# Why can't I pass both 'startFormVariables' and 'variables' while creating a process instance?

**URL:** <https://forum.flowable.org/t/why-cant-i-pass-both-startformvariables-and-variables-while-creating-a-process-instance/11064>\
**Category:** Flowable Engine\
**Created:** [November 23, 2023, 6:01am UTC](https://forum.flowable.org/t/why-cant-i-pass-both-startformvariables-and-variables-while-creating-a-process-instance/11064 "2023-11-23T06:01:45Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![niru.niranjan.y](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e480ec/32.png) [@niru.niranjan.y](https://forum.flowable.org/u/niru.niranjan.y)\
**Post date:** [November 23, 2023, 6:01am UTC](https://forum.flowable.org/t/why-cant-i-pass-both-startformvariables-and-variables-while-creating-a-process-instance/11064/1 "2023-11-23T06:01:45Z")

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I see we are ignoring ‘variables’ when ‘startFormVariables’ are provided in the request body of the create process instance rest API. Is there any particular reason why we do this? What’s the harm in respecting both?