How to integrate Workday MCP with Claude Agent SDK

Trusted by
AWS
Glean
Zoom
Airtable
GET STARTED FOR FREEGET A DEMO

30 min · no commitment · see it on your stack

Workday logo
Claude Agent SDK logo
divider

Introduction

This guide walks you through connecting Workday to the Claude Agent SDK using the Composio tool router. By the end, you'll have a working Workday agent that can request vacation days for next week, check your current absence balance, find all open job postings i manage through natural language commands.

This guide will help you understand how to give your Claude Agent SDK agent real control over a Workday account through Composio's Workday MCP server.

Before we dive in, let's take a quick look at the key ideas and tools involved.

Also integrate Workday with

TL;DR

Here's what you'll learn:
  • Get and set up your Claude/Anthropic and Composio API keys
  • Install the necessary dependencies
  • Initialize Composio and create a Tool Router session for Workday
  • Configure an AI agent that can use Workday as a tool
  • Run a live chat session where you can ask the agent to perform Workday operations

What is Claude Agent SDK?

The Claude Agent SDK is Anthropic's official framework for building AI agents powered by Claude. It provides a streamlined interface for creating agents with MCP tool support and conversation management.

Key features include:

  • Native MCP Support: Built-in support for Model Context Protocol servers
  • Permission Modes: Control tool execution permissions
  • Streaming Responses: Real-time response streaming for interactive applications
  • Context Manager: Clean async context management for sessions

What is the Workday MCP server, and what's possible with it?

The Workday MCP server is an implementation of the Model Context Protocol that connects your AI agent and assistants like Claude, Cursor, etc directly to your Workday account. It provides structured and secure access to your HR, payroll, and recruiting data, so your agent can perform actions like managing time off, retrieving employee details, tracking job postings, and analyzing interview feedback on your behalf.

  • Automated time off management: Easily create new time off requests or check absence balances for yourself or others, making leave management effortless.
  • Employee data and profile retrieval: Have your agent fetch profile details for the current user or any specified worker to simplify onboarding and HR processes.
  • Comprehensive job posting insights: Instantly retrieve information about job postings, including descriptions and screening questionnaires, to aid recruiters and hiring managers.
  • Interview feedback analysis: Let your agent pull and summarize interview feedback entries to streamline debriefs and improve hiring decisions.
  • Access to holiday and leave events: Quickly get holiday schedules and leave status values for better workforce planning and scheduling.

