How to connect Zoho People to Claude

Connect Claude Web, Desktop and Cowork to Zoho People MCP. List employees on leave this week, review attendance records for late arrivals, and more using natural language, with authentication handled for you.

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Zoho People is a cloud HR platform for employee records, leave, attendance, and HR workflows. It centralizes workforce data and helps teams manage everyday people operations.

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Introduction

Claude is Anthropic's AI assistant, available on the web, in the desktop app, and on mobile. Cowork is its agent for knowledge work, and it runs on all of those surfaces too. Connected to your apps, Claude can work with your files and services to accomplish complex tasks on your behalf.

This guide walks you through the easiest and most secure way to connect your Zoho People account to Claude via Composio Connect, enabling it to list employees on leave this week, review attendance records for late arrivals, summarize timesheets for the finance team, and more such actions on your behalf without compromising your account security.

Setup is the same on Claude Web, Desktop, and Cowork, and you only need to do it once. The connector is tied to your account, so it's available in all three.

Also integrate Zoho People with

Connecting Zoho People to Claude Web, Desktop, and Cowork

Two ways to add the Composio connector. Pick whichever you prefer.

1. Add with one click

Click the button. Claude opens with the Composio connector filled in. Click Add, then go to step 2.

Add to Claude

Add manually

In Claude Desktop, click Customize in the left sidebar, then select Connectors and click the + icon at the top.

Claude Desktop connectors screen with Add custom connector selected

Click Add custom connector and paste in the Composio MCP server URL:

bash
https://connect.composio.dev/mcp
Add custom connector dialog with Composio MCP server URL

2. Authorize in your browser

Click Connect. You'll be redirected to a browser window where you can authorize Composio to continue.

Composio authorization screen for Claude Web, Desktop, and Cowork

3. Connect your Zoho People account

Back in Claude, ask it to connect to Zoho People or give it any Zoho People-related task.

For example, ask Claude to:

  • "List employees on leave this week"
  • "Review attendance records for late arrivals"
  • "Summarize timesheets for the finance team"

It will prompt you to authenticate and authorize access.

That's it. Composio's tools are now available in Claude, and your Zoho People account is ready to use.

What is the Zoho People Claude Connector, and what's possible with it?

The Zoho People MCP server is an implementation of the Model Context Protocol that connects your AI agent and assistants like Claude, Cursor, etc directly to your Zoho People account. It provides structured and secure access to employee records, leave, attendance, timesheets, performance, learning, files, and HR workflows, so your agent can create employee records, submit leave and attendance requests, manage timesheets, organize training, and handle HR processes on your behalf.

  • Employee and HR record management: Have your agent create employee records, add salary details, create HR process records, and manage custom variables for your workforce.
  • Leave and attendance requests: Direct your agent to submit leave, compensatory time, on-duty, hourly permission, and attendance regularization requests, or cancel selected requests when plans change.
  • Time tracking and timesheets: Let the agent create time logs, clients, job schedules, and timesheets, add timer comments, and approve or reject timesheets.
  • Learning and performance programs: Instruct your agent to create LMS courses, modules, batches, and sessions, add trainers, and create or assign performance competencies and KRAs.
  • Files, shifts, and HR setup: Have your agent create file folders, map shifts to employees, configure leave settings, and manage attendance entries for day-to-day HR operations.

Troubleshooting

1. Why does Claude not use the Composio connector for Zoho People?

The connector can show as connected, but Claude must use it in each Zoho People conversation.

  • Click + at the lower left of the chat, or type /.
  • Hover Connectors.
  • Turn on Composio.
  • Ask Claude to connect to Zoho People again.

2. Why does Claude show an MCP server error before Zoho People connects?

Claude can show Couldn't reach the MCP server or Authorization with the MCP server failed when you add the connector for Zoho People.

  • Check that the connector URL is https://connect.composio.dev/mcp.
  • Connectors run from Anthropic's cloud, so your device network is usually not the problem.
  • Add the connector again from Customize > Connectors, then ask Claude to connect Zoho People.
  • If it fails again, send the error and the ofid_ reference id to support@composio.dev.

3. Why does the Zoho People authorization link not work?

The Composio connector is one server. Your Zoho People account connects separately when Claude asks for it.

  • If the browser does not open, or the link expires, ask Claude to retry the Zoho People connection.
  • Composio creates a fresh Zoho People authorization link.
  • Open that link in your browser and finish the Zoho People sign-in.

