Get your first collection cycle running in under 2 hours. No IT project, no consultants.
A Collection is a single data gathering cycle — e.g., "Q1 FY2026 Monthly Report". Navigate to Collections → New Collection and give it a name and a deadline.
Upload your existing Excel master template or define columns manually. Drop.Top will use this to validate every incoming submission against your expected schema.
Import your entity list from CSV. Each entity immediately receives an invitation email with their unique upload link. No account creation required on the entity side.
Your compliance dashboard updates in real time as submissions arrive. Drop.Top handles validation and sends confirmation or error reports back to entities automatically.
A Collection is a single data-gathering cycle tied to a deadline, a schema, and a set of entities. Here's how to create one from scratch.
Go to Collections → New Collection. Give it a descriptive name — typically the reporting period and type (e.g., "Q1 FY2026 P&L Consolidation"). Add an optional internal description visible only to your team.
Choose a submission deadline. Drop.Top's automated chasing engine will use this date to schedule reminders. You can also set a soft deadline (internal reminder window) separate from the hard deadline shown to entities.
Drop.Top supports three template modes:
| Mode | Best for | Setup time |
|---|---|---|
| Upload master template | Teams with an existing Excel schema | ~5 min |
| Define columns manually | New reporting cycles from scratch | ~15 min |
| Clone from previous collection | Recurring monthly / quarterly cycles | ~1 min |
If certain subsidiaries use different column headers or currency fields, you can configure entity-level mapping overrides. The AI mapper will remember these for future cycles.
Click Publish to activate the collection. Entities will not be notified until you explicitly invite them in the next step. You can also save as Draft to continue configuring later.
Entities are your subsidiaries, business units, or any external counterpart that needs to submit data. No Drop.Top account is required on their end.
Navigate to your collection and click Entities → Import CSV. The file should contain at minimum a name and contact email. Additional optional fields:
Click Add Entity to add a single entity. Fill in their name, primary contact email, preferred upload method, and local currency. You can assign them to a group for organised tracking on your dashboard.
Once entities are added, select all or a subset and click Send Invitations. Each entity receives a personalised email containing their unique upload link, submission deadline, and a description of what's required. The email is sent from a Drop.Top address on your behalf.
[email protected]) for branded invitation emails. See Administration → SSO setup for domain configuration.Every entity receives a unique, pre-authenticated URL. When they visit it, they see a branded upload portal showing exactly what's required, validation rules, and their submission history. No login or account required.
Validation rules ensure every submission conforms to your schema before it ever reaches your consolidation model. Set them once; Drop.Top enforces them automatically on every file.
For each column in your template, you can configure:
| Rule type | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Data type | Enforce numeric, text, date, boolean | Revenue must be numeric |
| Required | Flag column as mandatory | Entity code cannot be empty |
| Range check | Min/max value bounds | Margin % between -100 and 100 |
| Format | Date format, decimal separator | Date must be YYYY-MM-DD |
| Allowed values | Enumerated list of valid entries | Currency must be EUR, USD, GBP |
| Regex pattern | Custom pattern matching | Cost centre must match CC-[0-9]4 |
Beyond column checks, Drop.Top supports cross-column validation rules. For example: "If column A is non-zero, column B must also be filled." File-level rules include minimum row count, maximum file size, and sheet name validation for Excel files.
Drop.Top's AI engine automatically detects common issues even without explicit rules: shifted columns, merged header rows, hidden rows, locale-specific number formats (1.000,00 vs 1,000.00), and renamed headers. Detected issues are flagged with confidence scores and auto-correction suggestions.
When a file fails validation, Drop.Top immediately sends the entity a detailed error report highlighting exactly which rows and columns failed and why. Entities can correct and resubmit directly from their upload link without contacting you.
Different subsidiaries use different templates. Drop.Top's AI mapper learns each entity's header conventions and normalises them to your master schema automatically.
When a file arrives, Drop.Top compares its column headers to your master schema. Exact matches are mapped automatically. Near-matches (e.g., "Rev" → "Revenue_EUR") are surfaced with a confidence score. You approve once; the AI remembers forever.
In your collection dashboard, go to Validation → Column Mapping. You'll see a side-by-side view of the incoming file's headers and your master schema. Drag to remap, or let the AI auto-suggest.
Beyond header matching, the AI engine handles:
| Issue | AI action |
|---|---|
| Shifted columns (B shifted by 1) | Auto-detects offset, corrects before validation |
| Date format mismatch (DD/MM vs MM/DD) | Normalises to your configured standard |
| Locale number formats | Converts 1.000,00 → 1000.00 automatically |
| Merged header rows | Flattens to single-row headers |
| Hidden rows / filter artifacts | Strips hidden rows before processing |
Each entity builds up a mapping profile over time. After the first approved mapping, subsequent submissions from the same entity are mapped fully automatically — no manual intervention required. Profiles are version-controlled; you can review and roll back any change.
