats:YYYY-MM-DD,YYYY/MM/DD,YYYY.MM.DD, orYYYY-MM.Rows with no date value will be rejected.
Use a dot (
.) as the decimal separator, not a comma.Rows where every value is empty are automatically skipped.
Add any other columns (metrics, dimensions) you need. Keep them consistent from month to month.
💡 If your date column has a different name (not date), just let us know and we'll configure it on our side.
How date filtering works
When Camphouse fetches data for a date range, it filters at two levels:
File level: only files whose name includes a month within the requested range are downloaded. For example, requesting data from 15 Feb to 10 Apr downloads the February, March, and April files.
Row level: within each file, only rows whose date falls inside the requested range are included. Both start and end dates are included.
Setting up with Amazon S3
You set up the connection yourself on the Authentications page in Camphouse – no need to send credentials to the Camphouse team. You'll need the following details from your S3 account:
Bucket name
Folder path inside the bucket where your files live (for example
exports/monthly)AWS Region (for example
eu-west-1)Access key ID and Secret access key
The credentials only need read-only access to that one folder — s3:GetObject and s3:ListBucket, scoped to the folder path, is enough.
Setting up with SFTP
You set up the connection yourself on the Authentications page in Camphouse. You'll need the following details from your SFTP server:
Host (for example
sftp.partner.com)Port (defaults to 22)
Username
Password
Folder path where the files are placed (for example
/export/monthly)
Make sure the user account can list and read files in that folder.
💡 Test your credentials from outside your own network before finishing the setup – this makes sure the connection will work on the first try.
Checklist before you set up the connection
All files follow the
<prefix>-YYYY-MM.csvnaming convention.One CSV file per calendar month.
First row contains column headers.
Date column is named
date(or you've let us know the custom name).Files are UTF-8 encoded.
Read-only credentials created and tested from outside your network.
Common questions
What kind of data does this bring in?
Results data only – your actuals and performance figures. It does not load planning data. Plans are built in the sheet view or through a spreadsheet import.
Do I need to set up both Amazon S3 and SFTP?
No, pick whichever suits your setup. The file format, naming, and content rules are the same for both – only the connection details differ.
Can one file cover more than one month?
No. Each file must cover a single calendar month and be named with that month.
What happens if a file is named incorrectly or a date is missing?
Files that don't match the naming convention won't be picked up, and rows without a date are rejected. Run through the checklist above before setting up the connection.
Can I add or change columns later?
Yes. Just keep the columns consistent from month to month so the data lines up correctly.
Can I backfill historical data?
Yes. Add a file for each past month using the same naming convention. Camphouse reads historical months the same way as new ones – it picks up any file whose month falls within the requested date range.
How secure is this?
You enter credentials directly on the Authentications page in Camphouse – nothing is shared with the Camphouse team. Camphouse only needs read-only access to the specific folder holding your files, so you can keep permissions tightly scoped.