# Activate an automation

Source: https://joinsimplesms.com/docs/api/automations/activate
Index: https://joinsimplesms.com/llms.txt

`POST /v1/automations/{id}/activate`

Answers 400 with `issues` when the flow is not ready. At most 20 automations can be active at once.

Send your API key as a bearer token: `Authorization: Bearer ssms_sk_...`. Test keys run this endpoint against the [sandbox](/docs/sandbox); see [Authentication](/docs/authentication) for key modes and scopes.

## Path parameters

| Name | Type | Required | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `id` | string | Yes |  |

## Responses

| Status | Meaning | Body |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 200 | Active automation | `Automation` |
| 401 | Missing, malformed, or revoked API key | `Error` |
| 402 | Billable live calls only: the prepaid credit balance cannot cover the call (insufficient_credits); nothing was done or charged | `Error` |
| 429 | Rate limit or quota exceeded | `Error` |

### 200: `Automation` fields

| Field | Type | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `id` | string | Example: `auto_a1B2c3D4e5F6`. |
| `object` | `automation` |  |
| `name` | string |  |
| `status` | `draft`, `active`, `paused` |  |
| `trigger` | object |  |
| `steps` | array of AutomationStep |  |
| `from` | string | Nullable. |
| `topic_id` | string | Nullable. |
| `test` | boolean | Sandbox or live, decided by the sender number. Nullable. |
| `version` | integer | Published version; runs are pinned to the one they started on. |
| `unpublished_changes` | boolean |  |
| `stats` | object |  |
| `stats.runs_started` | integer |  |
| `stats.runs_active` | integer |  |
| `stats.runs_completed` | integer |  |
| `stats.runs_failed` | integer |  |
| `stats.runs_opted_out` | integer |  |
| `stats.triggers_skipped` | integer | Triggers ignored because that person already had a run in progress. |
| `stats.messages_sent` | integer |  |
| `stats.last_triggered_at` | string (date-time) | Nullable. |
| `issues` | array of object | What stops this flow from running. Empty when it can be activated. |
| `issues[].where` | string | A step id, "trigger" or "flow". |
| `issues[].field` | string |  |
| `issues[].message` | string |  |
| `created_at` | string (date-time) |  |
| `updated_at` | string (date-time) |  |

## Errors

| Status | When |
| --- | --- |
| 401 | Missing, malformed, or revoked API key |
| 402 | Billable live calls only: the prepaid credit balance cannot cover the call (insufficient_credits); nothing was done or charged |
| 429 | Rate limit or quota exceeded |

Every error has the same JSON shape, and `request_id` matches the `X-Request-Id` response header. [Errors](/docs/errors) lists every code and what to do about it.

```json
{
  "error": {
    "code": "invalid_request",
    "message": "What went wrong, in plain words.",
    "param": "the_field",
    "request_id": "req_a1B2c3D4e5F6g7H8"
  }
}
```

## Examples

### curl

```bash
curl -X POST "https://api.joinsimplesms.com/v1/automations/auto_a1B2c3D4e5F6/activate" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $SIMPLESMS_API_KEY"
```

### Node.js

```javascript
import { SimpleSMS } from 'joinsimplesms'; // npm install joinsimplesms

const sms = new SimpleSMS(process.env.SIMPLESMS_API_KEY);

const automation = await sms.automations.activate('auto_a1B2c3D4e5F6');

console.log(automation.status);
```

### Python

```python
import os
from joinsimplesms import SimpleSMS  # pip install joinsimplesms

client = SimpleSMS(os.environ["SIMPLESMS_API_KEY"])

automation = client.automations.activate("auto_a1B2c3D4e5F6")

print(automation["status"])
```

## Related

- Guide: [Automations](/docs/automations)
- [All automations endpoints](/docs/api#automations)
- [API reference](/docs/api)