[role="xpack"]
[[watcher-api-start]]
=== Start API

The `start` API starts the {watcher} service if the service is not already
running.

[float]
==== Request

`POST _xpack/watcher/_start`

==== Authorization

You must have `manage_watcher` cluster privileges to use this API. For more
information, see {xpack-ref}/security-privileges.html[Security Privileges].

[float]
==== Examples

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

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

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