What the External System node does
The External System node (called Send to external system in Automation Studio) lets an automation tell another system your company uses that something has happened in HR. It sends a signal, together with a set of approved employee data, so the next step can start without anyone having to pass the message on by hand.
Use it when part of an HR process happens outside Simployer One, for example in your service desk, IT or equipment system. Typical uses:
- Onboarding: when a new hire is registered, let IT know who is starting, when, and in which department, so accounts and equipment are ready on day one.
- Offboarding: when an end date is registered, let IT know so access can be closed on time.
- Changes: when someone changes role or department, let the other system know so it stays up to date.
Every handoff is recorded in Automation Studio, so you can always see when the other system was told and what was sent.
Before you start
You need three things in place before you add the node.
- The Owner role. Automation Studio is currently available to users with the Owner role in Simployer One. If you can't see it, ask an Owner in your company.
- Connection details from the other system.Ask the person who manages that system for:
- The destination URL: the web address that receives the data. It must start with https://.
- Any headers it needs, with the name and value of each. This is often an access key, for example the name Authorization with a value like Bearer …. Some systems don't need any.
- The event name they want, if they have one, for example employee.onboarded.
- Which employee data they need, so you send only that.
- An agreement on what happens at their end. The node delivers the signal and the data. What the other system does with it, for example creating a ticket, is set up in that system. Agree this with its admin before you publish.
Keep these details somewhere safe; you'll paste them into the node.
You also give them something: the signing key. The node creates this key for you under Request signing. The other system uses it to check that each request really comes from Simployer. You copy it while you set up the node, and it can't be shown again once the step is saved. Leave Sign requests on unless they ask you to turn it off.
Data outside the EU/EEA. If the other system keeps data outside the EU/EEA, the transfer needs a legal basis. Check with whoever handles data protection in your company before you publish. The node reminds you of this under Where it goes.
Set up the External System node
You add the node like any other step in your automation. It takes a few minutes once you have the connection details.
- Open your automation. In Automation Studio, open the automation you want to extend, or create a new one with a trigger, for example "Employee created".
- Add the node where the handoff should happen. Choose Send to external system.
- Give the step a clear name. Use a name that says what it does, for example "Tell IT about new hire". This name shows up in the run history, so make it easy to recognise.
- Enter where the data goes. Under Where it goes, paste the address into Destination URL. At the top of the step, Event name is suggested from the step's name. If the other system asked for a specific event name, enter that instead.
- Add any headers. Under Custom headers, click Add header for each one and enter its name and value. Tick This is a secret for access keys.
- Choose the data to send. Tick only the fields the other system needs, from the list of allowed fields (see the next section). The data is taken from the employee the automation is running for.
- Copy the signing key. Under Request signing, copy the key and send it securely to the other system's admin before you save the step. It can't be shown again after you save.
- Check for warnings. If something required is missing, the panel explains what to fix.
- Connect the next step. Add what should happen after the handoff, for example a notification to the HR team.
If the address changes later: changing the Destination URL removes the saved header values and the signing key. Enter the headers again and share the signing key with the other system again.
What data can be sent
You can only send fields from a fixed list, plus your company's own custom profile fields. The employee number is always sent, so the other system knows who the data is about. Tick only what the other system needs: each field you tick leaves Simployer One.
Field | Example of what the other system can use it for |
|---|---|
First name, Last name | Creating a user account or a ticket title |
Work email | Sending login details or contacting the employee |
Work phone | Setting up phone services |
Employee number | Matching the person across systems. Always sent. |
Job title | Giving the right access and equipment for the job |
Department | Routing the request to the right team |
Teams | Adding the person to the right groups |
Employment start date | Having equipment and access ready on day one |
Employment end date | Closing access on the last day |
Employment type | Choosing the right setup for permanent or temporary staff |
Employment rate | Setting up part-time or full-time arrangements |
Manager's employee number, first name and last name | Sending approvals to the right manager |
Social security number | Identifying the person where it's required, for example in payroll |
Custom fields | Your company's own profile fields. A step can send a limited number of them. |
Important: Home address, salary and any other information that isn't on the list is never sent.