Supported Tools & Triggers

Tools
Triggers
Create Business Title ChangeCreates a business title change instance for a worker with the specified data.
Create Job ChangeTool to create a job change instance for a worker in Workday.
Create Payroll InputsTool to create payroll inputs in Workday.
Create Time Off RequestCreates a time off request for the specified worker and initiates the business process.
Get Absence BalanceRetrieves balance information for a specific worker's absence plan.
Get Assignment Change Group Cost CentersRetrieves cost center instances for organization assignment changes.
Get Assignment Change Group JobsRetrieves job instances for organization assignment changes.
Get Assignment TypesRetrieves assignment type values for job changes in Workday.
Get Business Title ChangeRetrieves a business title change instance by ID.
Get Business Title Change For WorkerTool to retrieve a business title change instance for a specific worker.
Get Candidate Availability TemplateTool to retrieve the candidate availability template version for a specific job posting.
Get Collection of JobsTool to retrieve a paginated collection of jobs from Workday Staffing system.
Get Collection of PayrollTool to retrieve a collection of payroll inputs from Workday.
Get Company Insider TypesRetrieves company insider types from Workday Staffing API.
Get Contingent Worker TypesTool to retrieve contingent worker types from Workday staffing API.
Get Country InfoRetrieves detailed information about a specific country from Workday.
Get CurrenciesRetrieves currency instances for job changes in Workday.
Get Current UserRetrieves the current authenticated worker's profile information from Workday.
Get GrantsRetrieves grant instances for organization assignment changes.
Get Headcount OptionsRetrieves headcount option instances that can be used as values for other endpoint parameters.
Get History Instance for WorkerTool to retrieve a specific history instance for a worker.
Get History Items for WorkerTool to retrieve a collection of history items for a specific worker.
Get Holiday EventsReturns the holiday events for the specified workers and time period.
Get InterviewTool to retrieve detailed information about a specific interview from Workday Recruiting.
Get Interview FeedbackRetrieves interview feedback for the specified interview ID from Workday Recruiting API.
Get Job By IDTool to retrieve detailed information about a single job instance by its ID.
Get Job Change FrequenciesRetrieves frequency instances for job changes in Workday.
Get Job Change Location InfoTool to retrieve location information for a specific job change in Workday.
Get Job Change PositionRetrieves position details for a specific job change in Workday Staffing API.
Get Job Change Reason InstanceRetrieves a job change reason instance from Workday.
Get Job Change ReasonsRetrieves a collection of job change reasons from Workday.
Get Job Change Reason ValuesRetrieves job change reason instances that can be used as values for other staffing endpoint parameters.
Get Job Changes Group TemplatesRetrieves job changes group template instances in Workday.
Get Job Changes Job ValuesRetrieves job instances that can be used as values for job changes parameters.
Get Job Changes Worker ValuesRetrieves worker instances that can be used as values for job changes parameters.
Get Job ClassificationsRetrieves job classification instances for job changes in Workday.
Get Job PostingRetrieves detailed information about a specific job posting including job description.
Get Job Posting QuestionnaireRetrieves screening questions and questionnaires associated with a specific job posting.
Get Job Profiles ValuesRetrieves job profile instances from Workday Staffing API.
Get Job Requisition ValuesRetrieves job requisition instances that can be used as values for other endpoint parameters.
Get Job WorkspaceTool to retrieve a single workspace instance for a specific job.
Get Job WorkspacesTool to retrieve a collection of workspaces for a specified job ID.
Get Leave Status ValuesGet all available leave status values from Workday.
Get My Job PostingsRetrieves job postings assigned to the authenticated user (current recruiter).
Get Organization Assignment Business UnitsRetrieves business unit instances for organization assignment changes.
Get Organization Assignment CustomsRetrieves custom organization assignment instances.
Get Organization Assignment FundsRetrieves fund instances for organization assignment changes.
Get Organization Assignment RegionsRetrieves region instances for organization assignment changes.
Get Organization Assignment WorkersRetrieves worker instances for organization assignment changes.
Get Pay Group by Job IDRetrieves the pay group for a specified job ID.
Get Payroll Input InstanceRetrieves detailed information for a single payroll input instance by ID.
Get Pay Slip Instance for WorkerRetrieves a specific pay slip instance for a worker.
Get Pay Slips for WorkerRetrieves a collection of pay slips for a specific worker.
Get Proposed Position ValuesRetrieves proposed position instances that can be used as values for job changes parameters.
Get ProspectRetrieves a single prospect instance for talent matching and best-fit analysis.
Get Prospect EducationsRetrieves the educational background of a prospect from Workday Recruiting API for talent matching and best-fit analysis.
Get Prospect ExperiencesRetrieves the work experience of a prospect for talent matching and best-fit analysis.
Get Prospect Resume AttachmentsRetrieves resume attachments for a specific prospect to help prepare for upcoming interviews.
Get Prospect SkillsRetrieves the skills of a prospect from Workday Recruiting API for talent matching and best-fit analysis.
Get Supervisory Organization ValuesRetrieves supervisory organization instances that can be used as values for job changes parameters.
Get Time Off Entries for WorkerRetrieves a collection of time off entries for a specific worker.
Get Time Off Plans For WorkerRetrieves a collection of time off plans for a specific worker.
Get Time Off Status ValuesRetrieves available time off status values from Workday.
Get Time TypesRetrieves time type values for job changes in Workday.
Get Worker Business Title ChangesRetrieves business title changes for a specific worker.
Get Worker Eligible Absence TypesRetrieves a collection of eligible absence types for the specified worker.
Get Worker InfoRetrieves detailed worker information including staffing data.
Get Worker Leaves of AbsenceRetrieves the Leaves Of Absence for the specified worker using the working absenceManagement v1 API.
Get Workers Collection StaffingTool to retrieve workers and current staffing information from Workday.
Get Worker Service DatesTool to retrieve service dates for a specified worker from Workday Staffing API v6.
Get Worker Staffing InformationTool to retrieve a worker's current staffing information from Workday.
Get Worker Time Off DetailsRetrieves a collection of time off details for the specified worker.
Get Worker TypesRetrieves worker type instances that can be used as values for job changes parameters.
Get Worker Valid Time Off DatesRetrieves valid time off dates for a worker, indicating when they are eligible to take time off.
Get Workspace InstancesTool to retrieve workspace instances that can be used as prompt values for other Workday API parameters.
Get Work Study AwardsRetrieves work study award instances for job changes in Workday.
List CountriesRetrieves country values from Workday Recruiting API.
List InterviewsRetrieves a list of interviews with job requisition and recruiter assignment details.
List Job PostingsRetrieves a paginated list of job postings from Workday Recruiting system.
List JobsRetrieves a collection of jobs from Workday Staffing system.
Retrieve Worker Leave of AbsenceRetrieves the leave of absence details for a specified worker.
Update An Existing PayrollTool to partially update an existing payroll input instance in Workday.
Update Job Change Business TitlePartially updates the business title for a specific job change.
Update Message Template By IDTool to update a message template in Workday by its ID.