4. Why do Zoho People actions fail after they worked before?

The Zoho People connection can expire or lose permission.

  • Ask Claude to inspect the Zoho People connection.
  • If the connection is unhealthy, disconnect it when Claude prompts you.
  • Reconnect the Zoho People account and retry the action.
  • If Claude shows a permission prompt, approve it before Claude changes data in Zoho People.
  • If the action still fails with a permission error, check that the connected account has that permission in Zoho People itself.

5. How do I switch to a different Zoho People account?

Claude can manage the Zoho People connection for you.

  • Ask Claude to disconnect or delete the current Zoho People account.
  • Ask Claude to connect Zoho People again.
  • Open the new Composio authorization link for Zoho People.
  • Sign in with the other Zoho People account in the browser.
  • After the account connects, ask Claude to retry the Zoho People task.

6. Why is my Zoho People connection missing in Claude Desktop or on a Team plan?

The connector belongs to your Claude account, so your Zoho People connection works in Claude Web, Desktop, and Cowork.

  • In Claude Desktop, open Customize > Connectors.
  • Next to Composio, click ⋮ and click Clear cache.
  • If Zoho People tools still do not appear, click ⋮, disconnect, remove the connector, and add it again.
  • On Team or Enterprise, an Owner or Primary Owner must enable the connector before you can connect Zoho People.
TOOLS

Supported Tools

Every Zoho People action and event your agent gets out of the box.

Add leave balance

Add legacy leave balance for the documented employees and leave types.

Add LMS trainers

Add the supplied employees as Zoho People LMS trainers.

Add timer comment

Add a comment to a legacy time log or timer.

Apply hourly permission

Submit an hourly-permission request.

Approve on-duty request

Approve or reject an on-duty request using the documented decision fields.

Approve timesheet

Approve or reject one legacy timesheet using the documented decision fields.

Bulk cancel leave requests

Cancel the explicitly supplied set of V3 leave request IDs.

Cancel compensatory request

Cancel a V3 compensatory-off request by record ID.

Cancel hourly permission

Cancel an hourly-permission request by record and form ID.

Cancel leave grant

Cancel a V3 leave grant request by record ID.

Cancel leave request

Cancel one V3 leave request by record ID.

Cancel on-duty request

Cancel an on-duty request using the documented record fields.

Create and tag employee KRAs

Create a KRA and tag it to selected employees in one Zoho operation.

Create attendance entries

Create attendance entries using the V3 provider-native batch contract.

Create attendance regularization

Submit an attendance regularization request using the documented legacy contract.

Create compensatory request

Create a V3 compensatory-off request.

Create employee salary

Add a salary record for an employee.

Create file folder

Create a Zoho People V3 file folder.

Create form record

Create a record in a supported Zoho People form or create an employee record.

Create HR process record

Create a V3 HR process record for selected employees using documented process data.

Create job schedule

Create a legacy job schedule and optionally publish it.

Create leave grant

Create a V3 leave grant request.

Create leave request

Create a V3 leave request.

Create leave setting

Create a V3 holiday, pay-period policy, or work calendar using a closed typed contract.

Create legacy time-tracker client

Create a client using the legacy time-tracker contract.

Create LMS batch

Create a batch in a blended-learning Zoho People LMS course.

Create LMS course

Create a Zoho People LMS course using the documented JSON contract.

Create LMS module

Create a module through the documented self-paced course or blended-learning batch route.

Create LMS session

Create a session in a module of a blended-learning LMS batch.

Create on-duty request

Submit an on-duty request using the documented legacy contract.

Create performance library items

Create up to 20 competencies, KRAs, skills, or review questions.

Create shift mapping

Map a shift to one employee using the V3 multipart contract.

Create time log

Create a legacy time log; supplying new project or job names also creates those resources.

Create timesheet

Create a legacy timesheet from time logs and optionally submit it for approval.

Create variable

Create a V3 Zoho People variable.

Create variable group

Create a V3 variable group.

Delete attendance entries

Delete one V3 attendance entry by ID or a provider-supported filtered set of entries.

Delete attendance regularizations

Delete one explicitly supplied attendance regularization record.

Delete compensatory request

Delete a V3 compensatory-off request by record ID.

Delete employee performance items

Permanently remove selected tagged KRAs, competencies, or skills from an employee.

Delete files

Permanently delete up to 100 explicitly supplied Zoho People file IDs.

Delete job schedule

Delete one legacy job schedule.

