[[watcher-api-stop]]
=== Stop API

The `stop` API stops the {watcher} service if the service is running, as in the
following example:

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

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

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