> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://developer.box.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Start Automate workflow
> Starts an Automate workflow manually by using a workflow action ID and file IDs.
Learn more about [Box SDK versioning strategy](/guides/tooling/sdks/sdk-versioning/).
## OpenAPI
````yaml /box-openapi-v2026.0.json POST /automate_workflows/{workflow_id}/start
openapi: 3.0.2
info:
title: Box Platform API
description: >-
[Box Platform](https://developer.box.com) provides functionality to provide
access to content stored within [Box](https://box.com). It provides
endpoints for basic manipulation of files and folders, management of users
within an enterprise, as well as more complex topics such as legal holds and
retention policies.
termsOfService: https://cloud.app.box.com/s/rmwxu64h1ipr41u49w3bbuvbsa29wku9
contact:
name: Box, Inc
url: https://developer.box.com
email: devrel@box.com
license:
name: Apache-2.0
url: https://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
version: '2026.0'
x-box-commit-hash: cc51aff694
servers:
- url: https://api.box.com/2.0
description: Box Platform API server.
security:
- OAuth2Security: []
tags:
- name: Automate Workflows
description: Endpoints for listing and manually starting Automate workflow actions.
x-box-tag: automate_workflows
externalDocs:
description: Box Developer Documentation.
url: https://developer.box.com
paths:
/automate_workflows/{workflow_id}/start:
post:
tags:
- Automate Workflows
summary: Start Automate workflow
description: >-
Starts an Automate workflow manually by using a workflow action ID and
file IDs.
operationId: post_automate_workflows_id_start_v2026.0
parameters:
- name: workflow_id
in: path
description: The ID of the workflow.
required: true
schema:
type: string
example: '12345'
- $ref: '#/components/parameters/BoxVersionHeader'
requestBody:
required: true
content:
application/json:
schema:
$ref: '#/components/schemas/AutomateWorkflowStartRequest'
responses:
'204':
description: Starts the workflow.
default:
description: An unexpected client error.
content:
application/json:
schema:
$ref: '#/components/schemas/ClientError'
x-codeSamples:
- lang: curl
label: Start Automate workflow
source: >-
curl -i -X POST
"https://api.box.com/2.0/automate_workflows/12345/start" \
-H "box-version: 2026.0" \
-H "authorization: Bearer " \
-H "content-type: application/json" \
-d '{
"workflow_action_id": "981",
"file_ids": ["123"]
}'
- lang: dotnet
label: Start Automate workflow
source: >-
await
adminClient.AutomateWorkflows.CreateAutomateWorkflowStartV2026R0Async(workflowId:
workflowAction.Workflow.Id, requestBody: new
AutomateWorkflowStartRequestV2026R0(workflowActionId:
workflowAction.Id, fileIds: Array.AsReadOnly(new []
{workflowFileId})));
- lang: swift
label: Start Automate workflow
source: >-
try await
adminClient.automateWorkflows.createAutomateWorkflowStartV2026R0(workflowId:
workflowAction.workflow.id, requestBody:
AutomateWorkflowStartRequestV2026R0(workflowActionId:
workflowAction.id, fileIds: [workflowFileId]))
- lang: java
label: Start Automate workflow
source: >-
adminClient.getAutomateWorkflows().createAutomateWorkflowStartV2026R0(workflowAction.getWorkflow().getId(),
new AutomateWorkflowStartRequestV2026R0(workflowAction.getId(),
Arrays.asList(workflowFileId)))
- lang: node
label: Start Automate workflow
source: >-
await
adminClient.automateWorkflows.createAutomateWorkflowStartV2026R0(
workflowAction.workflow.id,
{
workflowActionId: workflowAction.id,
fileIds: [workflowFileId],
} satisfies AutomateWorkflowStartRequestV2026R0,
);
- lang: python
label: Start Automate workflow
source: >-
admin_client.automate_workflows.create_automate_workflow_start_v2026_r0(
workflow_action.workflow.id, workflow_action.id, [workflow_file_id]
)
components:
parameters:
BoxVersionHeader:
name: box-version
in: header
description: Version header.
allowEmptyValue: false
required: true
schema:
type: string
enum:
- '2026.0'
example: '2026.0'
schemas:
AutomateWorkflowStartRequest:
description: Request body to start an Automate workflow.
type: object
properties:
workflow_action_id:
description: The callable action ID used to trigger the selected workflow.
type: string
example: '981'
file_ids:
description: The files to process with the selected workflow.
type: array
items:
type: string
example: '123'
example:
- '123'
minItems: 1
required:
- workflow_action_id
- file_ids
title: Automate Workflow Start Request
ClientError:
description: A generic error.
type: object
properties:
type:
description: The value will always be `error`.
type: string
example: error
enum:
- error
nullable: false
status:
description: The HTTP status of the response.
type: integer
format: int32
example: 400
nullable: false
code:
description: A Box-specific error code.
type: string
example: item_name_invalid
enum:
- created
- accepted
- no_content
- redirect
- not_modified
- bad_request
- unauthorized
- forbidden
- not_found
- method_not_allowed
- conflict
- precondition_failed
- too_many_requests
- internal_server_error
- unavailable
- item_name_invalid
- insufficient_scope
message:
description: A short message describing the error.
type: string
example: Method Not Allowed
nullable: false
context_info:
description: >-
A free-form object that contains additional context about the error.
The possible fields are defined on a per-endpoint basis. `message`
is only one example.
type: object
example:
message: Something went wrong
additionalProperties: {}
nullable: true
help_url:
description: A URL that links to more information about why this error occurred.
type: string
example: >-
https://developer.box.com/guides/api-calls/permissions-and-errors/common-errors/
nullable: false
request_id:
description: >-
A unique identifier for this response, which can be used when
contacting Box support.
type: string
example: abcdef123456
nullable: false
title: Client error
x-box-resource-id: client_error_v2026.0
securitySchemes:
OAuth2Security:
type: oauth2
flows:
authorizationCode:
authorizationUrl: https://account.box.com/api/oauth2/authorize
tokenUrl: https://api.box.com/oauth2/token
scopes:
root_readonly: Read all files and folders stored in Box
root_readwrite: Read and write all files and folders stored in Box
manage_app_users: Provision and manage app users
manage_managed_users: Provision and manage managed users
manage_groups: Manage an enterprise's groups
manage_webhook: Create webhooks programmatically through the API
manage_enterprise_properties: Manage enterprise properties
manage_data_retention: Manage data retention polices
manage_legal_hold: Manage Legal Holds
````