Stop spending two weeks of your month sending follow-up emails. Define your escalation sequence once; Drop.Top handles the rest.
Under Collection Settings → Chasing, configure a sequence of reminders. Each step has a trigger (days before deadline, days after deadline), a recipient (entity contact, or their manager), and a template.
Drop.Top maintains public holiday calendars for 60+ countries. Reminders are never sent on local public holidays, and deadline calculations automatically account for regional working calendars.
Once an entity submits, all pending reminders are automatically suppressed. No entity will ever receive a chasing email after they've already submitted. Partial submissions (files that failed validation and need resubmission) keep the sequence active until a passing submission is received.
Your dashboard shows real-time status for every entity: Not Started, Reminder Sent, Submitted, Validation Error, Validated. Filter by group, region, or overdue status. Export a compliance report at any time in CSV or PDF.
Once files are collected and validated, the built-in ETL engine lets you join, transform, and load clean data into your warehouse, BI tool, or ERP — no SQL or coding required.
A pipeline consists of three stages: Extract (pull validated submissions), Transform (apply business rules), and Load (push to destination). Pipelines can be run on-demand or scheduled.
| Operation | Description |
|---|---|
| Currency conversion | Normalise all entities to a base currency using ECB daily rates or a fixed rate table |
| Intercompany elimination | Automatically remove intragroup transactions using entity relationship mapping |
| Rollup & aggregation | Summarise by group, region, entity type, or any custom dimension |
| Join / merge | Combine submissions with reference data (e.g., chart of accounts, cost centre master) |
| Filter | Exclude rows by criteria (e.g., zero-value lines, test entities) |
| Calculated columns | Add derived fields using formula-based expressions |
Pipelines can be set to run automatically: on each new validated submission, daily at a fixed time, or triggered via webhook. Scheduled runs are aligned to your close calendar and pause automatically outside your collection window.
Output targets supported: Excel download, CSV download, Snowflake (direct write), Power BI dataset refresh, SFTP push, or REST API endpoint. Multiple destinations per pipeline are supported.
Every entity submits how they prefer. Drop.Top validates all channels with the same rigorous engine.
Each entity receives a unique submission email address (e.g., [email protected]). They email their file as an attachment — Drop.Top automatically parses it, extracts the attachment, and kicks off validation. No portal login required.
A branded drag-and-drop upload page accessible via each entity's unique link. Shows the required template, validation rules, and submission history. Provides inline validation feedback before final submission — entities see errors immediately and can correct before confirming.
For entities with automated export pipelines. Each entity receives dedicated SFTP credentials (host, username, password, port). Files dropped into their SFTP folder are automatically picked up, validated, and processed. Drop.Top sends a delivery confirmation via email.
For tech-forward subsidiaries with developer resources. A clean RESTful API with per-entity authentication tokens and webhook callbacks on submission events. See the REST API reference for full details.
| Method | Best for | Setup effort (entity side) |
|---|---|---|
| Small subsidiaries, manual process | Zero — they already have email | |
| Portal | Entities that want guided UX and inline validation | Zero — just click the link |
| SFTP | Entities with automated ERP exports | Low — configure FTP target once |
| API | Tech-forward entities with developer resources | Medium — API integration required |
Push validated, consolidated data directly into Snowflake. Your BI team gets clean data the morning after deadline — not 10 days later.
Go to Settings → Integrations → Snowflake. Enter your Snowflake connection details:
The service user requires: USAGE on the warehouse, CREATE TABLE and INSERT on the target schema. We recommend creating a dedicated role (DROPTOP_ROLE) and granting it only to the service user.
| Mode | Behaviour |
|---|---|
| Append | Each pipeline run inserts new rows with a run_id and timestamp |
| Replace | Truncates and rewrites the target table on each run |
| Merge (upsert) | Upserts rows based on a configured primary key |
Use the Test Connection button after saving credentials. Drop.Top will verify connectivity, permission levels, and write a test row to a _droptop_connection_test table. The test row is deleted immediately after verification.
Trigger a Power BI dataset refresh automatically after each successful pipeline run. Your dashboards always reflect the latest validated submissions.
The Power BI connector uses an Azure AD service principal. You'll need to register an app in your Azure tenant and grant it the Dataset.ReadWrite.All Power BI API permission. Provide Drop.Top with the Tenant ID, Client ID, and Client Secret.
Dataset refreshes can be triggered: after every successful ETL pipeline run, on a schedule (e.g., daily at 07:00 CET), or manually from the Integrations panel. Each refresh attempt is logged with status and duration.
Power BI API refresh limits apply (typically 8 refreshes per day per dataset on Premium, or 3 per day on Pro). Drop.Top will queue refreshes and warn if the limit is approaching. Consider using the Snowflake connector for high-frequency pipelines.