Delete leave grant

Delete a V3 leave grant request by record ID.

Delete leave request

Delete one V3 leave request by record ID.

Delete leave setting

Delete a V3 holiday, pay-period policy, or work calendar by ID.

Delete legacy time-tracker client

Delete a client using the legacy time-tracker contract.

Delete legacy time-tracker resource

Delete legacy projects or jobs using the selected documented contract.

Delete on-duty request

Delete explicitly supplied on-duty requests.

Delete performance library items

Request deletion of selected performance library records.

Delete shift mapping

Delete or end one V3 shift mapping with documented date and attendance options.

Delete time log

Delete one legacy time log.

Delete timer comment

Delete one legacy time-tracker comment.

Delete timesheet

Delete up to 1,000 comma-separated legacy timesheet IDs; fails loudly if Zoho skips any ID after partially deleting others.

Delete time-tracker resources

Delete the explicitly supplied V3 client, project, or job IDs.

Delete variable

Delete one V3 variable by numeric ID or API name.

Delete variable group

Delete one V3 variable group by group ID or API name.

Download file

Download one Zoho People V3 file and return a file reference.

Download time-tracker attachment

Download one attachment from a documented time-tracker entity and return a file reference.

Enroll LMS learners

Create externally visible learner enrollments in a course or a specific blended-learning batch.

Get attendance entry

Fetch one V3 attendance entry by entry ID.

Get attendance regularization fields

Return configured fields for attendance regularization requests.

Get compensatory request

Return one specific V3 compensatory-off request by record ID.

Get file

View one Zoho People V3 file and return a file reference.

Get file sharing options

Return allowed folders or organization-file share targets.

Get form fields

Get the field components and label names needed to read or write records in a Zoho People form.

Get form record

Fetch one form record, a section-wise record, or records from a saved employee view.

Get holiday

Fetch one V3 holiday by holiday ID.

Get hourly permission options

Return applicable permission types, balance, or configured details for an hourly-permission request.

Get HR process record

Fetch one V3 HR process record by its documented record ID.

Get leave grant

Fetch one V3 leave grant request by record ID.

Get leave report

Return one page of a selected V3 or documented legacy leave report.

Get leave request

Fetch one V3 leave request by record ID.

Get leave setting

Fetch one V3 pay-period policy or work calendar by ID.

Get legacy time-tracker resource

Fetch one legacy client, project, or job by ID.

Get LMS settings

Return organization-level Zoho People LMS settings.

Get my compensation

Return compensation details for the connected employee.

Get on-duty details

Fetch details for one on-duty request.

Get organization

Return the connected Zoho People organization's details.

Get pay-period settings

Return legacy payroll pay-period settings.

Get running timer

Return the connected user's currently running time-tracker timer.

Get shift mapping

Fetch one V3 shift mapping by mapping ID.

Get shift schedule

Return V3 shift schedules for an employee and date range.

Get suggested LMS course count

Return the number of LMS courses suggested to the connected learner.

Get time log

Fetch one legacy time log with optional timer and comment counts.

Get timesheet

Fetch one legacy timesheet by ID.

Get time-tracker reports and settings

Return a payroll report page, pay-period details, or general time-tracker settings.

Get time-tracker resource

Fetch one V3 client, project, or job by ID with resource-specific include options.

Get variable

Fetch one V3 variable by numeric ID or API name.

Get variable group

Fetch one V3 variable group by group ID or API name.

List attendance entries

Return one V3 page of attendance entries with employee, date, and modification filters.

List attendance regularization reasons

Return configured reasons available for attendance regularization.

List attendance regularization records

Return one page of attendance regularization records using documented filters.

List compensation reference data

Return compensation components, packages, currencies, reasons, or settings.

List compensation revisions

Return one page of compensation revisions with date and status filters.

List compensatory requests

Return one V3 page of compensatory-off requests with employee, date, approval, and status filters.

List employee performance items

Return one page of an employee's KRAs, competencies, or skills.

List employee salaries

Return one page of employee salary records for team or all visibility.

List file acknowledgements

Return one acknowledgement-details page or user acknowledgement statuses.

List file folders

Return all Zoho People V3 file folders matching an optional name.

List files

Return one page from a documented Zoho People V3 file view.

List form records

Return one page of records from a named Zoho People form.

List forms

List forms and their identifiers, link names, views, visibility, and permissions in Zoho People.

List holidays

Return one V3 page of holidays.

List hourly permission requests

Return one page of hourly-permission requests or approvals for the connected user's role.

