---
title: "Brain Start"
method: POST
path: "/api/interviews/{interview_id}/brain/start"
tags: ["Interviews"]
---

# Brain Start

`POST /api/interviews/{interview_id}/brain/start`

## Request

- Base URL: `https://api.thebetterhire.ai` (the document declares no server; this is the origin it was published from)
- URL: `https://api.thebetterhire.ai/api/interviews/{interview_id}/brain/start`
- Auth: HTTP bearer

Initialize a brain session for this interview. Returns the first question.

This is the admin/QA harness path — used by the internal Brain
Sessions tool, not by candidates. Customer-facing brain interviews
start via Vapi (interview_join.py → Vapi `call.started` →
voice_webhooks.handle_call_started → deduct_action). Per ADR-0002,
this admin path is excluded from billing.

## Path parameters

- `interview_id` string, uuid, required

## Request body

- BrainStartRequest
  - `resume_text` string, nullable
  - `jd_text` string, nullable

## Response `201`

Successful Response

- BrainStartResponse
  - `session_id` string, required
  - `first_question` string, required
  - `stage_id` string, required
  - `mode` string, required
  - `plan_summary` object

## Other responses

- `422`: Validation Error

---

[API](https://skmtc.dev/thebetterhire/apis/interanalysis-b2b-api.md) · [All operations](https://skmtc.dev/thebetterhire/apis/interanalysis-b2b-api/llms.txt) · [OpenAPI document](https://skmtc.dev/thebetterhire/apis/interanalysis-b2b-api/revisions/c8ad03e900ea?raw)