Workday API Essential Guide

What type of API does Workday provide?

Workday provides two main types of APIs:

REST APIs

• Use standard HTTP methods (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE) to interact with Workday's services
• Well-documented and provide a straightforward way to integrate with Workday
• Ideal for web and mobile applications, simpler integrations, and scenarios needing quick, lightweight data access

SOAP APIs

• Used for more complex transactions that require a higher level of security and reliability
• Best for scenarios requiring high security, transactional reliability, and complex operations (e.g., financial transactions, payroll)

Both API types serve different purposes:

• REST APIs are commonly used for web-based integrations
• SOAP APIs are often utilized for complex transactions

The choice between REST and SOAP depends on the specific requirements of your integration project. REST is more flexible and lightweight, making it suitable for many web and mobile applications, while SOAP provides a more structured approach and is better for scenarios requiring high security and reliability.

Does the Workday API have webhooks?

Does the official Workday API have webhooks?

The information provided does not explicitly mention webhooks for the official Workday API. The focus is primarily on REST and SOAP APIs, but does not specifically address webhooks.

Key points to consider:

1. API Types: Workday offers both REST and SOAP APIs for integration purposes.

2. Event Subscription: There is a mention of "Workday Event Subscription capabilities," which suggests some form of event-based communication, but this is not explicitly described as webhooks.

3. Real-time Updates: The search results indicate interest in getting real-time updates from Workday systems, but the specific mechanism for achieving this is not clearly defined.

4. API Documentation: Workday provides comprehensive API documentation for both REST and SOAP APIs, which developers can access for detailed information on available endpoints and functionalities.

Best practices:

1. Consult Official Documentation: For the most up-to-date and accurate information on Workday's API capabilities, including any potential webhook support, it's best to refer to the official Workday API documentation.

2. Explore Alternative Methods: If webhooks are not available, consider using polling mechanisms or other API endpoints to retrieve updated information from Workday at regular intervals.

3. Contact Workday Support: If webhooks are a critical requirement for your integration, reaching out to Workday's support team or consulting with a Workday integration specialist may provide more specific information on available options for real-time event notifications.

In conclusion, while the search results do not provide definitive information about webhook support in the official Workday API, they do indicate that Workday offers robust API capabilities for integration. To get a definitive answer about webhook support and available event types, it would be necessary to consult the most recent official Workday API documentation or contact Workday support directly.

Rate Limits and other limitations

Here are the key points about the API Rate Limits of the Workday API:

Rate Limits

• The Workday API has rate limits in place to prevent overloading the system with excessive API calls [1].

• According to one source, Workday can only handle 10 calls per second and drops any beyond that [2]. However, this information comes from an implementation partner and may not be official.

• The official rate limits are not clearly stated in the provided search results.

Key Considerations

• Rate limits are an important factor to consider when integrating with the Workday API to ensure your integration does not exceed allowed usage [1].

• Implementing throttling and retry logic in your integration is recommended to respect Workday's API rate limits [5].

• Monitoring API call performance and error rates can help identify if you are hitting rate limits [5].

Best Practices

• Use detailed logging for API calls and responses to troubleshoot any rate limit issues [5].

• Always test integrations in Workday's sandbox environment first before going to production [5].

• Connect with the Workday developer community to learn from others' experiences with rate limits and other integration challenges [5].

• Consider using a unified API platform like Knit that can help manage rate limits and other complexities of integrating with Workday [5].

While the exact rate limits are not clearly specified in the provided information, it's evident that Workday does implement rate limiting on their API. Developers should be aware of this and design their integrations accordingly to avoid issues with exceeding allowed usage. Proper monitoring, logging, and throttling mechanisms are recommended when working with the Workday API.

Latest API Version

Based on the search results provided, here are the key points regarding the most recent version of the Workday API:

Most Recent Version

The most recent version of the Workday API mentioned in the search results is version 39.1 [1]. However, it's important to note that this information comes from documentation about supported versions for a specific connector, not necessarily the absolute latest version of the Workday API overall.

Key Points to Consider

• The Workday connector mentioned supports multiple API versions, including 39.1, 37.0, 35.2, 32.1, 30.1, and 24.1 [1].