List job schedules

Return one legacy page of job schedules by user and date range.

List leave grants

Return one V3 page of leave grant requests with employee, date, approval, and sort filters.

List leave requests

Return one V3 page of leave requests with employee, date, type, approval, and status filters.

List leave settings

List V3 pay-period policies or work calendars.

List legacy V2 holidays

Return holidays from the V2 all-holidays API using its employee, location, shift, and upcoming filters.

List legacy time-tracker resources

Return one legacy page of clients, projects, or jobs with legacy filters.

List LMS batch sessions

Fetch one page of sessions from a blended-learning LMS batch.

List LMS categories

Return one page of Zoho People LMS course categories.

List LMS courses

Return one page of all LMS courses or the connected user's courses with documented filters.

List LMS modules

Fetch one page of modules from a self-paced course or a fixed blended-learning batch route.

List LMS rooms

Return one page of up to 25 rooms available for LMS sessions.

List LMS trainers

Return one page of LMS trainers with employee-status and sort filters.

List on-duty requests

Return one page of on-duty requests or approvals for the connected user's role.

List on-duty types

Return configured on-duty request types.

List performance library items

Return one page of competencies, KRAs, skills, or review questions.

List related form records

Return one page of records related through a parent module and lookup field.

List shift mappings

Return one V3 page of employee shift mappings.

List time logs

Return one legacy page of time logs with employee, project, job, date, billing, and approval filters.

List timesheets

Return one legacy timesheet page for a required user with documented status and date filters.

List time-tracker resources

Return one V3 page of clients, projects, or jobs with resource-specific filters.

List untagged performance items

Return one page of KRAs or competencies not tagged to selected employees.

List variable groups

Return one page of variable groups using the V3 index selector.

List variables

Return one page of variables using the V3 index selector.

List views

Return the default and custom Zoho People views available to the connected user.

List work items

Return one legacy page of work items for an employee or job.

Mark LMS session attendance

Record Present or Absent for one learner in a completed LMS session; this externally visible attendance mutation is not a read operation.

Publish LMS course or batch

Publish a self-paced course or blended-learning batch.

Remove LMS course learner

Remove one learner enrollment from a Zoho People LMS course.

Search form records

Return one page of employee form records matching a field, operator, and value.

Set file acknowledgement

Acknowledge a Zoho People V3 policy file or revoke its acknowledgement.

Start timer

Start a legacy timer for a documented time-tracker item.

Tag employee performance items

Tag up to 20 existing KRAs, competencies, or skills to one employee.

Update attendance entry

Edit one V3 attendance entry by entry ID.

Update compensatory request

Edit a V3 compensatory-off request by record ID.

Update currencies

Update one named compensation currency or multiple currencies.

Update employee performance items

Update an employee's tagged KRAs, competencies, or skills.

Update employee salary

Update an employee salary record.

Update file

Update a V3 file's metadata or content and optionally send email or feed notifications.

Update file folder

Rename or move a Zoho People V3 file folder.

Update form record

Update field values and optional tabular rows on an existing Zoho People form record.

Update job schedule

Edit or publish a legacy job schedule using the selected operation.

Update leave grant

Edit a V3 leave grant request by record ID.

Update leave setting

Update a V3 holiday, pay-period policy, or work calendar by ID using a closed typed contract.

Update legacy time-tracker client

Update a client using the legacy time-tracker contract.

Update legacy time-tracker status

Change a legacy project or job status.

Update LMS session

Update fields on an existing blended-learning LMS session.

Update performance library items

Update up to 20 competencies, KRAs, skills, or review questions.

Update time log

Edit one legacy time log.

Update timesheet

Edit a legacy timesheet or replace its attachment.

Update time-tracker status

Change the status of one V3 project or job.

Update variable

Update one V3 variable by numeric ID or API name.

Update variable group

Update one V3 variable group by group ID or API name.

Upgrade employee skills

Upgrade a skill for selected employees, optionally attaching a certificate.

Upload file

Upload and optionally share a V3 file, notify people, or require acknowledgement by a deadline.

Upload time and attendance file

Upload an attachment for a documented time, attendance, or leave resource.

Create or update legacy file folder

Create or rename a legacy Zoho People file folder using its documented GET mutation.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

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

Yes, you can. Claude Cowork 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 Zoho People tools.

Yes, absolutely. You can configure which Zoho People 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.

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 Zoho People data and credentials are handled as safely as possible.

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