Integrating with your customers’ HRIS, ATS, or Payroll Platforms is perhaps, the most tedious and time-intensive task for many HR-Tech teams.

The same applies to Gusto, a leading cloud-based HR platform offering payroll, benefits, and compliance tools to organizations.

But don’t worry, we’ve got you.

This article walks you through the technical details of the Gusto API, explain how to integrate with the platform, and offer practical examples to get you started!

Getting Started with Gusto API

What is Gusto API?

Gusto’s API allows you to integrate the platforms’ data directly into your applications, making it easier to manage employee data, payroll records, and company details of your customers.

By using Gusto API, you can automate data synchronization, eliminate manual tasks, and ensure compliance with state and federal regulations - all through a secure and developer-friendly interface.

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OAuth2 Authentication and Secure Access

The Gusto API uses OAuth2, a standard authentication protocol, to securely manage access to its resources.

OAuth2 ensures that sensitive HR and payroll data are protected by delegating authorization to third-party systems without exposing credentials.

There are two types of tokens in Gusto API:

• Organization-level tokens: These tokens allow access to multiple companies under one umbrella, ideal for large-scale integrations.
• Company-level tokens: These provide access to specific company data, ensuring that each integration is securely isolated.

Here’s a basic Python code snippet for implementing OAuth2:

import requests

# OAuth2 Authentication URL
auth_url = '<https://api.gusto.com/oauth/token>'

# Payload with necessary authentication details
payload = {
    'client_id': 'YOUR_CLIENT_ID',
    'client_secret': 'YOUR_CLIENT_SECRET',
    'grant_type': 'authorization_code',
    'code': 'AUTHORIZATION_CODE',
    'redirect_uri': 'YOUR_REDIRECT_URI'
}

response = requests.post(auth_url, data=payload)
token = response.json()['access_token']

This code demonstrates how to authenticate and retrieve the access token, which will then be used for secure API requests.

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Deep Dive into Gusto API Endpoints

Employee Management Endpoints

The Gusto API provides a range of endpoints that allow developers to manage employee data.

Here are the most commonly used endpoints, along with practical use cases.

• GET /v1/employees
  • Description: Retrieves a list of all employees in a company.
  • Parameters: page and per for pagination.
  • Code Example:
    

headers = {'Authorization': f'Bearer {token}'}
response = requests.get('<https://api.gusto.com/v1/employees>', headers=headers, params={'page': 1, 'per': 25})
employees = response.json()

• Use Case: Sync employee data from Gusto into your system.

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• POST /v1/employees
  • Description: Adds a new employee to the company.
  • Payload: Include employee details like name, email, and job title.
  • Code Example:

payload = {
    'first_name': 'John',
    'last_name': 'Doe',
    'email': 'john.doe@example.com',
    'hire_date': '2024-09-30'
}
response = requests.post('<https://api.gusto.com/v1/companies/{company_id}/employees>', headers=headers, json=payload)

• Use Case: Automate employee onboarding directly from an Applicant Tracking System (ATS).

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Payroll Management Endpoints

Payroll is one of the most crucial aspects of HR, and Gusto API provides a way to manage payroll efficiently.

• GET /v1/payrolls
  • Description: Fetches payroll records for a company.
  • Code Example:

response = requests.get('<https://api.gusto.com/v1/companies/{company_id}/payrolls>', headers=headers)
payrolls = response.json()

• Use Case: Generate payroll reports or integrate payroll data into your accounting software.

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• PUT /v1/payrolls/{payroll_id}/submit
  • Description: Submits payroll for processing.
  • Code Example:

response = requests.put('<https://api.gusto.com/v1/companies/{company_id}/payrolls/{payroll_id}/submit>', headers=headers)

• Use Case: Automate payroll submission at the end of each pay period.

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Practical Integration Examples

Automating Employee Onboarding

Let’s walk through a practical example of automating the employee onboarding process using the Gusto API:

1. Step 1: Create a New Employee: Use the POST /v1/employees endpoint to add the new hire to your system.
2. Step 2: Assign the Employee to a Department: Once the employee is created, use the department assignment endpoint.
3. Step 3: Set Up Compensation: Configure the employee’s job role and salary using the POST /v1/jobs/{job_id}/compensations endpoint.

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Payroll Automation

Here’s how you can automate the entire payroll process:

1. Retrieve all employee records using the GET /v1/employees endpoint.
2. Fetch their payroll details using GET /v1/payrolls.
3. Once everything is validated, use PUT /v1/payrolls/{payroll_id}/submit to finalize and submit the payroll.

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Handling Pagination and Rate Limits

Pagination

When fetching large datasets, such as employee records, Gusto API uses pagination to make requests more manageable. The page and per parameters allow you to retrieve data in chunks.

Here’s how you can implement pagination:

page = 1
while True:
    response = requests.get('<https://api.gusto.com/v1/employees>', headers=headers, params={'page': page, 'per': 50})
    data = response.json()
    if not data:
        break
    # Process the data
    page += 1

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Rate Limits

The Gusto API enforces a rate limit of 200 requests per minute.

Exceeding this limit will result in a 429 Too Many Requests error. Implement an exponential backoff strategy to retry requests after a brief delay:

import time
import math

def make_request(url, headers, params, attempt=1):
    try:
        response = requests.get(url, headers=headers, params=params)
        if response.status_code == 429:
            raise Exception('Rate limit exceeded')
        return response
    except Exception as e:
        wait_time = math.pow(2, attempt)
        time.sleep(wait_time)
        return make_request(url, headers, params, attempt + 1)

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Troubleshooting and Best Practices

Common Errors and Solutions

• 401 Unauthorized: This error occurs when the access token is invalid or expired. Refresh the token using the OAuth2 process.
• 429 Too Many Requests: Implement a backoff strategy to handle rate limits.
• 500 Internal Server Error: Retry the request after a delay, or check the API status page for ongoing issues.

Best Practices

• Secure Token Management: Store your OAuth2 tokens securely and refresh them before expiration.
• Logging and Monitoring: Log all API requests and responses for future auditing and debugging.
• Use the Sandbox: Always test your integration in Gusto’s sandbox environment before going live.

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Get Started With with Gusto API Using Bindbee

Integrating with Gusto shouldn’t be an engineering battle.

Yet, for most teams, it feels like a huge time sink—draining valuable engineering resources.

Why put your team through the grind when Bindbee can get you live with Gusto in minutes?

Instead of spending hundreds of hours on complex integrations, your developers can focus on the work that drives real growth for your product.

Let us handle the heavy lifting. You focus on growth, what say?

Say hello to Bindbee.

Book a demo with our experts today.

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FAQs

How do I generate API keys?

• API keys are generated during the OAuth2 authentication process. Follow the Authentication Guide for detailed steps.

How do I handle API rate limits?

• Implement request throttling and exponential backoff strategies. See Rate Limiting Documentation.

What data fields can be retrieved using Gusto API?

• You can retrieve employee details, payroll records, and company data. See the API Reference for detailed data models.