Workday CLI for AI Agents

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.

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Workday is a cloud-based ERP platform for HR, finance, and workforce analytics. It streamlines employee management, payroll, and business operations in a single system.

84 Tools13 Triggers

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

ChatGPTOpenAI Agents SDKClaude Agent SDKClaude CodeClaude CoworkCodexOpenCodeCursorVS CodeOpenClawHermesGoogle ADKLangChainVercel AI SDKMastra AILlamaIndexCrewAI

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.

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
TOOLS & TRIGGERS

Supported Tools and Triggers

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

Create Business Title Change

Creates a business title change instance for a worker with the specified data.

Create Job Change

Tool to create a job change instance for a worker in Workday.

Create Payroll Inputs

Tool to create payroll inputs in Workday.

Create Time Off Request

Creates a time off request for the specified worker and initiates the business process.

Get Absence Balance

Retrieves balance information for a specific worker's absence plan.

Get Assignment Change Group Cost Centers

Retrieves cost center instances for organization assignment changes.

Get Assignment Change Group Jobs

Retrieves job instances for organization assignment changes.

Get Assignment Types

Retrieves assignment type values for job changes in Workday.

Get Business Title Change

Retrieves a business title change instance by ID.

Get Business Title Change For Worker

Tool to retrieve a business title change instance for a specific worker.

Get Candidate Availability Template

Tool to retrieve the candidate availability template version for a specific job posting.

Get Collection of Jobs

Tool to retrieve a paginated collection of jobs from Workday Staffing system.

Get Collection of Payroll

Tool to retrieve a collection of payroll inputs from Workday.

Get Company Insider Types

Retrieves company insider types from Workday Staffing API.

Get Contingent Worker Types

Tool to retrieve contingent worker types from Workday staffing API.

Get Country Info

Retrieves detailed information about a specific country from Workday.

Get Currencies

Retrieves currency instances for job changes in Workday.

Get Current User

Retrieves the current authenticated worker's profile information from Workday.

Get Grants

Retrieves grant instances for organization assignment changes.

Get Headcount Options

Retrieves headcount option instances that can be used as values for other endpoint parameters.

Get History Instance for Worker

Tool to retrieve a specific history instance for a worker.

Get History Items for Worker

Tool to retrieve a collection of history items for a specific worker.

Get Holiday Events

Returns the holiday events for the specified workers and time period.

Get Interview

Tool to retrieve detailed information about a specific interview from Workday Recruiting.

Get Interview Feedback

Retrieves interview feedback for the specified interview ID from Workday Recruiting API.

Get Job By ID

Tool to retrieve detailed information about a single job instance by its ID.

Get Job Change Frequencies

Retrieves frequency instances for job changes in Workday.

Get Job Change Location Info

Tool to retrieve location information for a specific job change in Workday.

Get Job Change Position

Retrieves position details for a specific job change in Workday Staffing API.

Get Job Change Reason Instance

Retrieves a job change reason instance from Workday.

Get Job Change Reasons

Retrieves a collection of job change reasons from Workday.

Get Job Change Reason Values

Retrieves job change reason instances that can be used as values for other staffing endpoint parameters.

Get Job Changes Group Templates

Retrieves job changes group template instances in Workday.

Get Job Changes Job Values

Retrieves job instances that can be used as values for job changes parameters.

Get Job Changes Worker Values

Retrieves worker instances that can be used as values for job changes parameters.

Get Job Classifications

Retrieves job classification instances for job changes in Workday.

Get Job Posting

Retrieves detailed information about a specific job posting including job description.

Get Job Posting Questionnaire

Retrieves screening questions and questionnaires associated with a specific job posting.

Get Job Profiles Values

Retrieves job profile instances from Workday Staffing API.

Get Job Requisition Values

Retrieves job requisition instances that can be used as values for other endpoint parameters.

Get Job Workspace

Tool to retrieve a single workspace instance for a specific job.

