Entra ID to ADP - Close the Loop on Onboarding

Integration

Microsoft Azure AD, now known as Entra ID, is the source of truth for employee accounts like email addresses. Learn how to sync data from Entra ID to ADP.

Jul 2, 2026-Derek Visch
Entra ID to ADP - Close the Loop on Onboarding hero

How do you automate Azure AD to ADP?

Azure AD, now known as Entra ID, is Microsoft's cloud-based directory service. It's the system of record for your employee's digital identity. Read on to learn how data integration by AutoIDM helps you sync data from Azure AD to ADP and the rest of your digital infrastructure.

We'll get this Entra ID to ADP integration taken care of with less than a few hours of work on your side, and you'll be up and running in about 2 weeks after the project kicks off. Book a meeting now – it's easy.

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Why would you want to automate data from Entra ID to ADP?

There are many simple answers: it reduces your team's manual workload so they can focus on more valuable tasks, data quality improves, there are fewer mistakes, and it reduces the time it takes to onboard or offboard an employee. These are all true, but it's worth looking at your strategy for user lifecycle automation more generally.

The business tasks that surround joiners / movers / leavers (JML) are critical events in an employee's journey with your organization. You'll want to:

  • identify systems of record - so you know your source of truth
  • clarify responsibilities - who performs what task? Identify a single owner per task.
  • automate data flow - but make it auditable so you can keep a human in the loop for exceptional cases
  • define business rules - so expectations are aligned

We'll help you map out these processes and find the opportunities to integrate systems more effectively.

What data should sync from Entra ID to ADP?

The specific details will depend on your business processes. Usually, your ADP (a human resource information system, or HRIS) is the system of record for the person acting as your worker. Entra ID is the system of record for their digital identity in your organization.

That means you'll want to keep track of worker name, date of birth, gender, personal contact information, etc., in ADP. Use that source of truth to move key worker data to your other systems. This lets you automate creation of Entra ID accounts based on your ADP data, meaning users will have perfectly consistent account details. No more typos or mismatches!

But Entra ID is the system of record for key digital identity data:

  • Email address (userPrincipalName) and mailbox
  • Software Licenses
  • Multi-factor authentication
  • Device and system access
  • Sign-in history

Once you've automated your ADP to Entra ID, you synchronize data like email address from Entra ID to ADP and other systems, creating a reliable automated user provisioning workflow.

What this is not?

We provide fully managed done-for-you data integration as a service. We offer data integrations fit to your exact business needs through a service delivery model. That means you're not buying an expensive custom one-time project that you'll have to manage and maintain, becoming an ongoing headache for you.

Instead, we take responsibility for syncing data between your systems in a way that works for you. We monitor and respond to data sync issues, keep you in the loop, and maintain the integration over time.

Just make the problem go away

If you're struggling with inconsistent processes and account management headaches, schedule some time with us. We can help you sort through:

  • HR vs IT process
  • Onboarding and offboarding
  • Groups & licenses
  • Device management

What about getting everyone on the same page in HR and IT? What's the project plan look like?

Getting the left hand to know what the right hand is doing in business is complicated. At AutoIDM, we have established a proven process to make sure everyone in your business is on the same page. The Entra ID to ADP integration (and our general integration process) is adjusted depending on your needs, but it follows these main points.

  1. Initial Meeting - (30 min) Bring all stakeholders together to align on the timeline, expectations, and responsibilities.
  2. Access - (30 min) Architect a secure solution that gives AutoIDM access to what we need while keeping your IT team in control.
  3. Business Rules - (1 hour) Align Entra ID with ADP, build the rule set, and define the testing plan.
  4. Testing - (~2 hours) Iterate with your champion to validate the integration and resolve issues quickly.
  5. Deployment - Final deploy and full support for any adjustments or changes. Entra ID to ADP is now up and running.

What is ADP?

ADP is one of the largest payroll providers in the world. ADP Workforce Now, its payroll and human capital management (HCM) platform for small and mid-sized businesses, brings payroll, HR, time, and benefits together in one place. From an integration and IT perspective, ADP is the system of record for your workers.

Learn more about system of record

What features does AutoIDM have?

AutoIDM's solution automates your existing processes. We tailor our solution to what you need while leveraging core functionality across our customer base. There's no need to learn new systems - we take care of account creation and let your team keep using the tools they already know.

Here's a short list of what we can do for you:

  1. Entra ID account creation, updates, and deactivation.
  2. Group membership management.
  3. Write back to ADP: work email, username, and initial password.
  4. Password reset triggered in ADP.
  5. Daily report of automation changes.
  6. Drift report for governance on unmanaged accounts.
  7. Welcome packets with initial username and password.
  8. Additional customizations included with the cost.
  9. Photo syncing.

What software do I need for Entra ID to ADP?

You'll need ADP and a Microsoft Entra ID (Azure AD) tenant. The rest is up to our integration team, and we have multiple architectures available to suit your needs.

What if something breaks?

As a fully managed service, we reach out if we see an error. If you notice an issue, submit a ticket to our helpdesk at support@autoidm.com.

What about on-prem Active Directory?

Microsoft Entra Connect (formerly Azure AD Connect) syncs your on-prem Active Directory environment with Entra ID. AutoIDM can integrate with on-prem Active Directory directly as well. Read more in our Active Directory to ADP guide.

Microsoft Entra Connect documentation

What about Google Workspace?

With on-prem AD there's Google Cloud Directory Sync (GCDS), which can move data from AD to Google. AutoIDM can integrate with Google Workspace directly as well, but we'll save that for another article.

Google Cloud Directory Sync documentation

Can I do this myself instead of paying for your service?

Yes - writing, orchestrating, monitoring, and maintaining your own Entra ID to ADP integration is doable. Here are some pointers.

Pull data from Entra ID: Review the Microsoft Graph users API documentation here. You'll need an Entra app registration with the User.Read.All application permission and admin consent. At AutoIDM we use a regular HTTP client library, specifically Python's requests library. Once you have data from Entra ID, you need to get it into ADP.

Match up accounts: Once you've got employee data from Entra ID, you'll need to match it up to ADP. This can be done by tracking an external ID or fuzzy matching on name or email address.

Map data and push to ADP: Review ADP's API documentation here. ADP API Central gives your developers access to the ADP Workforce Now APIs, including the Workers API. API access requires ADP-issued OAuth 2.0 client credentials and a security certificate signed by ADP. You'll need to figure out record lifecycles: what happens when workers join, leave, change names, etc.

Operationalize: After you've got the logic figured out, you'll want to set up monitoring to catch errors, alerting to let your team know when something requires their time, and training for the technicians who will be responsible. You'll also want to educate your HR and business teams about what to expect and how to get support.

Does doing all of this yourself seem like something you shouldn't be supporting? That's what AutoIDM is here for. AutoIDM is a done-for-you service - no software to train on, no software maintenance, and no software configuration your team needs to worry about.

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