DTO Flow help center

DTO Flow is a Partner File Gateway for recurring business files. It gives partners a controlled place to upload or collect files, checks table-like Excel and CSV data against your agreed rules, keeps every submission in context, and makes accepted files available to authorized people and systems.

DTO Flow is for teams that rely on recurring partner file handoffs: spreadsheets, supplier files, distributor reports, ZIP packages, or controlled partner downloads. It is especially useful when the same file arrives every week or month and small format changes can break a downstream process.

DTO Flow is purpose-built for recurring partner-file exchanges. It combines controlled partner access, spreadsheet validation, clear status, accountable history, and reliable handoffs in one focused workflow.

Flat table-like CSV files and Excel sheets work best. A good file has one clear header row, predictable columns, and rows that represent the records your receiving process expects.

For the clearest self-service validation, export reporting workbooks and complex layouts as a flat Excel or CSV table with one header row and predictable columns. DTO Flow can then give partners precise, actionable feedback.

Yes. DTO Flow tracks ZIP packages and other expected files in the same feed, keeps their status and history visible, and makes them available through controlled portal or automation paths. Spreadsheet-specific checks apply where the file contains table-like Excel or CSV data.

A file feed is the recurring exchange routine: direction, partner access, schedule, expected files, validation rules, notifications, and history. For example, one weekly invoice CSV from one supplier should usually be one feed.

For inbound exchanges, use one feed per submitting partner when each partner needs independent tracking. For outgoing exchanges, your team can publish the same file privately to several assigned download partners.

A feed file is one expected physical file inside a feed. A submission can contain one or more feed files, and each feed file can define whether it is required, what format it expects, how names are matched, and whether validation should run.

A validation contract is the versioned set of deterministic checks for a feed file: target sheet or part, header rules, required columns, aliases, data types, allowed values, duplicate checks, and row-count expectations.

Yes. Multi-file feeds can require several files in the same submission, such as a header file and a detail file. Required files must be present before the submission can satisfy the feed for that period.

Slugs are stable, readable names used by integrations and support conversations. They give each feed and expected file a consistent reference over time.

Draft feeds are still being configured. Active feeds are available for real submissions, partner access, schedules, notifications, and automation, depending on each user's permissions.

Partner users see only the feeds and submissions assigned to them. Organization-wide feed data and other partners' submissions remain outside their view.

Partner Operators can upload files, review validation reports, and download authorized feed files. Partner Observers can view reports, setup, and authorized files. Partner Feed Managers can upload files and manage validation setup for assigned feeds.

Tenant Owners and Tenant Admins manage feed setup, partner access, tenant settings, and webhooks. Tenant Operators and Tenant Observers work with operational data according to their permissions.

Invite a partner by email and assign the feeds and role relevant to their work. After accepting, the partner sees the exchanges and actions included in that access.

Removing feed access stops that partner from seeing or using the feed going forward. Historical submissions, downloads, validation results, and activity remain available to authorized internal users.

Partners can create private access tokens for feeds they can access when their role allows it. Partner Feed Managers can manage webhooks for their assigned feeds, while tenant-wide webhook management stays with Tenant Owners and Tenant Admins.

DTO Flow keeps the submitted file with its partner, feed, and period context, runs the configured checks, and updates the submission page from receipt through the final outcome.

Validation can check file arrival, extension, size, readability, target sheets, headers, required columns, aliases, date and number formats, accepted values, duplicates, row-count anomalies, and other deterministic rules configured in the validation contract.

The current accepted submission is the accepted submission that counts for a feed period. If a later upload for the same period is accepted, it becomes current. Earlier submissions remain visible in history, but they no longer count as the current version.

Yes. Failed validation should give clear partner feedback with the affected rows, columns, sheets, or files where possible. The partner can correct the file and upload a new submission for the same period.

If the change is intentional, an authorized internal user or Feed Manager can add the new column name as an alias in the saved validation rules. If the change is accidental, the partner should resend the file using the agreed template.

Extra sheets can be ignored when the feed targets the correct sheet or part. Validation should focus on the configured table-like sheet, such as a sheet named data, instead of treating every workbook tab as part of the import.

Yes. When saved validation rules are updated, authorized users can revalidate files checked with an earlier version. Each result remains connected to the submission history.

This status is used for tracked files accepted through package rules rather than spreadsheet content checks, such as outgoing partner downloads and reference files. DTO Flow still keeps the file archived, connected to its exchange, and available through authorized paths.

A period is the recurring window a feed expects, such as a weekly invoice period or a monthly publish period. Daily, weekly, monthly, and ad hoc schedules help the dashboard show what is due, late, missing, processing, or accepted.

The dashboard highlights feeds needing attention, upcoming deadlines, summary counts, and recent accepted submissions so your team can prioritize the next action quickly.

Missed, late, validation failed, processing failed, and in-progress submissions usually need attention. Accepted and accepted without validation mean the period has a usable current submission based on that feed's setup.

Authorized internal users can download accepted submitted files, with each file remaining connected to its partner, period, and submission history.

In an outgoing feed, your team publishes a file for a period and assigns download access. Partners collect it privately through the portal, while DTO Flow keeps the download activity visible in the exchange history.

Every re-upload adds to the history. A later accepted submission can become the current version for a period while earlier submissions remain available according to the agreed retention approach.

Use the portal for manual partner uploads, setup, and review. Use the automation API for scheduled jobs, partner systems, CLI tools, readiness checks, uploading repeat files, and downloading accepted originals before downstream imports run.

Private access tokens give scripts and connected systems focused access to selected feeds and actions. The secret is shown once, should be stored securely, and can be revoked while past activity remains visible.

Yes. Multi-file automation creates one upload session for the submission, uploads each expected file to its returned target, completes the submission once, then downloads each accepted original after the submission is accepted.

The automation OpenAPI spec is served from the production API origin: https://api.dtoflow.com/api/automation/v1/openapi.json.

Email alerts notify people. Webhooks notify systems. Use webhooks when another service needs a signed event after a submission becomes available, a selected final status is reached, or a deadline is missed.

Start with feed.submission.available for downstream imports. It fires only when the current submission for a period is accepted and ready for downstream use.

DTO Flow retries transient webhook failures and records delivery history. Receivers should verify signatures, return a 2xx response quickly, and use event and delivery IDs for idempotency.

Saved deterministic rules decide whether a file meets the agreed expectations. Full partner files are not sent to an AI service for validation.

Pre-validation failures usually mean the file was missing, empty, too large for the plan, used an unexpected extension, was unreadable, or matched the wrong expected file. Open the submission detail for the specific reason and next step.

Visibility follows your role and assigned feeds. You may be signed into the wrong account, have access only to selected partner feeds, or need permission for setup, uploads, private tokens, organization settings, or webhooks.

Return to the submission or outgoing feed and request the download again. Download links are intended to be short-lived, while the underlying accepted file remains tracked and available according to access rights and retention policy.

Include your organization name, feed name, partner name if relevant, submission ID or period, and whether the issue is about upload, validation, download, automation, webhooks, notifications, or account access.

Do not send private access token secrets, webhook signing secrets, passwords, or full sensitive files through support messages. Share IDs, timestamps, feed names, sanitized screenshots, and the smallest safe sample needed to explain the issue.