SFTP works in two directions: entities can submit files via SFTP (inbound), and Drop.Top can push processed outputs to your SFTP server (outbound).
When you assign an entity the SFTP upload method, Drop.Top provisions dedicated SFTP credentials for that entity automatically. The entity's ERP or reporting system can be configured to drop files into their designated path.
For enhanced security, entities can provide their public key and disable password authentication. Upload the entity's public key under Entity Settings → SFTP → Public Key. Drop.Top supports RSA (2048-bit minimum) and Ed25519 keys.
Drop.Top can push ETL pipeline outputs to your organisation's SFTP server. Provide your server credentials under Settings → Integrations → SFTP Output. Outputs are delivered as CSV or Excel files with configurable naming patterns (e.g., q1-2026-consolidated-{date}.xlsx).
If your SFTP server has an IP allowlist, add the following Drop.Top egress IP addresses: 185.220.10.0/24. These are static and will not change without prior notice on the status page.
The Drop.Top API lets you manage collections, entities, and submissions programmatically. All endpoints are RESTful and return JSON.
Generate API keys under Settings → API Keys. Each key can be scoped to read-only or read-write. Rotate keys at any time; old keys are immediately invalidated.
Register webhook URLs under Settings → Webhooks. Drop.Top will POST to your endpoint on these events: submission.received, submission.validated, submission.failed, entity.overdue, pipeline.completed.
The API is rate-limited to 300 requests per minute per API key. File upload endpoints are limited to 60 uploads per minute. Exceeding limits returns a 429 Too Many Requests response with a Retry-After header.
Enforce single sign-on for your internal Drop.Top users. SAML 2.0 is supported, with direct integrations for Okta, Azure AD, and Google Workspace.
Navigate to Settings → Security → SSO. Drop.Top will display your Service Provider (SP) metadata URL and the ACS (Assertion Consumer Service) URL to configure in your IdP:
Drop.Top requires the following SAML attribute claims from your IdP:
| Drop.Top attribute | SAML claim (suggested) |
|---|---|
| http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/ws/2005/05/identity/claims/emailaddress | |
| first_name | http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/ws/2005/05/identity/claims/givenname |
| last_name | http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/ws/2005/05/identity/claims/surname |
| role (optional) | droptop_role (custom attribute) |
With JIT provisioning enabled, users who authenticate via SSO for the first time are automatically created in Drop.Top with the Viewer role. Admins can configure the default role and optionally map IdP group memberships to Drop.Top roles.
To send collection invitation emails from your own domain, go to Settings → Branding → Sender Domain. Add the provided DNS records (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) to your domain registrar. Verification typically takes up to 48 hours.
Drop.Top uses a role-based access control model. All internal (non-entity) users are assigned one of four roles.
| Role | Description |
|---|---|
| Admin | Full access. Manage billing, SSO, API keys, users, and all collections. |
| Collection Manager | Create and manage collections, invite entities, configure chasing and ETL pipelines. Cannot access billing or SSO. |
| Analyst | View submissions, download outputs, run existing ETL pipelines. Cannot create collections or invite entities. |
| Viewer | Read-only access to collection dashboards and submission status. Cannot download files. |
In addition to global roles, Collection Managers can be restricted to specific collections. A user with the Collection Manager role can be granted access only to the collections they're responsible for — preventing them from seeing other teams' data.
Invite users under Settings → Team → Invite User. Enter their work email and assign a role. They'll receive an invitation email. If SSO is enabled and JIT provisioning is on, users can also self-provision by signing in via your IdP — no manual invitation required.
Deactivated users immediately lose access to Drop.Top. Their historical actions remain in the audit log. If the deactivated user was the sole contact for any entity's chasing sequence, Drop.Top will warn you to reassign those contacts before deactivation completes.
Drop.Top maintains a full, tamper-evident audit trail of every action taken in the platform — by your team and by entities. Export it at any time for compliance, auditors, or internal review.
| Category | Events captured |
|---|---|
| Authentication | Login, logout, SSO auth, failed login attempts, API key usage |
| Collections | Created, modified, published, deleted, deadline changes |
| Entities | Added, removed, invitation sent, escalation triggered |
| Submissions | File received, validation pass/fail, resubmission, manual override |
| Mapping | Column mapping created, modified, approved, rolled back |
| Pipeline | Run triggered, output delivered, error, schedule change |
| Settings | Role changes, SSO config, API key creation/deletion |
Go to Settings → Audit Log. Filter by date range, event category, or user. Export as CSV or JSON. Exports are generated asynchronously for large date ranges — you'll receive an email with a download link when ready.
Audit logs are retained for 2 years on the Enterprise plan and 5 years on the Global plan. Logs cannot be deleted or modified by any user, including Admins, ensuring tamper-evidence. For longer retention requirements, use the API to export and archive logs to your own storage.