Live Activities for long-running backend workflows

Keep in-progress deploys, migrations, incidents, jobs, automations, and AI agent runs visible on iPhone and iPad until the work is done.

Start a Live Activity with one API call

The start endpoint creates a Live Activity and returns an activity_id. Use that ID to push step updates during execution, then end the activity when work completes.

curl -X POST https://activitysmith.com/api/live-activity/start \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $ACTIVITYSMITH_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "content_state": {
      "title": "ActivitySmith API Deployment",
      "subtitle": "start",
      "number_of_steps": 5,
      "current_step": 1,
      "type": "segmented_progress"
    }
  }'

View Live Activities docs

Two Live Activity types

ActivitySmith supports two Live Activity types. Both use the same start, update, and end lifecycle, but each fits a different kind of workflow and progress display.

Segmented Progress

Best for jobs tracked in steps. Use it for deployments, backups, ETL pipelines, and checklists where "step 2 of 4" is more useful than a raw percentage.

number_of_steps can increase or decrease as the workflow changes.

Progress

Best for jobs tracked as a percentage or numeric range. Use it for EV charging, downloads, uploads, sync jobs, timers, and other continuous work.

Send either percentage or value with upper_limit.

Lifecycle from start to finish

Use the same lifecycle in every SDK and CLI. Pick the type that matches the way your workflow progresses.

Segmented Progress lifecycle

Use this when work moves through named steps and you want the activity to show the current stage clearly.

Start

const start = await activitysmith.liveActivities.start({
  content_state: {
    title: "Nightly database backup",
    subtitle: "create snapshot",
    number_of_steps: 3,
    current_step: 1,
    type: "segmented_progress",
    color: "yellow",
  },
  channels: ["devs", "ops"], // Optional
});

const activityId = start.activity_id;

Node SDK

Update

const update = await activitysmith.liveActivities.update({
  activity_id: activityId,
  content_state: {
    title: "Nightly database backup",
    subtitle: "upload archive",
    current_step: 2,
  },
});

Node SDK

End

const end = await activitysmith.liveActivities.end({
  activity_id: activityId,
  content_state: {
    title: "Nightly database backup",
    subtitle: "verify restore",
    current_step: 3,
    auto_dismiss_minutes: 2,
  },
});

Node SDK

Progress lifecycle

Use this when progress is continuous and a percentage or numeric range is the clearest signal.

Start

const start = await activitysmith.liveActivities.start({
  content_state: {
    title: "EV Charging",
    subtitle: "Added 30 mi range",
    type: "progress",
    percentage: 15,
    color: "lime",
  },
});

const activityId = start.activity_id;

Node SDK

Update

await activitysmith.liveActivities.update({
  activity_id: activityId,
  content_state: {
    title: "EV Charging",
    subtitle: "Added 120 mi range",
    percentage: 60,
  },
});

Node SDK

End

await activitysmith.liveActivities.end({
  activity_id: activityId,
  content_state: {
    title: "EV Charging",
    subtitle: "Added 200 mi range",
    percentage: 100,
    auto_dismiss_minutes: 2,
  },
});