[[api-rest-activate-watch]]
==== Activate Watch API

A watch can be either <<watch-active-state, active or inactive>>. This API enables
you to activate a currently inactive watch.

The status of an inactive watch is returned with the watch definition
when you call the <<api-rest-get-watch, Get Watch API>>:

[source,json]
--------------------------------------------------
GET _watcher/watch/<watch_id>
--------------------------------------------------
// AUTOSENSE

[source,js]
--------------------------------------------------
"_status": {
   "state" : {
    "active" : false,
    "timestamp" : "2015-08-20T12:21:32.734Z"
   }
   "actions": {
     ...
   }
  }
}
--------------------------------------------------

You can activate the watch by executing the following API call:

[source,json]
--------------------------------------------------
PUT _watcher/watch/<watch_id>/_activate
--------------------------------------------------
// AUTOSENSE

The new state of the watch is returned as part of its overall status.

[source,js]
--------------------------------------------------
"_status": {
   "state" : {
    "active" : true,
    "timestamp" : "2015-09-04T08:39:46.816Z"
   }
   "actions": {
     ...
   }
  }
}
--------------------------------------------------