> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.cfo.ai/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Connect payroll, HR, CRM, payments, or a database > Connect Gusto, Rippling, or another payroll or HR system, HubSpot or Salesforce, Stripe, or a database so Ari plans from your records. What each one needs, how long the first sync takes, what reaches your Model, and what to do when you cannot connect. Connect your other business systems when your plan needs more than your books: payroll and HR for headcount and pay, a CRM for pipeline and bookings, a payments system for revenue detail, or a database for your own records. Each one syncs every night, and cfo.ai only reads from it. To connect QuickBooks, Xero, NetSuite, or Rillet, see [Connect your accounting system](/guides/connect-accounting.md). ## Before you start You need: * Admin access or credentials for the source, as the table below shows. * A started trial or an active plan with a free connection slot. Most of these sources are standard integrations. Databases, data warehouses, and the other sources the [integrations directory](/reference/integrations.md) marks premium need the Enterprise plan. See [Plans and billing](/reference/plans-and-billing.md). * Time for the first sync, from minutes to a day or more, depending on the source and how much history it holds. See [How long the first sync takes](#how-long-the-first-sync-takes). | Source | What you need | | - | - | | Gusto, Justworks, ADP Workforce Now, Paychex, Hibob, UKG, BambooHR, Deel, and the other HR and payroll systems that connect through Merge | Admin access to the company in the HR or payroll system | | Rippling | A Rippling API key. API access may need to be turned on as a paid feature in your Rippling account. | | HubSpot, Salesforce | A HubSpot or Salesforce login, which you use in Fivetran's setup window | | Stripe (Direct) | A Stripe login that can install apps on the account | | A database or data warehouse, such as PostgreSQL, MySQL, Snowflake, or BigQuery | The database's connection details and a user that can read the tables you want | | Shopify, Square, PayPal, Brex, Ramp, and the other sources that connect through Fivetran | The sign-in or credentials that the source's setup window asks for | The [integrations directory](/reference/integrations.md) lists every source and how it connects. ## Connect **Ask Ari** Name the source and what you want to do with it: > Connect Gusto so we can build a headcount plan from our payroll. Ari opens the connection manager and points you to the source. Select **Connect** on its card and sign in. If you close the window, select **Manage** on the card Ari left in the chat, titled **Workspace connections**, or **Connect integrations** while you are setting up your workspace. **By hand** **1. Open the connection manager** In the sidebar, point at **Connections** and select **+** (**Add integration**). **2. Find the source** On the **Integrations** tab, search by name, or filter by type, such as **HR & Payroll** or **CRM**. Select **Connect** on the card. **3. Sign in** An HR or payroll system opens its own sign-in window: sign in and choose the company. If that window closes before you finish and the card mentions third-party cookies, see [Setup not finished](/guides/fix-a-connection.md#setup-not-finished-finish-or-cancel-it). Rippling first shows **Before you connect Rippling**; select **Proceed** when you have the API key. Stripe (Direct) opens Stripe, where you install cfo.ai's Stripe app with read-only access. Most other sources open Fivetran's setup window, where you sign in or enter the source's credentials. **4. Choose tables, if asked** Databases and most sources through Fivetran show a table picker. Every table starts selected; uncheck the ones you do not need, keep 100 or fewer, and select **Finish setup & sync \[N] tables**. Pipedrive starts with seven recommended sales tables selected instead; see [Other CRMs](/reference/integrations.md#other-crms). See [Choose which tables a source syncs](/guides/choose-synced-tables.md). **5. Check the sidebar** The connection appears under **Connections** with a blinking orange dot while it syncs. ## How long the first sync takes | Source | Usual time | | - | - | | HR and payroll through Merge | Minutes, or hours when Merge is still building its first sync of your account. cfo.ai waits up to 20 hours, and the card says how long it has waited. | | Rippling | Minutes | | HubSpot, Salesforce | Minutes to an hour | | Stripe (Direct) | A day or more for an account with a long history, because the first sync lists every object | | Databases and other sources through Fivetran | Depends on size. Fivetran copies each table's full history first, which can take many hours. | ## What to do while it syncs You can keep working while it syncs. * When you connect from a chat, Ari posts there when the first sync finishes or fails. In the sidebar, the orange dot disappears when the data is in. * Ask Ari whether the load is still running before you treat a long wait as a failure. * Do not connect the source again to speed things up. cfo.ai does not offer **Reconnect** while a sync is running. ## What reaches your Model | Source | What lands | | - | - | | HR and payroll systems | An employee roster with jobs, pay, and groups such as departments, through the **HRIS Employees** saved query. Payroll systems that connect through Merge, such as Gusto, also sync each payroll run with each employee's gross and net pay; ask Ari for a saved query to bring them into your Model. Rippling syncs the roster tables, without payroll runs. | | HubSpot | Deals with their pipelines, stages, owners, contacts, companies, line items, and invoices, through **HubSpot Deals** | | Salesforce | Opportunities, accounts, and users, through **Salesforce Opportunities** | | Stripe, Shopify, databases, and other apps | The tables they sync. Ari writes the saved queries that bring them into your Model after the first sync. | If a connection reads **No queries yet**, its data synced but nothing brings it into your Model yet. Select **Set up queries with Ari** on its card. ## If you cannot connect * If your system is not in the directory, such as Toast or bill.com, export the data and [upload it as a CSV](/guides/upload-a-csv.md). For payroll, a payroll register or an employee list with one row per employee or pay run works well. For payments, use a transactions export with a date and an amount on each row. You can also attach the export to a chat and ask Ari to load it. * If you are not an admin in the system, [invite the person who is](/guides/invite-teammates.md) to your workspace and ask them to connect it, or export the data yourself and upload it. * If you cannot get a Rippling API key, upload an employee export as a CSV. To let Ari look up people in Rippling without syncing, connect Rippling's MCP server, which needs a Rippling AI trial or subscription. See [Give Ari access to another service](/guides/give-ari-another-service.md). * If your data is in a database cfo.ai does not list, copy it into a PostgreSQL-compatible database if you can, and connect that database. * If you only need a live lookup, such as today's balance or an open invoice, connect the service's MCP server or API instead. See [How connected data reaches your Model](/concepts/connected-data.md#integrations-and-mcp-servers-do-different-jobs). * If the card shows **Upgrade plan** or **Choose plan**, or the setup says **start the free trial to add integrations**, your workspace needs a trial or a plan with room first. If the card shows a **Premium** badge, the source needs the Enterprise plan; a trial does not unlock it. [Connection statuses and actions](/reference/connection-statuses.md#messages-when-a-new-connection-is-refused) lists each message. An upload does not refresh, so upload a new export when the numbers change. ## If something goes wrong Point at the connection in the sidebar and use the action its card offers. [Fix a connection that needs attention](/guides/fix-a-connection.md) covers each one, including a first sync that is not ready and a source that is missing access. ## Related * [Integrations directory](/reference/integrations.md) * [Choose which tables a source syncs](/guides/choose-synced-tables.md) * [How connected data reaches your Model](/concepts/connected-data.md) * [Connection statuses and actions](/reference/connection-statuses.md) This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.