canonical: https://jentic.com/apis/paychex.com/paychex # Paychex External API Jentic publishes the only available OpenAPI specification for Paychex External API, keeping it validated and agent-ready. The Paychex External API provides programmatic access to company payroll data, worker management, compensation, tax filings, and direct deposits. It covers 97 endpoints spanning worker onboarding, pay rate configuration, check processing, custom field management, and webhook-based event notifications for HR system integrations. ## For AI agents Manage workers, process payroll checks, configure compensation rates, and handle direct deposits for companies using Paychex payroll services. ## Scope Does not handle benefits enrollment, time tracking, or recruiting - use for payroll processing and worker records management only. ## Capabilities - Process payroll checks and manage check components for individual workers - Configure worker compensation rates, pay standards, and earning codes - Manage direct deposit accounts and routing for employee payments - Handle federal and local tax configurations for workers - Create and update worker records including contacts and custom fields - Set up webhook notifications for payroll and worker lifecycle events - Retrieve pay period schedules and pay frequency configurations ## Use cases ### Worker Onboarding Automation Automate the creation of new worker records in Paychex when employees are hired. The API accepts demographic data, compensation details, tax elections, and direct deposit information in a single flow. This eliminates manual re-entry from an ATS or HRIS and ensures payroll is ready for the next pay cycle without HR intervention. Example prompt: Create a new worker under company {companyId} with name, address, SSN, pay rate of $75,000 annually, and configure federal tax withholding status as single with 0 allowances ### Payroll Check Processing Submit and manage payroll checks including one-off bonus payments, corrections, and regular pay runs. The API supports creating checks with multiple components such as earnings, deductions, and taxes. Check data can be retrieved for reconciliation with accounting systems after each pay period closes. Example prompt: Create a payroll check for worker {workerId} with a bonus earning component of $2,500 and verify the check status ### Compensation and Tax Configuration Manage employee pay rates, earning codes, and tax withholding configurations through the API. Supports multiple pay rates per worker, federal and state tax setups, and local tax jurisdictions. Changes take effect on the next applicable pay period, supporting mid-cycle promotions or transfers without manual payroll adjustments. Example prompt: Update the primary pay rate for worker {workerId} from $70,000 to $80,000 annually effective next pay period and verify the change in compensation records ### AI Agent Payroll Integration via Jentic AI agents connect to the Paychex External API through Jentic to perform payroll operations without managing OAuth token flows or parsing complex response schemas directly. Jentic provides intent-based discovery so agents search for operations like 'add a worker' or 'process a check' and receive the correct endpoint with validated input schemas ready for execution. Example prompt: Search Jentic for 'retrieve worker pay statements', load the operation schema, and execute it for worker {workerId} for the current year ## Key endpoints | Method | Path | Description | | --- | --- | --- | | POST | /companies/{companyId}/workers | Create a new worker record | | GET | /workers/{workerId} | Retrieve worker details | | POST | /workers/{workerId}/checks | Create a payroll check | | POST | /workers/{workerId}/compensation/payrates | Add a pay rate | | POST | /workers/{workerId}/directdeposits | Configure direct deposit | | POST | /auth/oauth/v2/token | Obtain OAuth access token | | POST | /management/hooks | Register a webhook subscription | | GET | /companies/{companyId}/payperiods | List pay periods | ## Key resources - **Workers** — Create, read, update, and delete worker records including demographics and status - **Checks** — Process payroll checks with earning and deduction components - **Compensation** — Manage pay rates, pay standards, and earning configurations - **Direct Deposits** — Configure bank account routing for worker payments - **Tax** — Manage federal, state, and local tax withholding settings - **Companies** — Access company details, locations, jobs, and organizational structure - **Webhooks** — Subscribe to payroll and worker lifecycle event notifications ## Why Jentic - **Setup:** Wiring Paychex by hand means running its OAuth 2.0 token exchange, managing scoped bearer tokens, and finding the right call across nearly a hundred endpoints yourself. Through Jentic you install once, import the Paychex External API from the API Directory, store the client credentials once, and your agent calls it. - **Permission scoping:** Paychex puts the company and worker ids in the URL path (/companies/{companyId}/workers, /workers/{workerId}), so a rule can pin your agent to one worker: it can read that worker's record and nothing else. You choose the operations it may call, so writing checks, pay rates, or direct deposits is not included unless you add them. - **Credential handling:** Your Paychex OAuth client id and secret are stored once, encrypted, by your own Jentic One instance and exchanged for scoped tokens at execution time. They never enter the agent's prompt, logs, or context. - **Discovery method:** Agents search Jentic by intent such as 'process a payroll check' or 'get a worker record', and Jentic returns the matching Paychex operation with its input schema so the agent calls the right endpoint without browsing the reference docs. ## Related APIs - **Paylocity API** — Similar payroll and HCM API with employee management and pay statement retrieval - **Gusto API** — SMB-focused payroll API with built-in benefits and compliance features - **BambooHR API** — HR information system for employee records, time-off, and performance management ## FAQ ### Why is there no official OpenAPI spec for Paychex External API? Paychex does not publish an OpenAPI specification. Jentic generates and maintains this spec so that AI agents and developers can call Paychex External API via structured tooling. It is validated against the live API and kept up to date. Get started with Jentic One, the self-hosted execution layer. ### What authentication does the Paychex External API use? The Paychex API uses OAuth 2.0 client credentials. You obtain a token by posting your client ID and secret to the /auth/oauth/v2/token endpoint. Through Jentic, OAuth credentials are stored in your Jentic One instance and agents receive scoped tokens without handling the client secret directly. ### Can I process payroll checks with the Paychex External API? Yes. The POST /workers/{workerId}/checks endpoint creates a payroll check, and POST /checks/{checkId}/checkcomponents adds earning or deduction line items. You can also retrieve check details with GET /workers/{workerId}/checks and delete pending checks with DELETE /checks. ### What are the rate limits for the Paychex External API? Paychex applies per-client rate limiting based on your API subscription tier. The token endpoint has stricter limits than data endpoints. Monitor 429 responses and implement exponential backoff. Jentic handles retry logic automatically when executing operations on your behalf. ### How do I add a new employee through the Paychex API via Jentic? Search Jentic for 'add a worker to company payroll' to find the POST /companies/{companyId}/workers operation. Jentic returns the full input schema including required fields like name, status, and compensation. Execute the operation through Jentic and it handles OAuth token acquisition and request formatting. Install with pip install jentic. ### Can I configure direct deposits for workers via the API? Yes. Use POST /workers/{workerId}/directdeposits to add a new direct deposit account with routing number, account number, and deposit amount or percentage. PATCH /workers/{workerId}/directdeposits/{directDepositId} updates existing accounts, and DELETE removes them. ### Can I limit what my agent is allowed to do with the Paychex External API? Yes. Because Jentic One is self-hosted, your own rules decide which Paychex operations and credentials the agent may use. Since Paychex puts the company and worker ids in the URL path, such as /companies/{companyId}/workers and /workers/{workerId}, you can pin the agent to a single worker so it reads only that record. Write operations like creating payroll checks, adding pay rates, or configuring direct deposits are excluded unless you explicitly grant them.