Goal
Get a client's payroll data flowing into Stax.ai CX so census collection runs on real, synced data instead of chased spreadsheets. This guide covers the full workflow: ask the sponsor to connect, support them through the connection, handle providers that can't connect directly, and confirm the data is syncing.
Prerequisites
The company and its contacts are set up in CX, and the plan sponsor has client portal access — see Inviting a Client to the Portal.
The sponsor has their payroll provider login credentials, and permission to share payroll data with third parties.
Step 1: Kick off the connection request
The easiest way to ask a sponsor to connect is the curated project template:
Open your project templates and click Explore Curated Templates.
Download Payroll Connection - (Pre-Census) and launch it for the client. The project emails the sponsor with step-by-step portal instructions.
See Connecting Payroll Ahead of Census. For a single client, you can also just walk them through Step 2 on a call.
Step 2: The sponsor connects in the portal
Here's what your plan sponsor does (share Connecting Payroll (Client Portal) with them):
Log in to the client portal.
Click the profile picture in the top right corner and select Payroll from the dropdown.
Search for the payroll provider and select it.
Verify permissions when prompted, then click Continue.
Enter the payroll provider login credentials (or an API credential, if the provider requires one) and click Connect.
Important: The sponsor shouldn't skip any steps in the flow — some providers require extra steps, and skipping them can cause an incomplete connection.
Step 3: Handle providers that need an assisted connection
If the provider doesn't support a direct API connection, CX uses an assisted connection: the sponsor invites the Finch team (Stax.ai's secure integration partner) into their payroll platform, and Finch exports and syncs the data. The sponsor creates the invite user as:
User: staxai Email: [email protected]
Provider-specific instructions live on the Payroll Providers page in your settings — click the ? icon on the provider's card. Assisted connections typically sync within about two weeks. See Payroll Statuses Explained.
Step 4: Set up file uploads if the provider can't connect at all
For providers with no connection option, give the sponsor a drag-and-drop upload task instead:
In a project, create a new task, assign the sponsor, and set the client task type to Upload Payroll Report.
Build the task into a project template with scheduled launches matching the pay frequency, so a fresh upload task appears every pay period.
See Drag and Drop Payroll Uploading.
Step 5: Confirm the connection is healthy
Open the Payrolls page from the left sidebar and search for the client.
Check the Payroll Status column. Automated connections usually finish syncing within one to two days.
When the status reaches Active, data is syncing normally. If it shows Awaiting Mapping, the Stax.ai team is mapping pay codes to the plan's compensation definitions — no action needed.
Expected outcome
The client's payroll data syncs into CX automatically (or arrives on schedule through upload tasks). When census season starts, the pay data you need is already in the system — and the Payrolls page shows you the health of every connection across your book.
Related features
Connecting Payroll (Client Portal) — the sponsor-facing steps, shareable
Connecting Payroll Ahead of Census — the curated pre-season project
Drag and Drop Payroll Uploading — the file-upload fallback
Payroll Statuses Explained — every status and its next action
Tips
Start early. Assisted connections can take up to two weeks — connect well before census season.
Check the provider type first on the Payroll Providers page, so you set expectations correctly with the sponsor.
Follow up on Awaiting Client. That status means the sponsor started but didn't finish — automated reminders can nudge them (see Client Task Reminders).
Stuck? Email [email protected] — the Stax.ai team helps with tricky connections.