> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.samesystem.dev/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.samesystem.dev/business-guides/employee-lifecycle-management/new-employees.md).

# New employees

{% hint style="info" %}
**Note:** Users can also be created using **API v1**. However, for user and contract integrations, we strongly recommend using **API v2**, and this guide therefore describes user creation using API v2 only.

If you need to create users using API v1, please refer to the [**API v1 OpenAPI specification**](https://docs.samesystem.dev/api-v1-reference/) for the available endpoint, request parameters, and data model.
{% endhint %}

Below, you will find some general information about users and contracts, including key concepts and considerations that are useful when building user-related integrations with SameSystem.

### Titles

Assigning the correct title to an employee is very important as the title will control user rights in the system.

Use this endpoint to fetch a list of available titles and their ids:\
GET /clientToken}/titles

### External identifiers on employees

The `customId` field can be used to store an external identifier for a user in SameSystem.

This is particularly useful when integrating SameSystem with external systems such as HRIS, payroll, or other employee master data systems, where employees already have a unique identifier.

Examples include:

* Employee ID
* Payroll ID
* Employee number from an HRIS system

Using `customId` makes it possible to maintain a consistent reference to the same employee across SameSystem and the external system. We recommend using a stable and unique identifier from the source system rather than relying on attributes, which may change over time.

#### Enabling Custom IDs

Before `customId` can be used through the API, the following setting must be enabled in SameSystem:

**General Settings → General → Use custom IDs for employees**

If this setting is not enabled, attempts to use `customId` through the API will result in an error.

> **Best practice:** When an external HR or payroll system is the source of employee master data, use its permanent employee identifier as the `customId` in SameSystem. The identifier should remain unchanged throughout the employee's lifecycle whenever possible.

### External identiers on departments

If your external system uses its own identifiers for departments, you can pass useExternalDepartmentId=true as a query parameter to some of the user endpoints. Then the departmentId field will be treated as an external ID rather than an internal SameSystem ID.

### Contracts - Keep same date

We recommend enabling API setting: Keep same start date. When enabled, a contract insert will update an existing contract instead of recreating it if a contract with the same `startDate` already exists. If disabled the contract will be recreated.


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