The social security number (personal number) is on the list, so tick it only when the other system really needs it.
Test and publish
There are two ways to test, and only one of them sends anything to the other system.
- What the receiving system gets, a section in the node, shows exactly what would be sent, and to where. Nothing leaves Simployer One.
- Send a test in the node sends one real request to the other system. Use it so the other system's admin can check the data and the signing key before you publish.
Before you click Send a test, choose under Whose data to send:
Option | What is sent |
|---|---|
Sample values (default) | Made-up values. No real employee data leaves Simployer One. |
You | Your own real profile data. |
An employee | The real data of the person you pick. |
A test request is marked as a test. It carries "test": true and the header X-Simployer-Test: true, and it's sent only once, with no retries. It still reaches the other system, so tell its admin before you send one.
When you're ready to go live:
- Under What the receiving system gets, check that the fields and values look right.
- Click Send a test with Sample values, and ask the other system's admin to confirm it arrived and the signature checks out.
- Click Publish. If anything is missing, you'll see a list of what to fix.
Once published, the automation is live. The next time the trigger happens, real data is sent to the other system.
Tip: Before you publish, ask the other system's admin to be ready to check that the first real handoff arrives as expected.
Follow your handoffs and fix problems
Every time the node runs, Automation Studio records the handoff: when it happened, for which employee, which data was sent, and whether it was delivered. You find this in the automation's runs. Open a run to see the delivery, each attempt and what was sent.
If a handoff fails, the record tells you which step failed, when, and why, in plain language.
What you see / What to check
| What you see | What to check |
|---|---|
| “Couldn’t activate this automation. Fix the problem below, then try again.” | A setting in the node is missing or can’t be used. For example, a header has no value, the address is private, internal, contains a # part or can’t be found, or a custom field has been archived or deleted. Open the node and follow the message in the panel. |
| “Waiting to try again” | The other system was busy, had an error, didn’t answer in time, or couldn’t be reached. Automation Studio tries again by itself, up to 5 times. That usually takes about 80 minutes, but can take up to about four hours if the other system asks it to wait. You only need to act if it ends as “Not delivered”. |
| “Delivered”, but nothing happened in the other system | The other system accepted the request, so the setup is on its side. Ask its admin to check what it does when the signal arrives. |
| “Sent, but N custom fields were no longer available” | The handoff was delivered, but those custom fields have been archived or deleted, so they were sent empty. Update the custom fields in the node, publish the changes, and tell the other system’s admin which fields were empty. |
| “Not delivered” | Open the run to see why. If the other system refused the request, the address, a header or the signing key often doesn’t match what it expects. Check them with its admin, update the node and publish the changes. If the request was refused, the address is blocked or redirects, or the secure connection failed, Automation Studio doesn’t try again, so there is no retry to wait for. |
| “Not sent” | The run stopped before the request went out. Open the run to see why. |
| “Outcome unknown” | The result wasn’t recorded, so the request may or may not have arrived. Ask the other system’s admin whether it did. |
| You can’t find Automation Studio | You need the Owner role. Ask an Owner in your company. |
Frequently asked questions
Which systems can I connect?
Any system that can receive data at a web address starting with https://. Ask its admin if you're unsure.
Can I connect to Jira?
Yes, if your Jira setup can receive data at a web address. There's no ready-made Jira setup, so you connect it the same way as any other system.
Can I send salary changes to payroll?
No. Salary isn't one of the fields the node can send.
Can I send the employee's personal number or home address?
Home address, no: it isn't one of the fields the node can send. The social security number (personal number), yes: it's on the list of fields. Tick it only if the other system needs it.
Does testing send data to the other system?
The preview under What the receiving system gets doesn't; it only shows what would be sent. Send a test does send one real request, marked as a test. By default it uses made-up sample values, so no real employee data leaves Simployer One.
Can the other system send information back to Simployer One?
No, not at this time. The node only sends data out.
Who can set this up?
Users with the Owner rol
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