What is the Composio tool router, and how does it fit here?

What is Composio SDK?

Composio's Composio SDK helps agents find the right tools for a task at runtime. You can plug in multiple toolkits (like Gmail, HubSpot, and GitHub), and the agent will identify the relevant app and action to complete multi-step workflows. This can reduce token usage and improve the reliability of tool calls. Read more here: Getting started with Composio SDK

The tool router generates a secure MCP URL that your agents can access to perform actions.

How the Composio SDK works

The Composio SDK follows a three-phase workflow:

  1. Discovery: Searches for tools matching your task and returns relevant toolkits with their details.
  2. Authentication: Checks for active connections. If missing, creates an auth config and returns a connection URL via Auth Link.
  3. Execution: Executes the action using the authenticated connection.

Step-by-step Guide

Prerequisites

Before starting, make sure you have:
  • Composio API Key and Claude/Anthropic API Key
  • Primary know-how of Claude Agents SDK
  • A Workday account
  • Some knowledge of Python

Getting API Keys for Claude/Anthropic and Composio

Claude/Anthropic API Key
  • Go to the Anthropic Console and create an API key. You'll need credits to use the models.
  • Keep the API key safe.
Composio API Key
  • Log in to the Composio dashboard.
  • Navigate to your API settings and generate a new API key.
  • Store this key securely as you'll need it for authentication.

Install dependencies

pip install composio-anthropic claude-agent-sdk python-dotenv

Install the Composio SDK and the Claude Agents SDK.

What's happening:

  • composio-anthropic provides Composio integration for Anthropic
  • claude-agent-sdk is the core agent framework
  • python-dotenv loads environment variables

Set up environment variables

bash
COMPOSIO_API_KEY=your_composio_api_key_here
USER_ID=your_user_id_here
ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=your_anthropic_api_key_here

Create a .env file in your project root.

