Payroll Periods
Payroll Periods are the date ranges (From - To) that define each calculation window for a Payroll Type (for example, the 1st-to-15th half of a month, the week from the 6th to the 12th, or a full calendar month). Before you can generate a Payroll run for a given type and date, AdmCloud needs a matching period to already exist for those dates — this is where you create them, one at a time or automatically for a whole year.
What is it and what is it for?
Every Payroll Type has a payment frequency (twice a month, monthly or weekly). That frequency alone doesn't tell AdmCloud the exact start and end dates of each pay period across the year — that's what this screen defines. A Payroll Period is simply a date range tied to a Payroll Type; when you generate a payroll of that type, you pick one of the periods already created here, and AdmCloud calculates salary, hours, benefits and discounts using exactly that date range.
Periods are created once per Payroll Type and stay available indefinitely: you don't need a separate period per employee, just one per date window in that Payroll Type's pay calendar.
How to use it
- Open Payroll Periods. You'll see the full list, grouped by Payroll Type and ordered by date.
- To create a single period, click New, choose the Payroll Type, set the From Date and To Date, and click Save.
- To generate an entire year's periods at once, click Set Full Year and pick the Payroll Type and Year combination you need from the dropdown (last year, this year and next year are offered).
- If the selected Payroll Type is Weekly, AdmCloud will ask you for the starting weekday (a number from 1 to 7) before generating the periods.
- To review a period, open its Details from the list (click its dates); from there you can move to editing it if you have the permission.
- To delete periods, check the boxes on the corresponding rows and click Delete; the system will ask for confirmation before removing them.
Automatic generation options ("Set Full Year")
This option saves you from manually creating every period of the year. It generates all periods at once, based on the payment frequency configured on the selected Payroll Type:
| Payroll Type frequency | Periods generated |
|---|---|
| Twice a month | 24 periods: one from day 1 to 15 and another from day 16 to the last day of each month. |
| Monthly | 12 periods, each covering a full calendar month, from the first to the last day. |
| Weekly | Consecutive 7-day periods, starting on the weekday you indicate (1 to 7), until the whole year is covered. |
Key fields
| Field | What it's for |
|---|---|
| Payroll Type | The Payroll Type this period belongs to. Together with its frequency, it also determines which automatic generation options apply. |
| From Date | The first day covered by the period. |
| To Date | The last day covered by the period. Must be on or after the From Date. |
| Period name (informational) | Text automatically built by combining both dates (for example "may 01 2026 - may 15 2026"); used to identify the period when selecting it on other screens, such as when generating a Payroll. |
Validations
- The From Date cannot be later than the To Date.
- You must select a valid Payroll Type; a period can't be saved without one.
- The period can't overlap (even partially) with another existing period of the same Payroll Type. This check applies both when creating and when editing a period.
- You can't create two periods with the exact same dates for the same Payroll Type.
- When using Set Full Year on a Weekly Payroll Type, the starting weekday must be between 1 and 7.
Availability
- This screen is part of the Payroll module, available with the Premium Plus Payroll plan, or with the Enterprise plan with the Payroll module enabled for your company.
- Requires the "Configuration" System Administration permission in your user group, both to view the list and to create, edit or delete periods.
Tips and common errors
Setting up a Payroll Type for the first time? Instead of creating each period by hand, use Set Full Year: in a single step it generates every period for the year based on the configured frequency, avoiding date mistakes or gaps between periods.
"This period overlaps with at least one existing period". This message shows up when the dates you entered cross, even partially, with another period of the same Payroll Type. Check the list of periods for that type and adjust the dates so they don't overlap.
"This period already exists". It means there's already a period with the exact same dates for that Payroll Type; there's no need to create it again.
Before deleting a period, make sure it isn't in use. Deleting a period that was already used to generate a Payroll can leave that payroll without a reference to its calculation dates. If you're not sure, check the Payroll list first to confirm no record uses that period before deleting it.