---
title: Realtime overview
sidebarTitle: Overview
description: Using the Trigger.dev Realtime API to trigger and/or subscribe to runs in real-time.
---

Trigger.dev Realtime allows you to trigger, subscribe to, and get real-time updates for runs. This is useful for monitoring runs, updating UIs, and building real-time dashboards.

You can subscribe to real-time updates for different scopes of runs:

- **Specific runs** - Monitor individual run progress by run ID
- **Runs with specific tags** - Track all runs that have certain [tags](/tags) (e.g., all runs tagged with `user:123`)
- **Batch runs** - All runs within a specific batch
- **Trigger + subscribe combos** - Trigger a task and immediately subscribe to its run (frontend only)

Once subscribed, you'll receive the complete [run object](/realtime/run-object) with automatic real-time updates whenever the [run changes](/realtime/how-it-works#run-changes), including:

- **Status changes** - queued → executing → completed, etc.
- **Metadata updates** - Custom progress tracking, status updates, user data, etc. ([React hooks](/realtime/react-hooks/subscribe#using-metadata-to-show-progress-in-your-ui) | [backend](/realtime/backend/subscribe#subscribe-to-metadata-updates-from-your-tasks))
- **Tag changes** - When [tags](/tags) are added or removed from the run
- **Realtime Streams** - Stream real-time data from your tasks, perfect for AI/LLM outputs and progress updates. ([Learn more](/tasks/streams) | [React hooks](/realtime/react-hooks/streams) | [Backend](/realtime/backend/streams))

## Using Realtime in your applications

### Authentication

All Realtime subscriptions require authentication so you can securely trigger and subscribe to runs. See our [authentication guide](/realtime/auth) for more details.

### Frontend implementation

Use our React hooks to build real-time UIs that update as runs execute. Ideal for progress bars, status indicators, and live dashboards.

→ **[See our React hooks guide](/realtime/react-hooks/)**

### Backend implementation

Use our server-side SDK to subscribe to runs from your backend code, other tasks, or serverless functions. Perfect for triggering workflows, sending notifications, or updating databases based on run status changes.

→ **[See our Backend guide](/realtime/backend)**