From the export log, you can view all generated files and check the status of every file Perk generated and delivered. Use this article to understand file statuses, trigger a retry, and know when to escalate to support instead.
Financial reviewers and account admins can perform this task.
Note: This feature covers expense report files only. Invoice exports aren't in scope.
Viewing generated files
To view generated files, go to Finance > Review > Export log and find the export you want to inspect. The Generated files column shows a count such as 5/6, meaning 5 files were successfully delivered out of 6 total. Click that number to open the file details.
A count lower than the total means at least one file has a problem and may need attention.
Understanding file statuses
The file details show each file with two status columns.
- Generation — whether Perk created the file successfully.
- SFTP — whether Perk delivered the file to your connected file server.
Each column displays one of three statuses: Success, In progress, or Failed.
A dash (—) in the SFTP column means file server delivery doesn't apply to that file — either because it isn't set up for your company, or because the file doesn't match your delivery settings. This is expected, not a failure.
If a file shows Failed, a small info icon (ⓘ) appears next to the status. Click or hover to see the error detail — no need to dig into logs.
The Download button stays available for any file that was successfully generated, regardless of retry state.
Retrying failed files
When at least one file has a failure, a Retry button appears in the bottom-right corner. A counter shows how many attempts remain — for example, "Re-generates all failed files. 2/3 attempts left."
To retry failed files:
- Open the file details for the export as described in the Viewing generated files section above.
- Review the Generation and SFTP columns to confirm which files have failed.
- Click the info icon (ⓘ) next to any failed file to read the error detail.
- Click Retry in the bottom-right corner.
Perk schedules all failed files for reprocessing. Files that already succeeded are left untouched, and files that are currently in progress are skipped — they're already running and won't be processed twice.
What happens per file type
| File type | Generation failed | SFTP failed |
|---|---|---|
| Main export file (labeled "Export file") | Can't be re-generated — use Revert and re-export instead | Re-sends the existing file to your file server; doesn't re-generate |
| Report files (booking file, PDF summary, per-expense PDF, attachments ZIP) | Re-generates the file; if file server delivery is set up, also re-sends | Re-sends the existing file to your file server; doesn't re-generate |
Note: When a file is re-generated, Perk uses the data captured at the time of the original export — not the current state of the expenses. This keeps the data consistent and avoids unintended changes to what was sent to your accounting system. Exported expenses stay in the "Exported" state and are never re-sent.
Retry limit
Each export allows a maximum of 3 manual retries. This counter covers the entire export — not per file. The limit exists to stop repeated retries on a broken export, such as a report set up incorrectly, while still covering temporary issues like a brief network outage.
Once the limit is reached, the Retry button is disabled and a tooltip explains why. If the issue still isn't resolved, open a support ticket. Include the error message shown in the file details — it helps support fix the issue significantly faster.
Files that can't be retried yet
Currently, SEPA XML and Swiss Salary Payout files can't be retried. Perk shows a note in the file details when one of these file types is present in the export.
Note: For SEPA XML and Swiss Salary Payout failures, open a support ticket so our team can help.