[[watcher-api-start]]
=== Start API

The `start` API starts the {watcher} service if the service is not already
running, as in the following example:

[source,js]
--------------------------------------------------
POST _xpack/watcher/_start
--------------------------------------------------
// CONSOLE

{watcher} returns the following response if the request is successful:

[source,js]
--------------------------------------------------
{
   "acknowledged": true
}
--------------------------------------------------
// TESTRESPONSE