What's happening:

  • COMPOSIO_API_KEY authenticates with Composio
  • USER_ID identifies the user for session management
  • ANTHROPIC_API_KEY authenticates with Anthropic/Claude

Import dependencies

import asyncio
from claude_agent_sdk import ClaudeSDKClient, ClaudeAgentOptions
import os
from composio import Composio
from dotenv import load_dotenv

load_dotenv()
What's happening:
  • We're importing all necessary libraries including the Claude Agent SDK and Composio
  • The load_dotenv() function loads environment variables from your .env file
  • This setup prepares the foundation for connecting Claude with Workday functionality

Create a Composio instance and Tool Router session

async def chat_with_remote_mcp():
    api_key = os.getenv("COMPOSIO_API_KEY")
    if not api_key:
        raise RuntimeError("COMPOSIO_API_KEY is not set")

    composio = Composio(api_key=api_key)

    # Create Tool Router session for Workday
    mcp_server = composio.create(
        user_id=os.getenv("USER_ID"),
        toolkits=["workday"]
    )

    url = mcp_server.mcp.url

    if not url:
        raise ValueError("Session URL not found")
What's happening:
  • The function checks for the required COMPOSIO_API_KEY environment variable
  • We're creating a Composio instance using our API key
  • The create method creates a Tool Router session for Workday
  • The returned url is the MCP server URL that your agent will use

Configure Claude Agent with MCP

# Configure remote MCP server for Claude
options = ClaudeAgentOptions(
    permission_mode="bypassPermissions",
    mcp_servers={
        "composio": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": url,
            "headers": {
                "x-api-key": os.getenv("COMPOSIO_API_KEY")
            }
        }
    },
    system_prompt="You are a helpful assistant with access to Workday tools via Composio.",
    max_turns=10
)
What's happening:
  • We're configuring the Claude Agent options with the MCP server URL
  • permission_mode="bypassPermissions" allows the agent to execute operations without asking for permission each time
  • The system prompt instructs the agent that it has access to Workday
  • max_turns=10 limits the conversation length to prevent excessive API usage

Create client and start chat loop

# Create client with context manager
async with ClaudeSDKClient(options=options) as client:
    print("\nChat started. Type 'exit' or 'quit' to end.\n")

    # Main chat loop
    while True:
        user_input = input("You: ").strip()
        if user_input.lower() in {"exit", "quit"}:
            print("Goodbye!")
            break

        # Send query
        await client.query(user_input)

        # Receive and print response
        print("Claude: ", end="", flush=True)
        async for message in client.receive_response():
            if hasattr(message, "content"):
                for block in message.content:
                    if hasattr(block, "text"):
                        print(block.text, end="", flush=True)
        print()
What's happening:
  • The Claude SDK client is created using the async context manager pattern
  • The agent processes each query and streams the response back in real-time
  • The chat loop continues until the user types 'exit' or 'quit'

Run the application

if __name__ == "__main__":
    asyncio.run(chat_with_remote_mcp())
What's happening:
  • This entry point runs the async chat_with_remote_mcp() function using asyncio.run()
  • The application will start, create the MCP connection, and begin the interactive chat session

Complete Code

Here's the complete code to get you started with Workday and Claude Agent SDK:

import asyncio
from claude_agent_sdk import ClaudeSDKClient, ClaudeAgentOptions
import os
from composio import Composio
from dotenv import load_dotenv

load_dotenv()

async def chat_with_remote_mcp():
    api_key = os.getenv("COMPOSIO_API_KEY")
    if not api_key:
        raise RuntimeError("COMPOSIO_API_KEY is not set")

    composio = Composio(api_key=api_key)

    # Create Tool Router session for Workday
    mcp_server = composio.create(
        user_id=os.getenv("USER_ID"),
        toolkits=["workday"]
    )

    url = mcp_server.mcp.url

    if not url:
        raise ValueError("Session URL not found")

    # Configure remote MCP server for Claude
    options = ClaudeAgentOptions(
        permission_mode="bypassPermissions",
        mcp_servers={
            "composio": {
                "type": "http",
                "url": url,
                "headers": {
                    "x-api-key": os.getenv("COMPOSIO_API_KEY")
                }
            }
        },
        system_prompt="You are a helpful assistant with access to Workday tools via Composio.",
        max_turns=10
    )

