# Start process instance behalf of someone else

**URL:** <https://forum.flowable.org/t/start-process-instance-behalf-of-someone-else/7390>\
**Category:** Flowable Engine\
**Created:** [January 25, 2021, 10:32am UTC](https://forum.flowable.org/t/start-process-instance-behalf-of-someone-else/7390 "2021-01-25T10:32:26Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![bibekguptab7](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/user_avatar/forum.flowable.org/bibekguptab7/32/2156_2.png) [@bibekguptab7](https://forum.flowable.org/u/bibekguptab7)\
**Post date:** [January 25, 2021, 10:32am UTC](https://forum.flowable.org/t/start-process-instance-behalf-of-someone-else/7390/1 "2021-01-25T10:32:26Z")

</div>

Hello,  
I want to start a process instance on behalf of someone else; I am using rest API to start a process by using “processDefinitionId” as basic authentication of admin account.

**API:** /flowable-rest/service/runtime/process-instances  
**body:-**  
{

“processDefinitionId”:"\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*"

}

 ![image](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/uploads/flowable/original/2X/8/8557ab9f25f64fe3380a0e371cc16dc0c0f36dd8.png)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![martin.grofcik](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/user_avatar/forum.flowable.org/martin.grofcik/32/71_2.png) [@martin.grofcik](https://forum.flowable.org/u/martin.grofcik)\
**Post date:** [January 25, 2021, 2:49pm UTC](https://forum.flowable.org/t/start-process-instance-behalf-of-someone-else/7390/2 "2021-01-25T14:49:07Z")

</div>

Hi

If you login as someone else, the process instance will be started by someone else.

Try to login as user/test.

Regards  
Martin

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![bibekguptab7](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/user_avatar/forum.flowable.org/bibekguptab7/32/2156_2.png) [@bibekguptab7](https://forum.flowable.org/u/bibekguptab7)\
**Post date:** [January 27, 2021, 3:06am UTC](https://forum.flowable.org/t/start-process-instance-behalf-of-someone-else/7390/3 "2021-01-27T03:06:53Z")

</div>

Hi Martin, I want to login as admin and start the process on behalf of someone else,  
normally when in postman, basic authentication is admin/test,  
and on call of API : /flowable-rest/service/runtime/process-instances;  
with body :- {

“processDefinitionId”:"\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*"

}

output is:-

* * *

“startUserId”: “admin”,

* * *

but I want response as:-  
“startUserId”: “to someone one (eg: Bibek)”.

Let me know if I achieve that, and sending extra in body or doing something else.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![bibekguptab7](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/user_avatar/forum.flowable.org/bibekguptab7/32/2156_2.png) [@bibekguptab7](https://forum.flowable.org/u/bibekguptab7)\
**Post date:** [January 27, 2021, 6:59am UTC](https://forum.flowable.org/t/start-process-instance-behalf-of-someone-else/7390/4 "2021-01-27T06:59:00Z")

</div>

Hi Martin, even after setting "“startUserId” as someone else, in started by I see admin admin id.

what is the variable associated with “Started by:” in backend?

 ![image](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/uploads/flowable/original/2X/8/8557ab9f25f64fe3380a0e371cc16dc0c0f36dd8.png)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![martin.grofcik](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/user_avatar/forum.flowable.org/martin.grofcik/32/71_2.png) [@martin.grofcik](https://forum.flowable.org/u/martin.grofcik)\
**Post date:** [January 27, 2021, 7:06am UTC](https://forum.flowable.org/t/start-process-instance-behalf-of-someone-else/7390/5 "2021-01-27T07:06:20Z")

</div>

Out of the box rest service uses currently logged user to start the process. You can implement/modify your own service to start a process instance on behalf of somebody else.  
Martin