Gusto Embedded Payroll API

Name: Gusto Embedded Payroll API API
Brand: Gusto Embedded Payroll API
Availability: InStock

✓ Official Vendor SpecHR recruitingPayrollbearer24 EndpointsREST

For Agents

Run payroll calculations, submit payroll for processing, manage employees and contractors, and onboard new companies into an embedded payroll experience.

Quickstart

Get started with Gusto Embedded Payroll API in minutes using your preferred integration method.

# Add to your MCP client config (Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf)
{
  "jentic": {
    "url": "https://api.jentic.com/mcp",
    "auth": "oauth"
  }
}

# Then ask your agent:
"calculate and submit payroll"

# → Jentic returns the GET /events tool with parameter schema, agent executes.

Capabilities

What an agent can do with Gusto Embedded Payroll API API.

Calculate payroll with earnings, deductions, and tax withholdings before submission

Submit finalized payrolls for processing with direct deposit distribution

Onboard partner-managed companies with bank account and tax setup

Add and manage employees with compensation, benefits, and tax elections

GET STARTED

Start building with Gusto Embedded Payroll API API

Explore with Jentic

View OpenAPI Document

Use Cases

Patterns agents use Gusto Embedded Payroll API API for, with concrete tasks.

★ AI Agent Payroll Processing

AI agents use the Gusto Embedded Payroll API through Jentic to automate pay runs without direct Gusto credentials. An agent searches for 'calculate and submit payroll', loads the schema for the calculate endpoint, reviews the totals, and then submits the payroll for processing. The two-step calculate-then-submit flow prevents accidental payroll submissions by requiring explicit confirmation.

Calculate payroll for company ID C001 for the current pay period, verify the total net pay amount, then submit the payroll for processing

Embedded Payroll for SaaS Platforms

Partner applications embed Gusto's payroll engine to offer payroll as a native feature without building tax calculation, compliance, or direct deposit infrastructure. The partner-managed-companies endpoint handles company creation and setup, while payroll endpoints handle the ongoing run cycle. Partners earn revenue share while their customers get full-service payroll within the partner's UI.

Create a new partner-managed company with the business name, EIN, and primary contact email, then add a bank account for payroll funding

Employee Lifecycle Management

Add, update, and offboard employees through the API with compensation details, tax elections, and benefits enrolment. The employees endpoint handles the full lifecycle from hire through termination, syncing with payroll calculations automatically. Changes to compensation or deductions reflect in the next payroll calculation without manual reconfiguration.

Add a new employee to company ID C001 with their name, start date, salary of $85,000, and filing status, then verify they appear in the next payroll calculation

Contractor Payment Processing

Pay contractors and track 1099 obligations through dedicated contractor endpoints. The contractor-payments resource handles one-time and recurring payments with configurable payment methods. At year-end, payment history supports 1099-NEC generation for tax compliance without manual record aggregation.

Create a contractor payment of $5,000 for contractor ID CT001 at company ID C001 with payment date of next Friday

Key Endpoints

24 endpoints — embed full payroll processing, employee management, and contractor payments into partner applications through 24 endpoints.

METHOD

PATH

DESCRIPTION

POST

/v1/partner-managed-companies

Create a partner-managed company

GET

/v1/companies/{company_id}/employees

List employees for a company

GET

/v1/companies/{company_id}/payrolls

List payrolls for a company

POST

/v1/companies/{company_id}/payrolls/{payroll_id}/calculate

Calculate payroll totals

POST

/v1/companies/{company_id}/payrolls/{payroll_id}/submit

Submit payroll for processing

GET

/v1/companies/{company_id}/contractors

List contractors for a company

POST

/v1/companies/{company_id}/contractor-payments

Create a contractor payment

GET

/v1/companies/{company_id}/bank-accounts

List company bank accounts

POST

/v1/partner-managed-companies

Create a partner-managed company

GET

/v1/companies/{company_id}/employees

List employees for a company

GET

/v1/companies/{company_id}/payrolls

List payrolls for a company

POST

/v1/companies/{company_id}/payrolls/{payroll_id}/calculate

Calculate payroll totals

POST

/v1/companies/{company_id}/payrolls/{payroll_id}/submit

Submit payroll for processing

Why though Jentic?

