Introduction

If you're building an HR data pipeline, automating payroll syncs, or powering internal dashboards, UKG Pro (UKG HRIS) is one of the more sophisticated HRIS platforms you'll encounter. This guide breaks down, how to retrieve employee data from the UKG HRIS API.

It’s part of a larger deep-dive series unpacking HRIS authentication, rate limits, scopes, and best practices. You can explore the full guide here.

How to Get Employee Data from the UKG HRIS API

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have:

• UKG Pro API credentials (Client ID, Client Secret, Username, Password)
• Python environment with requests installed
• Correct access permissions for employee data

Key API Endpoints

• Authentication: https://api.ukg.com/authentication
• Get a single employee: https://api.ukg.com/employees/{employeeId}
• Get all employees: https://api.ukg.com/employees

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Authenticate

import requests

auth_url = "https://api.ukg.com/authentication"
auth_data = {
    "client_id": "your_client_id",
    "client_secret": "your_client_secret",
    "username": "your_username",
    "password": "your_password"
}

response = requests.post(auth_url, json=auth_data)
access_token = response.json().get("access_token")

2. Fetch One Employee’s Data

employee_id = "12345"
employee_url = f"https://api.ukg.com/employees/{employee_id}"
headers = {"Authorization": f"Bearer {access_token}"}

response = requests.get(employee_url, headers=headers)
employee_data = response.json()

3. Fetch All Employees’ Data

all_employees_url = "https://api.ukg.com/employees"
response = requests.get(all_employees_url, headers=headers)
all_employees_data = response.json()

Common Pitfalls (and How to Avoid Them)

1. Credential mismatch or expired tokens
   UKG authentication is sensitive. Ensure no whitespace, wrong encoding, or rotated credentials.
2. Slowdowns from rate limits
   Batch your calls and cache static data like departments or job codes.
3. Handling large datasets
   Implement pagination early; UKG structures responses in pages.
4. Complex JSON structures
   UKG uses deeply nested objects, map schemas before consuming in production.
5. Version changes breaking integrations
   UKG doesn’t always maintain backward compatibility. Track change logs proactively.
6. Inconsistent employee attributes
   Certain fields differ across customers; build defensively.
7. Compliance blind spots
   PII handling must follow your internal security and data residency guidelines.

FAQs

1. What are the API rate limits for UKG?
They differ by customer environment. Check your tenant’s API documentation or UKG support portal.

2. How do I fix authentication failures?
Confirm credentials, ensure you’re using the correct auth URL, and verify that the user account has API permissions.

3. Can I filter employees?
Yes, UKG supports filters through query parameters, use them to avoid massive payloads.

4. Does UKG offer a sandbox?
Yes. You’ll need to request sandbox access via UKG Support.

5. Is the data real-time?
Most data syncs in real-time or near real-time, but it varies by module.

6. What data format does the API return?
JSON only.

7. How do I prepare for API version upgrades?
Monitor UKG’s release notes and test your integration in a sandbox during upgrades.

Knit: The Faster Way to Integrate with UKG HRIS API

If you want to avoid the heavy lifting, Knit gives you a single integration layer for UKG HRIS API and dozens of other HRIS systems. You integrate once; Knit handles authentication, token refresh, data normalization, API maintenance and webhooks. In short: less engineering effort, fewer surprises, and a far cleaner integration pipeline.