Connect your AI Agents to BambooHR in minutes
Available tools
get_employee
Get a specific employee by ID with optional field selection. Returns employee profile data including personal info, job details, and contact information.
get_employee_directory
Get the employee directory containing all employees with basic information. Use this for a quick overview of all employees in the organization.
add_employee
Create a new employee record in BambooHR. Requires at minimum first and last name. Returns the created employee data with assigned ID.
update_employee
Update an existing employee's information. Only provided fields will be updated; omitted fields remain unchanged.
get_employee_files
List all files associated with an employee, organized by category. Returns file metadata including names, sizes, and categories.
list_goals
List goals for an employee with optional status filtering. Returns goal details including progress and due dates.
get_goal
Get a specific goal by ID with full details including description, progress, and comments.
create_goal
Create a new goal for an employee. Set title, description, due date, and optional sharing with other employees.
update_goal
Update an existing goal. Modify title, description, due date, progress percentage, or sharing settings.
close_goal
Close/complete a goal. Optionally add a completion comment to document the outcome.
reopen_goal
Reopen a previously closed goal. Allows continued work and tracking on the goal.
add_goal_comment
Add a comment to a goal. Use for progress updates, feedback, or documentation.
How to set up Merge Agent Handler
In an mcp.json file, add the configuration below, and restart Cursor.
Learn more in the official documentation ↗
1{
2 "mcpServers": {
3 "agent-handler": {
4 "url": "https://ah-api-develop.merge.dev/api/v1/tool-packs/{TOOL_PACK_ID}/registered-users/{REGISTERED_USER_ID}/mcp",
5 "headers": {
6 "Authorization": "Bearer yMt*****"
7 }
8 }
9 }
10}
11Open your Claude Desktop configuration file and add the server configuration below. You'll also need to restart the application for the changes to take effect.
Make sure Claude is using the Node v20+.
Learn more in the official documentation ↗
1{
2 "mcpServers": {
3 "agent-handler": {
4 "command": "npx",
5 "args": [
6 "-y",
7 "mcp-remote@latest",
8 "https://ah-api-develop.merge.dev/api/v1/tool-packs/{TOOL_PACK_ID}/registered-users/{REGISTERED_USER_ID}/mcp",
9 "--header",
10 "Authorization: Bearer ${AUTH_TOKEN}"
11 ],
12 "env": {
13 "AUTH_TOKEN": "yMt*****"
14 }
15 }
16 }
17}Open your Windsurf MCP configuration file and add the server configuration below.
Click on the refresh button in the top right of the Manage MCP server page or in the top right of the chat box in the box icon.
Learn more in the official documentation ↗
1{
2 "mcpServers": {
3 "agent-handler": {
4 "command": "npx",
5 "args": [
6 "-y",
7 "mcp-remote@latest",
8 "https://ah-api.merge.dev/api/v1/tool-packs/<tool-pack-id>/registered-users/<registered-user-id>/mcp",
9 "--header",
10 "Authorization: Bearer ${AUTH_TOKEN}"
11 ],
12 "env": {
13 "AUTH_TOKEN": "<ah-production-access-key>"
14 }
15 }
16 }
17 }In Command Palette (Cmd+Shift+P on macOS, Ctrl+Shift+P on Windows), run "MCP: Open User Configuration".
You can then add the configuration below and press "start" right under servers. Enter the auth token when prompted.
Learn more in the official documentation ↗
1{
2 "inputs": [
3 {
4 "type": "promptString",
5 "id": "agent-handler-auth",
6 "description": "Agent Handler AUTH_TOKEN", // "yMt*****" when prompt
7 "password": true
8 }
9 ],
10 "servers": {
11 "agent-handler": {
12 "type": "stdio",
13 "command": "npx",
14 "args": [
15 "-y",
16 "mcp-remote@latest",
17 "https://ah-api-develop.merge.dev/api/v1/tool-packs/{TOOL_PACK_ID}/registered-users/{REGISTERED_USER_ID}/mcp",
18 "--header",
19 "Authorization: Bearer ${input:agent-handler-auth}"
20 ]
21 }
22 }
23}FAQs on using Merge's BambooHR MCP server
FAQs on using Merge's BambooHR MCP server
What is a BambooHR MCP server?