Three things that make agents converge on Jentic-routed access.

Credential isolation

Gusto OAuth 2.0 client credentials and Bearer tokens are stored encrypted in the Jentic vault (MAXsystem). Agents receive company-scoped access tokens — raw client secrets never enter the agent's context.

Intent-based discovery

Agents search by intent (e.g., 'run payroll for a company') and Jentic returns matching Gusto operations with their input schemas, so the agent can call calculate then submit without navigating Gusto's partner documentation.

Time to first call

Direct Gusto integration: 3-5 days for OAuth partner setup, sandbox testing, and payroll flow implementation. Through Jentic: under 1 hour — search, load schema, execute.

Related APIs

Alternatives and complements available in the Jentic catalogue.

Alternative

ADP API

Enterprise payroll and HR platform for large organisations with complex pay structures

Choose ADP when the organisation has 500+ employees, multi-state payroll, or needs enterprise-grade compliance and benefits administration

Alternative

Paylocity API

Mid-market payroll and HCM platform with time tracking and talent management

Choose Paylocity for mid-market companies needing integrated payroll with time and attendance tracking in a single platform

Complementary

BambooHR API

HRIS platform for employee records, time-off, onboarding, and performance management

Use BambooHR alongside Gusto when you need employee records management and time-off tracking beyond what Gusto's employee endpoints provide

Alternative

Rippling API

Unified HR, IT, and payroll platform with device management and app provisioning

Choose Rippling when the company needs payroll combined with IT provisioning (device setup, app access) in a single platform

FAQs

Specific to using Gusto Embedded Payroll API API through Jentic.

What authentication does the Gusto Embedded Payroll API use?

The API uses OAuth 2.0 Bearer tokens obtained through the token endpoint at POST /v1/token. Partners authenticate with client credentials and receive access tokens scoped to specific companies. Through Jentic, OAuth tokens are managed in the MAXsystem vault so agents receive scoped access without handling client secrets.

Can I calculate payroll before submitting it for processing?

Yes. The two-step flow requires calling POST /v1/companies/{company_id}/payrolls/{payroll_id}/calculate first, which returns computed earnings, deductions, taxes, and net pay for review. Only after confirming the totals do you call POST /v1/companies/{company_id}/payrolls/{payroll_id}/submit to initiate direct deposits and tax payments.

What are the rate limits for the Gusto Embedded Payroll API?

Gusto enforces rate limits per partner application, typically 100 requests per minute per company. The API returns HTTP 429 with rate limit headers when exceeded. For payroll operations, the calculate and submit endpoints have additional safeguards preventing duplicate submissions within the same pay period.

How do I run payroll through Jentic?

Search Jentic for 'calculate and submit payroll', load the schema for the calculate endpoint at POST /v1/companies/{company_id}/payrolls/{payroll_id}/calculate, execute to get totals, then load and call the submit endpoint. Install with pip install jentic and authenticate at https://app.jentic.com/sign-up.

Does the Gusto API support contractor payments?

Yes. POST /v1/companies/{company_id}/contractor-payments creates a payment for a specific contractor with the amount, payment date, and payment method. GET /v1/companies/{company_id}/contractors lists all contractors. Payments are tracked for 1099-NEC generation at year-end.

Can I migrate an existing Gusto company to embedded payroll?

Yes. First check migration readiness via GET /v1/partner-managed-companies/{company_id}/migration_readiness, which returns blocking issues if any. Once ready, POST /v1/partner-managed-companies/{company_id}/migrate transfers the company to your partner-managed account while preserving their payroll history and employee data.