• Workday uses a SOAP API that is independent of the Workday system version and is backward compatible [1].

• For Workday Strategic Sourcing's public APIs, there is a versioning system in place, with the latest versions for different services being 1.0 or 2.0 [2].

• Workday has a versioning policy where APIs have major and minor version numbers, starting with 1.0 [2].

• Breaking changes result in a new major version (e.g., 2.0), while significant non-breaking additions result in a new minor version (e.g., 1.1) [2].

Best Practices

1. When starting a new project, use the most recent available version of the API service you need [2].

2. Stay informed about new releases and updates to the Workday API.

3. Be aware of deprecation notices and plan for migrations when necessary.

4. Implement version control and change management processes for your integrations.

5. Consider using API gateways to manage versioning, routing, and backward compatibility [5].

6. Regularly monitor Workday's API documentation for updates and changes [5].

It's important to note that the absolute latest version of the Workday API may not be explicitly stated in the provided search results. For the most up-to-date information, it would be best to consult Workday's official documentation or contact their support directly.

How to get a Workday developer account and API Keys?

1. Create a Workday Community Account:

   • Sign up for a free account on the Workday Community site.

2. Register a Workday API Client:

   • Search for "Register API Client" in Workday
   • Fill out the form with your application details:
     • Enter a name for your application
     • Set the Redirection URI to "https://api.unified.to/oauth/code"
     • Add appropriate scopes like Staffing and/or Recruiting

3. Get Your App Credentials:

   • After registering, Workday will provide you with:
     • Client ID
     • Client Secret
     • API endpoints/URLs

4. Set Up Authentication:

   • Implement OAuth 2.0 authentication using the client ID and secret to obtain access tokens for making API calls

5. Create an Integration System User (ISU):

   • In Workday Security, create a special ISU for your integration
   • Assign it the minimum necessary permissions to access required APIs

6. Configure Your Workday Tenant:

   • Ensure you have access to your company's Workday tenant (your secure data environment)

7. Set Up a Sandbox Environment:

   • Request a sandbox from your Workday admin to test your integration safely before going live

What can you do with the Workday API?

Based on the search results provided, here is a list of data models you can interact with using the Workday API, along with what is possible for each:

Human Capital Management (HCM)

• Employee data management:

  • Create new employee records
  • Retrieve employee information
  • Update employee details
  • Manage employee lifecycle events (hiring, promotions, transfers, etc.)

• Organizational structure:

  • Retrieve organizational hierarchies
  • Manage positions and job roles

• Time and attendance:

  • Submit and approve time entries
  • Manage leave requests and balances

Financial Management

• Financial transactions:

  • Create and process journal entries
  • Manage accounts payable and receivable

• Budgeting and forecasting:

  • Retrieve budget data
  • Update financial forecasts

• Reporting and analytics:

  • Generate financial reports
  • Access real-time financial insights

Payroll

• Payroll processing:

  • Retrieve payroll data
  • Initiate payroll runs
  • Manage payroll adjustments

• Tax management:

  • Update tax information
  • Generate tax reports

Talent Management

• Recruitment:

  • Post job openings
  • Manage candidate applications

• Performance management:

  • Create and update performance reviews
  • Track goals and objectives

• Learning and development:

  • Manage training programs
  • Track employee certifications and skills

Benefits Administration

• Benefits enrollment:

  • Manage benefit plans
  • Process employee benefit selections

• Health and wellness:

  • Track wellness program participation
  • Manage health-related data

Workforce Planning

• Headcount planning:

  • Retrieve current workforce data
  • Update workforce plans

• Succession planning:

  • Identify and manage succession candidates

Reporting and Analytics

• Custom report generation:
  • Create and run custom reports across all data models
  • Access real-time analytics and insights

Security and Access Control

• User management:

  • Create and manage user accounts
  • Assign roles and permissions

• Authentication and authorization:

  • Implement OAuth 2.0 for secure API access

Integration Management

• Monitor and manage integrations:
  • Track integration status and performance
  • Troubleshoot integration issues

It's important to note that the specific capabilities and data models available through the Workday API may vary depending on your organization's Workday implementation and licensing. The Workday API documentation provides detailed information on available endpoints, parameters, and response formats for each data model.