ABBYY Vantage lets you upload documents from shared folders hosted on the Vantage server. Access is provided via SFTP. The access details for the folder (links to the import and exceptions folders, plus login and password) are shown in the Input Settings: Shared Folder dialog.Documentation Index
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Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
To upload files into the input shared folder, use binary transfer mode in the SFTP client.
User access permissions
| Folder | Available user actions |
|---|---|
| Import folder | - View the list of files and directories - Upload files to the folder - Rename files and directories - Overwrite existing files when uploading - Delete files |
| Exceptions folder | - View a list of files and directories - Download files from the folder - Rename files and directories - Delete files |
Document processing
Once the skill is published, Vantage checks the shared folder for new files every 20 seconds.
Document registration parameters
The source type (FolderImport) and source file name are saved to the SourceType and SourceFileName document registration parameters. You can access these values by adding the corresponding columns in the Transactions section of Skill Monitor. They are also exported to the output JSON file (configured in the Exported Data section of the Output activity).
The following characters are not allowed in file names and are replaced with underscores upon upload: / : ? # [ ] @ ! $ & ' ( ) * + , ; = \. The original file names are saved to the document registration parameters — retrieve them using a Custom activity sample script.
Import results
If a file is imported successfully, a transaction is created for it and the file is deleted from the import folder. If a file fails to import, it is moved to the exceptions folder named<Input folder name>-exception. The exceptions folder path is shown in the Input Settings: Shared Folder dialog.
Files in the exceptions folder are retained for 2 weeks by default (controlled by the retention policy).
Import archives
Vantage can import archives from the top-level directory of the shared folder. Supported types:- ZIP files created in Windows
- TAR GZ files created with
tar czvfin Linux
Archives can only be imported when the Single file import method is selected.
Import several files into a single transaction
By default, Vantage creates a separate transaction per file. To group files, set the Import method to From subfolder. In this mode, Vantage scans the shared folder for subfolders whose names match the configured naming scheme. When a matching subfolder is found, all its files — including files in nested folders — are imported as documents of a single transaction. The subfolder name is saved to each document’s SourceFolderName registration parameter. If a file is imported from a nested folder, SourceFolderName contains the name of the root subfolder. If a subfolder can’t be imported, it is moved to the exceptions folder. Vantage won’t create a transaction for it and logs an error in the Error Log of Skill Monitor. If a subfolder contains files in an unsupported format, the transaction for that subfolder fails. An empty subfolder whose name matches the scheme is deleted from the shared folder. No transaction is created, and Vantage logs a warning in the Error Log.Subfolder naming scheme
A subfolder is imported only if its name matches the Subfolder naming scheme. The default value* matches any string. Configure the mask using * as a placeholder for any number of characters.
The
? character is not supported as a placeholder for a single character. The mask is case-insensitive (for example, subfolder and SUBFOLDER both match subfolder). Maximum mask length is 64 characters.Set up shared-folder import
Open the Input activity
Click the Input activity block in your document processing flow. If one isn’t in the Skill Designer yet, add it from the Activities pane.
Select Shared folder as an additional source
In the Actions pane, check Select additional source and choose Shared folder.

Open folder settings
Click Settings to open a dialog with access details for the shared folder. The suggested import folder name can be modified here.

(Optional) Configure import method
To group files into transactions, set the Import method to From subfolder and adjust the Subfolder naming scheme as needed.
Connect via SFTP
Set up file upload via an SFTP client using the login details in the Input Settings: Shared Folder dialog. Click the copy icon in each field to copy values to the clipboard. The folder link contains all connection data — pasting it into the SFTP client auto-fills the other parameters.
Changes to these settings take effect only after the skill is published.
Folder naming requirements
A folder name must:- Be unique across the skill (can’t match the name of a shared folder in the Output activity).
- Begin with a number or a letter.
- Not contain special characters
: * ? " < > / | \or control characters (for example, newline, tab). - Not end with a dot.
- Not be empty.
- Not exceed 64 characters.
Disable imports
Administrators can disable document import from Skill Monitor. Disabling shared-folder import does not affect document import via the API.Cleanup on skill deletion
Related topics
Input activity
Overview of the Input activity and the source types it supports.
Import from an email service
Set up Vantage to pull documents from a Microsoft 365 or IMAP mailbox.
Skill Monitor
Disable input sources per skill and inspect transaction results.
Skill Monitor — Transactions
Inspect individual transactions, including registration parameters.
Supported file formats
Reference list of every file format Vantage can ingest.