It’s an MCP server that exposes data and functionality from BambooHR via tools. Your agents can invoke these tools to add employees, gather employee information, modify a goal, and more.
BambooHR doesn’t currently support their own official MCP server, so you’ll need to use one that's hosted and maintained by a 3rd-party.
How can I use a BambooHR MCP server?
Here are some common use cases:
- Employee directory sync: Your agent can pull employee profile data from BambooHR and update downstream systems. For example, when a new hire is added, create an internal directory record and notify Slack
- Onboarding automation: Your agent can trigger onboarding workflows from BambooHR changes. For instance, when a new hire becomes active, create onboarding tasks and schedule kickoff meetings
- PTO and coverage coordination: Your agent can monitor time-off updates in BambooHR and alert managers or teams. For example, when PTO is booked, flag coverage gaps and update schedules
- Offboarding workflows: Your agent can kick off offboarding when an employee status changes. For instance, when termination is recorded, create an offboarding ticket and notify IT/People Ops
What makes Merge Agent Handler’s BambooHR MCP server better than alternative BambooHR MCP servers?
Here are just a few reasons:
- Enterprise-grade security with Data Loss Protection (DLP): Merge includes a Security Gateway that scans tool inputs and outputs for sensitive data and enforces configurable rules (e.g., block or redact sensitive fields). The platform provides default and custom DLP rules to prevent data misuse
- Built-in authentication & credential management: Agent Handler supports dynamic authorization flows and handles credential management across connectors.You can require individual authentication per user or allow shared authentication per connector within a Tool Pack
- Real-time observability with fully searchable logs: Agent Handler logs every tool call and its underlying API request, enabling full audit trails. Logs are searchable for auditing, debugging, and optimization
- Connector Studio for customization: You can access pre-built connectors, add or modify your own connectors, and customize integration functionality
- Evaluation Suite before production deployment: You can define evaluation scenarios, validate tool output against expected results, and pinpoint connector improvements prior to production.
Can I set custom security rules for BambooHR tool calls in Merge Agent Handler?
Yes, the Security Gateway and Data Loss Protection (DLP) engine scan tool inputs and outputs for sensitive data and take action based on configured rules.
You can:
- Block highly sensitive identifiers (input + output): Block any BambooHR tool call if the request or response contains an SSN (e.g., a 123-45-6789 pattern)
- Redact PII while still allowing the call: Allow “get employee” style tool calls, but automatically redact personal emails or other sensitive fields before data is returned to the agent or written downstream
- Prevent secrets leaking into BambooHR fields: Block tool calls that attempt to write API keys, bearer tokens, or password-like strings into any BambooHR text field (for example, notes or custom fields)
- Tool-level allow/deny for write actions: Allow read-only BambooHR tools, but block high-risk write actions unless explicitly permitted (for example, “update employee” or “terminate employee”)
- Alerting on violations: When a rule is hit, log it and alert your team with the rule name, timestamp, connector/tool, and requesting user/system
How can I start using Merge Agent Handler’s BambooHR MCP server?
1. Create (or log into) your Merge Agent Handler account, then open the dashboard where you manage connectors and tool packs.
2. Create a Tool Pack for the workflow you are building, since tool packs define which connectors and tools your agent can use (and the auth scope, like individual vs shared).
3. Add the BambooHR connector to the Tool Pack (or import it as a remote MCP server connector, if you are bringing your own server).
4. Create a “registered user” for the end user (or team) who will authenticate to BambooHR. This is the container that holds credentials.
5. Have the end user authenticate BambooHR. Agent Handler will prompt for credentials the first time a BambooHR tool call is attempted, and tools become available after auth is complete.
6. List available tools (via list_tools) so you can see the BambooHR tools that are now unlocked for that Tool Pack and registered user combination.
7. Test tool calls in the playground, then wire the same MCP server into your actual agent so it can invoke BambooHR tools in production.
8. Turn on default security rules and add custom DLP rules (block, redact, or log) before scaling usage beyond testing.
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