Gusto APIConnect Gusto without building on its API
Gusto has a REST API. Partner approval required: open to third-party software that integrates for shared customers, production access is gated by pre-approval and a security review, and customers connecting their own Gusto account directly is not supported. If you're reading the docs because you need Gusto to talk to the rest of your stack, Caddi does that without you writing or maintaining integration code: you show it the job once, and it runs it across Gusto and your other tools.
- APIREST (JSON)
- AuthOAuth 2.0
- AccessPartners / approval
What the Gusto API gives you
- Type
- REST (JSON)
- Authentication
- OAuth 2.0 (client_id/secret from the Developer Portal)
- Who can get access
- Partner approval required: open to third-party software that integrates for shared customers, production access is gated by pre-approval and a security review, and customers connecting their own Gusto account directly is not supported.
- What it covers
- Companies, employees, payroll, compensation, benefits, and tax/compliance data.
- Limits
- 200 requests per minute per OAuth grant (60-second rolling window).
- Worth knowing
- A Gusto customer can't connect their own company systems directly to their own Gusto account through the API.
Official docs: docs.gusto.com. Checked September 2026. Vendors change access terms, so confirm with Gusto before you build.
Building on the Gusto API vs. having Caddi run it
| The job | Build it on the API | With Caddi |
|---|---|---|
| Getting access | Register an app, get Gusto credentials, and manage tokens and refreshes. | Connect your Gusto account once. Caddi holds the connection. |
| Writing the integration | A developer maps fields, handles pagination, retries and rate limits, and writes the sync. | You show Caddi the Gusto task the way you'd train a new hire. It writes verified code for it. |
| Steps the API doesn't cover | Screens with no endpoint stay manual, or need a separate RPA tool. | Caddi uses a secure, audited browser session where there's no API, in the same automation. |
| The other systems in the loop | Each extra tool is another API, another set of credentials, another integration to own. | One automation runs across all the tools the job touches. |
| Keeping it running | Someone owns the code when the API version, fields or your process change. | Every automation is reviewed before it runs in production, and every run is logged. |
Building on the API is the right call when you have engineers and the integration is your product. When the goal is getting Gusto work off someone's desk, the build is the slow part.
What teams usually want the Gusto API for
New-hire fan-out
When a hire is added in Gusto, Caddi provisions the standard accounts, files the offer letter, and updates the onboarding tracker.
Payroll-to-accounting post
After each pay run, Caddi posts the journal entries to QuickBooks or Xero with the right cost coding.
Termination cleanup
On termination, Caddi runs the firm's offboarding checklist across systems and archives the personnel file.
Gusto API questions
Does Gusto have an API?
Yes. Gusto has a REST API, authenticated with OAuth 2.0 (client_id/secret from the Developer Portal). The official documentation is at https://docs.gusto.com/app-integrations/docs/introduction.
How do I get access to the Gusto API?
Partner approval required: open to third-party software that integrates for shared customers, production access is gated by pre-approval and a security review, and customers connecting their own Gusto account directly is not supported.
Does the Gusto API have rate limits?
200 requests per minute per OAuth grant (60-second rolling window).
Can I connect Gusto to my other tools without writing code against its API?
Yes. With Caddi you show the Gusto task once, the way you'd train a new hire, and Caddi builds it as verified code that runs across Gusto and the other tools the job touches. Where a step has no API, Caddi uses a secure, audited browser session in the same automation.
Do I need a developer to automate Gusto with Caddi?
No. There is no integration code for you to write or maintain. Every automation Caddi builds for Gusto is reviewed before it runs in production, and every run is logged.
Connect Gusto without the build.
Drop your work email and pick a time. We'll show you Caddi running your Gusto workflow end to end.