Workday CLI for AI Agents

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

30 min · no commitment · see it on your stack

Workday logo
CLI logo
divider

Introduction

CLIs are eating MCPs. The industry is converging on the very same idea. MCPs for all their merit can be token hungry, slow, and unreliable for complex tool chaining. However, coding agents have become incredibly good at working with CLIs, and in fact they are far more comfortable working with CLI tools than MCP.

With Composio's Universal CLI, your coding agents can talk to over 1000+ SaaS applications. With Workday, agents can request vacation days for next week, check your current absence balance, find all open job postings i manage, and more — all without worrying about authentication.

This guide walks you through Composio Universal CLI and explains how you can connect it with coding agents like Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode, etc, for end-to-end Workday automation.

Also integrate Workday with

What is Universal CLI and why use it?

The idea behind building the universal CLI is to give agents a single command interface to interact with all your external applications. Here's what you'll get with it:

  • Agent-friendly: Coding agents like Claude Code, Codex, and OpenCode can use CLI tools natively — no MCP setup required.
  • Authentication handled: Connect once via OAuth or API Key, and all CLI commands work with your credentials automatically.
  • Tool discovery: Search, inspect, and execute 20,000+ tools across 1000+ apps from one interface.
  • Trigger support: Use triggers to listen for events across your apps, powered by real-time webhooks or polling under the hood.
  • Type generation: Generate typed schemas for autocomplete and type safety in your projects.

Prerequisites

Install the Composio CLI, authenticate, and initialize your project:

bash
# Install the Composio CLI
curl -fsSL https://composio.dev/install | bash

# Authenticate with Composio
composio login

During login you'll be redirected to sign in page, finish the complete flow and you're all set.

Composio CLI authentication flow

Connecting Workday to Coding Agents via Universal CLI

Once it is installed, it's essentially done. Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode, OpenClaw, or any other agent will be able to access the CLI. A few steps to give agents access to your apps.

  1. Launch your Coding Agent — Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode, anything you prefer.
  2. Prompt it to "Authenticate with Workday"
  3. Complete the authentication and authorization flow and your Workday integration is all set.
  4. Start asking anything you want.

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.

Universal CLI Commands for Workday

You can also manually execute CLI commands to interact with your Workday.

Connect your Workday account

Link your Workday account and verify the connection:

bash
# Connect your Workday account (opens OAuth flow)
composio connected-accounts link workday

# Verify the connection
composio connected-accounts list --toolkits workday

Discover Workday tools

Search and inspect available Workday tools:

bash
# List all available Workday tools
composio tools list --toolkit workday

# Search for Workday tools by action
composio tools search "workday"

# Inspect a tool's input schema
composio tools info WORKDAY_CREATE_TIME_OFF_REQUEST

Common Workday Actions

Create Time Off Request — Creates a time off request for the specified worker id and initiates the business process

bash
composio tools execute WORKDAY_CREATE_TIME_OFF_REQUEST \
  --ID "<string>" \
  --days "<array>" \
  --timeOffRequestEventView "<string>" \
  --businessProcessParameters "<object>"

Get Absence Balance — Retrieves the specified balance of all absence plan and leave of absence types

bash
composio tools execute WORKDAY_GET_ABSENCE_BALANCE \
  --ID "<string>"

Get Balance Details — Retrieves the specified balance of all absence plan and leave of absence types

bash
composio tools execute WORKDAY_GET_BALANCE_DETAILS \
  --ID "<string>"

Get Current User — Retrieves the current authenticated worker's profile information from workday

bash
composio tools execute WORKDAY_GET_CURRENT_USER

Set up Workday Triggers

Listen for events in real time using triggers:

Absence Balance Changed — Triggers when a worker's absence balance changes

bash
# Find your connected account ID
composio connected-accounts list --toolkits workday

# Create a trigger
composio triggers create WORKDAY_ABSENCE_BALANCE_CHANGED_TRIGGER \
  --connected-account-id <your-connected-account-id> \
  --trigger-config '{
  "interval": 2,
  "effective": "<string>",
  "absencePlan": "<string>"
}'

# Listen for trigger events in real time
composio triggers listen --toolkits workday --table

Balance Details Changed — Triggers when details of a specific balance change (quantity, accruals, adjustments, etc

bash
# Find your connected account ID
composio connected-accounts list --toolkits workday

# Create a trigger
composio triggers create WORKDAY_BALANCE_DETAILS_CHANGED_TRIGGER \
  --connected-account-id <your-connected-account-id> \
  --trigger-config '{
  "interval": 2,
  "effective": "<string>",
  "absencePlan": "<string>"
}'

# Listen for trigger events in real time
composio triggers listen --toolkits workday --table

Interview Feedback Submitted or Updated — Triggers when interview feedback is submitted or updated for a specific interview

bash
# Find your connected account ID
composio connected-accounts list --toolkits workday

# Create a trigger
composio triggers create WORKDAY_INTERVIEW_FEEDBACK_SUBMITTED_TRIGGER \
  --connected-account-id <your-connected-account-id> \
  --trigger-config '{
  "limit": 10,
  "interval": 2,
  "interview_id": "<string>"
}'

# Listen for trigger events in real time
composio triggers listen --toolkits workday --table

Generate Type Definitions

Generate typed schemas for Workday tools to get autocomplete and type safety in your project:

bash
# Auto-detect language
composio generate --toolkits workday

# TypeScript
composio ts generate --toolkits workday

# Python
composio py generate --toolkits workday

Tips & Tricks

  • Always inspect a tool's input schema before executing: composio tools info <TOOL_NAME>
  • Pipe output with jq for better readability: composio tools execute TOOL_NAME -d '{}' | jq
  • Set COMPOSIO_API_KEY as an environment variable for CI/CD pipelines
  • Use composio dev logs tools to inspect execution logs and debug issues

Next Steps

  • Try asking your coding agent to perform various Workday operations
  • Explore cross-app workflows by connecting more toolkits
  • Set up triggers for real-time automation
  • Use composio generate for typed schemas in your projects

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 Agent SDK logo

Claude Agent SDK

Use Workday MCP with Claude Agent 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

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 is the Composio Universal CLI?

The Composio Universal CLI is a single command-line interface that lets coding agents and developers interact with 1000+ SaaS applications. It handles authentication, tool discovery, action execution, and trigger setup — all from the terminal, without needing to configure MCP servers.

Which coding agents work with the Composio CLI?

Any coding agent that can run shell commands works with the Composio CLI — including Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode, OpenClaw, and others. Once the CLI is installed, agents automatically discover and use the composio commands to interact with Workday and other connected apps.

How is the CLI different from using an MCP server for Workday?

MCP servers require configuration and can be token-heavy for complex workflows. The CLI gives agents a direct, lightweight interface — no server setup needed. Agents simply call composio commands like any other shell tool. It's faster to set up, more reliable for multi-step tool chaining, and works natively with how coding agents already operate.

How safe is my Workday data when using the Composio CLI?

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. You can also bring your own OAuth credentials for full control.

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↗