> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.chowder.dev/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Start Instance

> Start a stopped instance.

Wake up a stopped instance. This resumes the hibernated sandbox and restarts the OpenClaw gateway. The instance must be in `stopped` status — trying to start an already-running instance returns a `409 Conflict`.

<Note>
  Requires an **organization key** (`chd_org_*`). Scoped keys cannot start instances.
</Note>

## Path Parameters

<ParamField path="instance_id" type="string" required>
  The ID of the instance to start.
</ParamField>

## Response

Returns `200 OK` with the instance object. The `status` field will be `"running"`.

<RequestExample>
  ```bash cURL theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"github-dark-dimmed"}}
  curl -X POST https://api.chowder.dev/v1/instances/f47ac10b-58cc-4372-a567-0e02b2c3d479/start \
    -H "Authorization: Bearer chd_org_abc123..."
  ```
</RequestExample>

<ResponseExample>
  ```json 200 theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"github-dark-dimmed"}}
  {
    "id": "f47ac10b-58cc-4372-a567-0e02b2c3d479",
    "organization_id": "a1b2c3d4-e5f6-7890-abcd-ef1234567890",
    "name": "my-assistant",
    "status": "running",
    "model_provider": "anthropic",
    "sandbox_provider": "sandbox",
    "sandbox_id": "sb_abc123",
    "gateway_url": "https://sb-abc123-18789.preview.sandbox.app",
    "openclaw_version": "v1",
    "openclaw_config": null,
    "region": null,
    "error_message": null,
    "created_at": "2026-02-14T16:00:00.000000+00:00",
    "updated_at": "2026-02-14T18:00:00.000000+00:00"
  }
  ```
</ResponseExample>