Outbound SFTP

Relevant can transmit files on an ongoing, automated basis to any destination that supports SFTP. Health centers often use this feature to transmit data to 340B administrators and other third parties.

Note: This is an add-on feature. If it’s not already enabled, contact Relevant to learn more about the setup steps and associated fees.

How it works

The content of the outbound data file is defined using a Report Builder report. This means you can view the report in Relevant at any time to check its logic and confirm that it’s producing the expected results.

Files can be transmitted on any regular schedule: for example, every day at 3 AM, or the last day of each month at 12:01 AM. To adjust the cadence of the automated transmission, contact Relevant’s support team and we’ll be happy to adjust this for you. (Note: It is not currently possible for health centers to view or modify the transmission schedule within Relevant.)

Relevant’s file transmission supports:

  • Generating files in CSV or PSV (pipe-separated) formats,
  • Encrypting files with PGP/GPG, if required by the receiving entity, and
  • Pushing files to external SFTP servers hosted by third parties

It does not support:

  • creating HL7 or FHIR files, and
  • hosting an SFTP server for external parties to “pull” data from Relevant.

Getting started

Before setting up an outbound SFTP transmission, Relevant will gather a small set of details about the file you want to send and the system that will receive it.

File specification

When discussing a file transmission project, Relevant will typically request a file specification that describes the required fields, format, and logic. If the receiving entity does not have a formal specification, something simpler that describes the format (e.g. “CSV”) and the required fields may be sufficient.

Recipient information

  • What SFTP URL we should connect to?
  • What SFTP port we should connect to? (default value is 22)
  • What is our username?
  • What authentication method should we use to connect? (SSH keys or password)
  • If using password authentication, what is our password? (note: please share this securely)
  • In what directory should we drop our submissions?
  • Do you restrict incoming SFTP submissions by IP address? (Y/N)

SSH keys vs passwords

Relevant prefers the use of SSH keys instead of passwords for SFTP connections, because SSH keys are more secure. Download Relevant’s public key.

If your SFTP server is not configured to work with SSH keys, Relevant can use a password that you supply instead. When sending this password, please do so using a secure email or by some other secure means of transmission.

Restricting by IP address

We encourage the receiving entity to restrict incoming SFTP submissions by IP address. For this reason, Relevant will share the IP address from which we’ll be sending files.

Monitoring transmissions

To view a list of file transmissions, their statuses, and their generated files, go to Configure > Outbound SFTP. Starting on Feb 23, 2026, you can download the files generated by submissions from within the application. If you need to look at files generated before then, please contact Relevant support.