How to invoke a batch Class? | CRM Curator

A batch class is invoked with Database.executeBatch(new YourBatch(), scopeSize). The method returns the JobId synchronously while the actual batch runs async in the background.

Basic invocation

Id jobId = Database.executeBatch(new InactiveCaseCleanup());

Uses the default chunk size of 200 records per execute.

With a custom chunk size

Id jobId = Database.executeBatch(new InactiveCaseCleanup(), 100);

Valid range: 1 to 2,000.

Passing parameters to your batch

Use the constructor:

public class FilteredCleanup implements Database.Batchable<sObject> {
    private String statusFilter;

    public FilteredCleanup(String status) {
        this.statusFilter = status;
    }

    public Database.QueryLocator start(Database.BatchableContext ctx) {
        return Database.getQueryLocator(
            'SELECT Id FROM Case WHERE Status = :statusFilter'
        );
    }
    // ...
}

// Invoke with parameters
Id jobId = Database.executeBatch(new FilteredCleanup('New'), 200);

Where you can invoke from

Context	Allowed?
Anonymous Apex / Developer Console	Yes
Controller / `@AuraEnabled` method	Yes
Trigger	Yes (use sparingly)
Another batch’s `finish` method	Yes (this is “batch chaining”)
Another batch’s `execute` method	Yes, but counts against limits
`@future` method	Yes
Queueable `execute`	Yes
Schedulable `execute`	Yes — common pattern for scheduled batches

Limits to know

Limit	Value
Concurrent active batch jobs (org-wide)	5
Jobs in Apex Flex Queue (holding)	100
Batches you can queue from one transaction	5
Total async Apex jobs per 24 hours	250,000 or 200 × user licenses

If you try to start a 6th concurrent batch directly, you’ll get:

System.LimitException: Too many queueable jobs added to the queue: 2 — wording varies by context, but the cause is concurrency.

Excess jobs flow into the Apex Flex Queue with status Holding, then start Processing as slots free up.

Capture and use the JobId

Id jobId = Database.executeBatch(new MyBatch(), 200);

// Look it up
AsyncApexJob job = [
    SELECT Status, NumberOfErrors, JobItemsProcessed, TotalJobItems
    FROM AsyncApexJob WHERE Id = :jobId
];
System.debug('Batch ' + jobId + ' status: ' + job.Status);

You can also surface the JobId to the user as a tracking reference.

Schedule-then-execute pattern

If you want the batch to run on a cron schedule, wrap it in a Schedulable:

public class NightlyCleanup implements Schedulable {
    public void execute(SchedulableContext ctx) {
        Database.executeBatch(new InactiveCaseCleanup(), 200);
    }
}

// Schedule it once
System.schedule('Nightly Cleanup', '0 0 2 * * ?', new NightlyCleanup());

Common interview follow-ups

Does Database.executeBatch wait for the batch to finish? — No. It enqueues and returns. The batch runs async.
Can I abort a queued batch? — Yes — System.abortJob(jobId).
What’s the difference between executeBatch and enqueueJob? — executeBatch is for Database.Batchable classes; enqueueJob is for Queueable. Different async types.

Verified against: Apex Developer Guide — Using Batch Apex. Last reviewed 2026-05-17.