    # Create client with context manager
    async with ClaudeSDKClient(options=options) as client:
        print("\nChat started. Type 'exit' or 'quit' to end.\n")

        # Main chat loop
        while True:
            user_input = input("You: ").strip()
            if user_input.lower() in {"exit", "quit"}:
                print("Goodbye!")
                break

            # Send query
            await client.query(user_input)

            # Receive and print response
            print("Claude: ", end="", flush=True)
            async for message in client.receive_response():
                if hasattr(message, "content"):
                    for block in message.content:
                        if hasattr(block, "text"):
                            print(block.text, end="", flush=True)
            print()

if __name__ == "__main__":
    asyncio.run(chat_with_remote_mcp())

Conclusion

You've successfully built a Claude Agent SDK agent that can interact with Workday through Composio's Tool Router.

Key features:

  • Native MCP support through Claude's agent framework
  • Streaming responses for real-time interaction
  • Permission bypass for smooth automated workflows
You can extend this by adding more toolkits, implementing custom business logic, or building a web interface around the agent.

How to build Workday MCP Agent with another framework

ChatGPT logo

ChatGPT

Use Workday MCP with ChatGPT

Antigravity logo

Antigravity

Use Workday MCP with Antigravity

OpenAI Agents SDK logo

OpenAI Agents SDK

Use Workday MCP with OpenAI Agents SDK

Claude Code logo

Claude Code

Use Workday MCP with Claude Code

Claude Cowork logo

Claude Cowork

Use Workday MCP with Claude Cowork

Codex logo

Codex

Use Workday MCP with Codex

Cursor logo

Cursor

Use Workday MCP with Cursor

OpenClaw logo

OpenClaw

Use Workday MCP with OpenClaw

Hermes logo

Hermes

Use Workday MCP with Hermes

CLI logo

CLI

Use Workday MCP with CLI

Google ADK logo

Google ADK

Use Workday MCP with Google ADK

LangChain logo

LangChain

Use Workday MCP with LangChain

Vercel AI SDK logo

Vercel AI SDK

Use Workday MCP with Vercel AI SDK

Mastra AI logo

Mastra AI

Use Workday MCP with Mastra AI

LlamaIndex logo

LlamaIndex

Use Workday MCP with LlamaIndex

CrewAI logo

CrewAI

Use Workday MCP with CrewAI

OpenCode logo

OpenCode

Use Workday MCP with OpenCode

VS Code logo

VS Code

Use Workday MCP with VS Code

FAQ

What are the differences in Tool Router MCP and Workday MCP?

With a standalone Workday MCP server, the agents and LLMs can only access a fixed set of Workday tools tied to that server. However, with the Composio Tool Router, agents can dynamically load tools from Workday and many other apps based on the task at hand, all through a single MCP endpoint.

Can I use Tool Router MCP with Claude Agent SDK?

Yes, you can. Claude Agent SDK fully supports MCP integration. You get structured tool calling, message history handling, and model orchestration while Tool Router takes care of discovering and serving the right Workday tools.

Can I manage the permissions and scopes for Workday while using Tool Router?

Yes, absolutely. You can configure which Workday scopes and actions are allowed when connecting your account to Composio. You can also bring your own OAuth credentials or API configuration so you keep full control over what the agent can do.

How safe is my data with Composio Tool Router?

All sensitive data such as tokens, keys, and configuration is fully encrypted at rest and in transit. Composio is SOC 2 Type 2 compliant and follows strict security practices so your Workday data and credentials are handled as safely as possible.

Used by agents from

Context
Letta
glean
HubSpot
Agent.ai
Altera
DataStax
Entelligence
Rolai
Context
Letta
glean
HubSpot
Agent.ai
Altera
DataStax
Entelligence
Rolai
Context
Letta
glean
HubSpot
Agent.ai
Altera
DataStax
Entelligence
Rolai

Never worry about agent reliability

We handle tool reliability, observability, and security so you never have to second-guess an agent action.

Get started for freeGet a demo↗