Get Job Workspaces

Tool to retrieve a collection of workspaces for a specified job ID.

Get Leave Status Values

Get all available leave status values from Workday.

Get My Job Postings

Retrieves job postings assigned to the authenticated user (current recruiter).

Get Organization Assignment Business Units

Retrieves business unit instances for organization assignment changes.

Get Organization Assignment Customs

Retrieves custom organization assignment instances.

Get Organization Assignment Funds

Retrieves fund instances for organization assignment changes.

Get Organization Assignment Regions

Retrieves region instances for organization assignment changes.

Get Organization Assignment Workers

Retrieves worker instances for organization assignment changes.

Get Pay Group by Job ID

Retrieves the pay group for a specified job ID.

Get Payroll Input Instance

Retrieves detailed information for a single payroll input instance by ID.

Get Pay Slip Instance for Worker

Retrieves a specific pay slip instance for a worker.

Get Pay Slips for Worker

Retrieves a collection of pay slips for a specific worker.

Get Proposed Position Values

Retrieves proposed position instances that can be used as values for job changes parameters.

Get Prospect

Retrieves a single prospect instance for talent matching and best-fit analysis.

Get Prospect Educations

Retrieves the educational background of a prospect from Workday Recruiting API for talent matching and best-fit analysis.

Get Prospect Experiences

Retrieves the work experience of a prospect for talent matching and best-fit analysis.

Get Prospect Resume Attachments

Retrieves resume attachments for a specific prospect to help prepare for upcoming interviews.

Get Prospect Skills

Retrieves the skills of a prospect from Workday Recruiting API for talent matching and best-fit analysis.

Get Supervisory Organization Values

Retrieves supervisory organization instances that can be used as values for job changes parameters.

Get Time Off Entries for Worker

Retrieves a collection of time off entries for a specific worker.

Get Time Off Plans For Worker

Retrieves a collection of time off plans for a specific worker.

Get Time Off Status Values

Retrieves available time off status values from Workday.

Get Time Types

Retrieves time type values for job changes in Workday.

Get Worker Business Title Changes

Retrieves business title changes for a specific worker.

Get Worker Eligible Absence Types

Retrieves a collection of eligible absence types for the specified worker.

Get Worker Info

Retrieves detailed worker information including staffing data.

Get Worker Leaves of Absence

Retrieves the Leaves Of Absence for the specified worker using the working absenceManagement v1 API.

Get Workers Collection Staffing

Tool to retrieve workers and current staffing information from Workday.

Get Worker Service Dates

Tool to retrieve service dates for a specified worker from Workday Staffing API v6.

Get Worker Staffing Information

Tool to retrieve a worker's current staffing information from Workday.

Get Worker Time Off Details

Retrieves a collection of time off details for the specified worker.

Get Worker Types

Retrieves worker type instances that can be used as values for job changes parameters.

Get Worker Valid Time Off Dates

Retrieves valid time off dates for a worker, indicating when they are eligible to take time off.

Get Workspace Instances

Tool to retrieve workspace instances that can be used as prompt values for other Workday API parameters.

Get Work Study Awards

Retrieves work study award instances for job changes in Workday.

List Countries

Retrieves country values from Workday Recruiting API.

List Interviews

Retrieves a list of interviews with job requisition and recruiter assignment details.

List Job Postings

Retrieves a paginated list of job postings from Workday Recruiting system.

List Jobs

Retrieves a collection of jobs from Workday Staffing system.

Retrieve Worker Leave of Absence

Retrieves the leave of absence details for a specified worker.

Update An Existing Payroll

Tool to partially update an existing payroll input instance in Workday.

Update Job Change Business Title

Partially updates the business title for a specific job change.

Update Message Template By ID

Tool to update a message template in Workday by its ID.

FRAMEWORKS

How to build Workday MCP Agent with another framework

ChatGPT logo

ChatGPT

Use Workday MCP with ChatGPT

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

Frequently asked questions

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.

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.

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.

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.

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