---
title: "Start a workflow for a contact"
method: POST
path: "/api/v1/workflows/{id}/executions"
tags: ["Workflows"]
---

# Start a workflow for a contact

`POST /api/v1/workflows/{id}/executions`

## Request

- Base URL: `https://api.sendly.now`
- URL: `https://api.sendly.now/api/v1/workflows/{id}/executions`
- Auth: one of:
  - HTTP bearer
  - API key in cookie `better-auth.session_token`
  - OAuth 2 (authorization code, authorization URL `https://app.sendly.now/api/auth/oauth2/authorize`, token URL `https://app.sendly.now/api/auth/oauth2/token`, scopes: `workflows:write`)

Enters one contact into an enabled workflow. Step processing runs asynchronously, so a 201 means the run was claimed — not that it finished.

409 when the workflow's re-entry policy already accounts for this contact; 429 when the workflow's own `max_executions_per_hour` cap is reached.

Requires the `workflows:write` scope — Create, edit, enable, and delete your automation workflows.

## Path parameters

- `id` string, uuid, required: Workflow id.

## Request body

- WorkflowExecutionStartV1: Body for POST /api/v1/workflows/{id}/executions.
  - `contact_id` string, uuid, required: Contact to enter the workflow. Must belong to this project.
  - `context` object: Extra variables merged into the contact's data for this run.

## Response `201`

Execution started

- WorkflowExecutionV1: One contact's run through a workflow.
  - `completed_at` string, date-time, nullable, required
  - `contact_id` string, uuid, required
  - `current_step_id` string, uuid, nullable, required
  - `exit_reason` string, nullable, required
  - `id` string, uuid, required
  - `started_at` string, date-time, required
  - `status` 'RUNNING' | 'WAITING' | 'COMPLETED' | 'EXITED' | 'FAILED' | 'CANCELLED', required
  - `workflow_id` string, uuid, required

## Other responses

- `401`: `invalid_api_key` or `invalid_session` — missing or invalid credentials.
- `403`: `scope_missing`, `project_access_denied`, or `project_disabled`.
- `404`: `resource_not_found` — no such workflow, or no such contact in this project.
- `409`: `conflict` — the contact already has an execution and re-entry is not allowed.
- `422`: `validation_error` — query, path, or body parameters did not match the schema.
- `429`: `rate_limited` — see `Retry-After` and the `RateLimit` headers.
- `500`: `internal_error`.

---

[API](https://skmtc.dev/sendly/apis/sendly-api.md) · [All operations](https://skmtc.dev/sendly/apis/sendly-api/llms.txt) · [OpenAPI document](https://skmtc.dev/sendly/apis/sendly-api/revisions/ce7cfb7f7c7e?raw)