OpenSearch/x-pack/docs/en/watcher/java/get-watch.asciidoc

[discrete]
[[api-java-get-watch]]
=== Get watch API

This API retrieves a watch by its id.

The following example gets a watch with `my-watch` id:

[source,java]
--------------------------------------------------
GetWatchResponse getWatchResponse = watcherClient.prepareGetWatch("my-watch").get();
--------------------------------------------------

You can access the watch definition by accessing the source of the response:

[source,java]
--------------------------------------------------
XContentSource source = getWatchResponse.getSource();
--------------------------------------------------

The `XContentSource` provides you methods to explore the source:

[source,java]
--------------------------------------------------
Map<String, Object> map = source.getAsMap();
--------------------------------------------------

Or get a specific value associated with a known key:

[source,java]
--------------------------------------------------
String host = source.getValue("input.http.request.host");
--------------------------------------------------