For AI agents: markdown of this page — /docs-content-en/entities/tasks/start-timer.md documentation index — /llms.txt

Start task timer

POST /v1/tasks/:taskId/start-timer

Starts the time-tracking timer for a task on behalf of the key's user. A task in the Pending status moves to In Progress.

Parameters

Parameter Type Required Description
ParametertaskId (path) Typenumber Requiredyes DescriptionTask ID. List: GET /v1/tasks

Request fields (body)

Field Type Required Description
Fieldparams Typeobject Requiredno DescriptionAdditional action parameters. Passed to Bitrix24 unchanged
Fieldparams.STOP_PREVIOUS Typestring Requiredno DescriptionY — before starting, stop the timer the key's user started on another task. The value N and an absent field behave the same: while a timer runs on another task, the call is rejected with 422

The request body can be empty or {}. Any field other than params is rejected with 400 INVALID_PARAMS.

Examples

curl — personal key

Terminal 
curl -X POST 'https://vibecode.bitrix24.com/v1/tasks/289/start-timer' \
  -H 'X-Api-Key: YOUR_API_KEY' \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{"params":{"STOP_PREVIOUS":"Y"}}'

curl — OAuth application

Terminal 
curl -X POST 'https://vibecode.bitrix24.com/v1/tasks/289/start-timer' \
  -H 'X-Api-Key: YOUR_APP_KEY' \
  -H 'Authorization: Bearer USER_SESSION_TOKEN' \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{"params":{"STOP_PREVIOUS":"Y"}}'

JavaScript — personal key

javascript 
const response = await fetch('https://vibecode.bitrix24.com/v1/tasks/289/start-timer', {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: {
    'X-Api-Key': 'YOUR_API_KEY',
    'Content-Type': 'application/json',
  },
  body: JSON.stringify({"params":{"STOP_PREVIOUS":"Y"}}),
})
const result = await response.json()
console.log(result.data)

JavaScript — OAuth application

javascript 
const response = await fetch('https://vibecode.bitrix24.com/v1/tasks/289/start-timer', {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: {
    'X-Api-Key': 'YOUR_APP_KEY',
    'Authorization': 'Bearer USER_SESSION_TOKEN',
    'Content-Type': 'application/json',
  },
  body: JSON.stringify({"params":{"STOP_PREVIOUS":"Y"}}),
})
const result = await response.json()
console.log(result.data)

Response fields

Field Type Description
Fieldsuccess Typeboolean Descriptiontrue on success
Fielddata Typeobject | null Descriptionnull if time tracking is off for the task. The timer does not start in that case
Fielddata.task Typeobject DescriptionThe full task object when time tracking is on. Values arrive in raw form: numbers as strings ("id": "289"), flags as Y or N ("allowTimeTracking": "Y"). GET /v1/tasks/:id returns the same fields as numbers and true/false
Fielddata.task.id Typestring DescriptionTask ID
Fielddata.task.allowTimeTracking Typestring DescriptionTime tracking for the task: Y — on
Fielddata.task.timeElapsed Typestring DescriptionTime already tracked on the task, in seconds
Fielddata.task.action Typeobject DescriptionWhich actions the key's user can take: the key is the action name (start, pause, complete, defer, renew and others), the value is true or false

Response example

Time tracking is on. Only the main fields of the task object are shown:

JSON 
{
  "success": true,
  "data": {
    "task": {
      "id": "289",
      "title": "Prepare the quarterly report",
      "status": "3",
      "createdBy": "1",
      "responsibleId": "1",
      "allowTimeTracking": "Y",
      "timeElapsed": "6",
      "action": {
        "start": false,
        "pause": true,
        "complete": true,
        "defer": false,
        "renew": false
      }
    }
  }
}

Time tracking is off for the task:

JSON 
{
  "success": true,
  "data": null
}

Error response example

422 — the key's user already has a timer running on another task, and STOP_PREVIOUS is not passed:

JSON 
{
  "success": false,
  "error": {
    "code": "BITRIX_ERROR",
    "message": "Another task (##287#) is now currently active. Please stop it before proceeding.",
    "b24Code": "0"
  }
}

The error.message text comes from Bitrix24, so its wording and language depend on the Bitrix24 account language. Branch on error.code, not on the message text.

Errors

HTTP Code Description
HTTP400 CodeINVALID_PARAMS DescriptiontaskId is not a positive integer: taskId must be a positive integer
HTTP400 CodeINVALID_PARAMS DescriptionThe request body is not a JSON object: body must be an object
HTTP400 CodeINVALID_PARAMS DescriptionThe body contains fields other than params: body contains unsupported fields
HTTP400 CodeINVALID_PARAMS Descriptionparams is not an object: params must be an object
HTTP401 CodeMISSING_API_KEY DescriptionX-Api-Key is missing
HTTP401 CodeINVALID_API_KEY DescriptionThe key is not found
HTTP401 CodeTOKEN_MISSING DescriptionThe key has no valid Bitrix24 token
HTTP403 CodeSCOPE_DENIED DescriptionThe key lacks the task or tasks scope
HTTP403 CodeWRITE_BLOCKED_READONLY_KEY DescriptionThe key is read-only
HTTP403 CodeBITRIX_ACCESS_DENIED DescriptionThe key's user has no rights to the task
HTTP422 CodeBITRIX_ERROR DescriptionThe key's user has a timer running on another task, and STOP_PREVIOUS is not Y: Another task (##<id>#) is now currently active…
HTTP422 CodeBITRIX_ERROR DescriptionNo task exists with this taskId: Task not found or not accessible

The full list of common API errors — Errors.

Known specifics

  • Without time tracking the timer does not start, yet the response is successful. If allowTimeTracking is off for the task, the call returns 200 with data: null. The task status does not change, and no entry appears in time tracking. Time tracking is turned on by the allowTimeTracking field when you create or update the task.
  • A user can have only one timer running at a time. With STOP_PREVIOUS: "Y" the timer on the other task stops, and its time is recorded in that task's time tracking.
  • The task object in the response does not reflect the start. Its timerIsRunningForCurrentUser field arrives as N, and for a task that was Pending, status is still 2 although the task has already moved to In Progress. Read the current state with GET /v1/tasks/:id.
  • The timer stops with a separate call. Pausing the timer records the time worked in the task's time tracking.

See also