Contents of this article are applicable to the following users
Tier: NA
Product: PayrollAny
Platform: Web
Access Level: Owner
Payroll Presets let you save a named set of payroll filters, from Payroll Type, Pay Items, Contract Type, Business Entity, and Home Section. You can start a recurring payroll run without re-selecting the same settings each time. Presets are organisation-level and apply dynamic filters, meaning new staff who match the saved criteria are automatically included when the preset is applied.
This guide will cover how to:
Create a Preset
To create a preset:
Go to Payroll > Run Payroll > Click Manage in the top-right area of the page.
Click Create Preset.
Fill in the preset details as described in the table below:
Field | Description |
Preset Name | A unique name to identify this preset (e.g. "End Month - Full Time SG"). |
Payroll Type | Select Whole Month or Mid Month. Adhoc and THR payroll type cannot be set as preset. |
Pay Items to Include | Select the pay items to include. Preset can only be saved if at least 1 pay item is selected. |
Contract | Filter by contract type (Full Time, Part Time). Preset can only be saved if at least 1 contract is selected. |
Entity | Filter by business entity. Preset can only be saved if at least 1 entity is selected. |
Home Section | Filter by home section. Preset can only be saved if at least 1 home section is selected. |
4. Fill in required fields for the preset. Preset can only be saved if at least 1 item is selected for each of pay item, contract type, entity, and home section.
5. Click Save to create the preset. The new preset will appear in the Active tab of the Payroll Preset page with its name, Calculation Type, Pay Items count, Contract, and Last Updated date.
Use a Preset
To apply a preset when starting a payroll run:
Go to Payroll > Run Payroll > Click Payroll Preset dropdown > Pick a Preset
Once chosen, Preset is applied for Payroll Type, Pay Items Included, Contract filter, Entity filter and Home Section filter in the employee table.
You may still adjust Payroll Type, Pay Items, and employee filters manually. Any manual change is one-off and does not update the saved preset unless you explicitly choose to update it. Notice that you cannot proceed if there's no pay item or employee selected
Click Create Payroll to proceed
Note: If any pay items or employees in the preset are no longer valid (e.g. archived pay items, no matching staff), StaffAny will show a review state before the payroll can be created. Review and confirm the selection before proceeding.
Edit a Preset
To edit an existing preset:
Go to Payroll > Run Payroll > click Manage > find the preset and click Edit.
Update the fields as needed, then click Save.
Note: Editing a shared preset changes the filters for all future payroll runs that use it. Ensure the update is intentional before saving.
Archive and Unarchive a Preset
To archive a preset you no longer need:
Go to Payroll > Run Payroll > click Manage > find the preset > click the More actions icon (vertical three dots) dot button > click Archive
Select Archive. The preset will move to the Archived tab and will no longer appear when running payroll.
Archived Payroll will not be shown in Run Payroll Preset menu
To restore an archived preset:
Switch to the Archived tab on the Payroll Preset page.
Find the preset and click Unarchive. It will return to the Active tab.
FAQ
Q: Does a preset lock in a fixed list of employees?
A: No. Presets save dynamic filters (Contract Type, Business Entity, Home Section). When you apply a preset, StaffAny evaluates the filters against the current staff list at the time of the payroll run — new staff who match are included automatically.
Q: Can I set a preset for Ad-hoc payroll?
A: No. Presets are available for Whole Month and Mid Month payroll types only. Ad-hoc payroll does not support presets.
Q: Can different users see and use the same preset?
A: Yes. Presets are organisation-level, so all users with payroll access in your organisation can view and apply them.
Q: What happens if a pay item in my preset is archived?
A: Archived pay items are automatically hidden from the preset's pay item list. When you apply the preset, archived pay items are excluded from the selection. If all pay items in the preset have been archived, StaffAny will show a review state before the payroll can be created. You must select at least one valid active pay item before proceeding. If an archived pay item is later unarchived, it reappears in the preset automatically.
Q: What happens if a Business Entity or Home Section in my preset is deactivated?
A: Deactivated entities and home sections are automatically hidden from the preset's filter options. When the preset is applied, only active entities and home sections are used for filtering. If all entities or home sections saved in a preset are deactivated, the preset may return zero matching staff. In that case, you will need to update the filters manually before creating the payroll. If the deactivated entity or home section is later reactivated, it reappears in the preset automatically.
Q: What if no employees match the preset filters?
A: If the preset returns zero matching staff (e.g. because the saved entity or home section is deactivated, or no active staff match the saved filters), the employee table will be empty after applying the preset. You can adjust the filters manually before creating the payroll. You cannot create a payroll run with zero employees selected.
Q: What if pay items become ineligible after I change the payroll month or timesheet period?
A: StaffAny revalidates pay items against the selected configuration when you create the payroll. Pay items that are not valid for the selected timesheet period (e.g. timesheet-based items when no timesheet range is set) will be excluded. Review and confirm your pay item selection before proceeding.
Q: Who can create, edit, and apply presets?
A: Users with the Run/Edit Payroll permission can create, edit, archive, and apply presets. Users with View Payroll permission can view presets but cannot apply them or make changes. The View & Edit Payroll Details permission does not affect preset access.
Q: What if two users edit or delete the same preset at the same time?
A: StaffAny handles concurrent changes and shows a clear error or recovery message. You will not unknowingly apply or overwrite stale preset data. If the preset was deleted by another user, it will no longer appear in the preset list when you refresh.