Question 1

What is a unified API platform?

Accepted Answer

A unified API platform is a single integration layer that normalises data from multiple third-party software systems into one consistent endpoint — and Knit is built specifically for this across 100+ HRIS, ATS, ERP, and payroll platforms. Instead of maintaining separate authentication flows, data models, and error handling for Workday, BambooHR, Greenhouse, and SAP, developers integrate once with Knit and cover the entire ecosystem. A unified API platform also absorbs ongoing maintenance when vendors change their schemas, eliminating the compounding engineering cost that direct integrations carry over time.

Question 2

What is an example of a unified API?

Accepted Answer

Knit is an example of a unified API — it exposes normalised endpoints for employees, jobs, payroll runs, and more, returning consistent JSON regardless of whether your customer uses Workday, ADP, Gusto, or any of 100+ other connected platforms. A developer calls one Knit endpoint and receives standardised data; Knit handles translation between each vendor's proprietary schema in the background. Knit is also the only unified API provider to offer enterprise MCP Servers alongside its REST API, enabling AI agents to query HRIS, ATS, and ERP data directly without additional integration work.

Question 3

What is an unified API gateway?

Accepted Answer

A unified API gateway is a managed abstraction layer that translates multiple vendors' proprietary APIs into a single consistent interface — unlike a traditional API gateway, which only routes traffic without normalising data schemas. Knit functions as this gateway for HR, payroll, ATS, and ERP systems: a field called 'emp_id' in Workday, 'staff_number' in BambooHR, and 'worker_id' in ADP all arrive at your application as the same normalised field. Knit also handles OAuth, token refresh, rate limiting, and error handling for every connected platform, so your application never interacts with vendor-specific authentication logic.

Question 4

Does a unified API support webhooks and real-time data sync?

Accepted Answer

Knit provides virtual webhooks for HR, ATS, and payroll platforms that do not natively support outbound event notifications — your application subscribes once to normalised events such as employee changes, new hires, or job applications, and Knit handles polling, deduplication, and delivery across all connected platforms. For platforms that do support native webhooks, Knit routes those events through directly. This means you receive consistent real-time-like notifications through a single endpoint, regardless of how each underlying platform handles events. Sync frequency ranges from 15 minutes to near real-time depending on the platform's capabilities.

Question 5

How does a unified API handle OAuth and authentication?

Accepted Answer

Knit manages the complete OAuth flow for every connected platform — your end-users authenticate through Knit's Magic Link, and Knit handles token exchange, encrypted storage, and automatic refresh for all 100+ platforms. Your application never stores or rotates vendor-specific tokens; Knit presents a single unified credential to your API calls. This eliminates one of the most complex and error-prone parts of building integrations, especially for enterprise platforms like Workday and SAP where OAuth implementation is non-standard and token lifetimes vary significantly across vendors. Full authentication documentation is available at developers.getknit.dev.

Question 6

How much does a unified API cost? Is there a free tier?

Accepted Answer

Knit's unified API pricing is based on sync credits — the volume of data syncs your application performs across connected platforms — rather than a flat per-integration or per-seat fee. There is no permanent free tier, but Knit offers a sandbox environment for development and testing before going live. Pricing scales with usage, so early-stage products pay significantly less than enterprise deployments processing millions of records. To get a quote based on your platform count and sync volume, book a demo at getknit.dev.

Question 7

What HRIS, ATS, and payroll platforms does a unified API support?

Accepted Answer

Knit's unified API supports 100+ HRIS, ATS, ERP, and payroll platforms including Workday, BambooHR, ADP, Paylocity, Paycom, Gusto, Rippling, Greenhouse, Lever, Ashby, SAP SuccessFactors, Oracle HCM, and Xero, spanning core HR, benefits, time and attendance, recruiting, and accounting. The connector list is continuously expanded based on customer demand. If a platform your customers need is not yet available, Knit's team evaluates and prioritises new connectors based on the number of customers requesting them.

Question 8

How does a unified API compare to building direct integrations in-house?

Accepted Answer

Building direct integrations means your team handles authentication, data normalisation, error handling, and ongoing maintenance separately for each platform — typically 2 to 4 weeks of engineering per integration, multiplied across every platform your customers use. Knit's unified API replaces that work with a single build: one authentication flow, one data model, and one set of endpoints covering 100+ platforms. Beyond the initial build, Knit also absorbs the hidden maintenance cost when vendors change their API schemas — a burden that compounds over time and often requires dedicated integration engineering headcount that direct-build teams do not initially anticipate.

Question 9

Is a unified API SOC 2 compliant? How is customer data protected?

Accepted Answer

Knit is SOC 2 Type II certified and GDPR compliant, with end-to-end encryption for all data in transit and at rest. Knit operates primarily as a pass-through layer — it does not persist your customers' PII beyond what is required for active sync operations, and your organisation controls data retention settings. Enterprise deployments can also configure regional data residency preferences, which is important for customers in the EU or regulated industries who require GDPR-compliant handling of HR and payroll data across their integrations.

Powerful, and flexible Unified APIs

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Key Features

2 Way Syncs

Stateless Integrations

Advanced Scope Control

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Built for Scale

100+ existing connectors New ones added in 2 days

100+ existing connectors. New ones added in 2 DAYS

Customer Stories

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