diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 246ce54..b7636db 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -14,6 +14,10 @@ config:
   # optional: allows you to specify the max number of jobs to run at once
   jobLimit: 1
 
+  # optional: allows you start an http server and trigger jobs via an api
+  httpServer:
+    enabled: true
+
 jobs:
   # job name
   testRegex:
@@ -58,3 +62,19 @@ docker run --rm -it -v "$PWD:$PWD" -w "$PWD" ghcr.io/huskydog9988/docker-db-back
 ```
 
 The script will then dump the databases to the `out` folder, and continue to run every 5 minutes because of the cron option.
+
+## API
+
+> This feature requires the `httpServer` option to be enabled in the config file
+
+The script can also start an http server and trigger jobs via an api. This is useful if you want to trigger a job elsewhere, like from another backup service.
+
+To trigger a job, send a GET request to `http://localhost:3333/api/v1/queueJob?jobName=JOB_NAME`.
+
+Example using the example config file:
+
+```bash
+curl http://localhost:3333/api/v1/queueJob?jobName=testRegex
+```
+
+The server will respond with a 200 status code **after** the job has finished running. Currently, there is no way to check if the job has failed or not.
diff --git a/config.yaml b/config.yaml
index ec34e79..6aacb1e 100644
--- a/config.yaml
+++ b/config.yaml
@@ -5,6 +5,10 @@ config:
   # optional: allows you to specify the max number of jobs to run at once
   jobLimit: 1
 
+  # optional: allows you start an http server and trigger jobs via an api
+  httpServer:
+    enabled: true
+
 jobs:
   testRegex:
     # Database type: postgres, mysql, mariadb
diff --git a/http.go b/http.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f124442
--- /dev/null
+++ b/http.go
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"net/http"
+
+	"github.com/rotisserie/eris"
+	log "github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
+)
+
+var keyServerAddr = "serverAddr"
+
+// handle any unknown requests
+func getRoot(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+	w.WriteHeader(http.StatusNotFound)
+	w.Write([]byte("Not found\n"))
+}
+
+// start the http server
+// handles if the http server is enabled or not
+func startHttpServer(httpServer *http.Server, backup *Backup) {
+	// if the http server is not defined or disabled, return
+	if !k.Exists("config.httpServer.enabled") {
+		return
+	} else if !k.Bool("config.httpServer.enabled") {
+		return
+	}
+
+	log.Infof("Starting http server")
+
+	mux := http.NewServeMux()
+	httpServer.Handler = mux
+
+	mux.HandleFunc("/", getRoot)
+	mux.HandleFunc("/api/v1/queueJob", func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		// get the job name
+		jobName := r.URL.Query().Get("jobName")
+		if jobName == "" {
+			w.WriteHeader(http.StatusBadRequest)
+			w.Write([]byte("jobName is required\n"))
+			return
+		}
+
+		// get the job config
+		jobConfig, err := getJobConfig(jobName)
+		if err != nil {
+			w.WriteHeader(http.StatusBadRequest)
+			w.Write([]byte(err.Error() + "\n"))
+			return
+		}
+
+		// queue the job
+		// should be completly synchronous
+		// so when it returns, the job should be completed
+		backup.QueueJob(jobConfig)
+
+		w.WriteHeader(http.StatusOK)
+		w.Write([]byte("OK\n"))
+	})
+
+	err := httpServer.ListenAndServe()
+	if err != nil {
+		if eris.Is(err, http.ErrServerClosed) {
+			// ignore this error
+			return
+		}
+		log.Fatal(eris.Wrap(err, "error in http server"))
+	}
+}
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 65c3b2b..58f139f 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package main
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"net/http"
 	"os"
 	"os/signal"
 	"syscall"
@@ -15,6 +16,9 @@ import (
 	log "github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 )
 
+// array of job names
+var jobs []string
+
 type JobConfig struct {
 	Name   string
 	Config map[string]string
@@ -61,20 +65,33 @@ func main() {
 	backup := NewBackup(cli)
 
 	// get a list of every job
-	jobs := k.MapKeys("jobs")
+	jobs = k.MapKeys("jobs")
+
+	// start the http server
+	// also handles if it is disabled
+	httpServer := &http.Server{
+		Addr: ":3333",
+	}
+	go startHttpServer(httpServer, backup)
+	defer func() {
+		err := httpServer.Shutdown(context.Background())
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Error(eris.Wrap(err, "failed to shutdown http server"))
+		}
+	}()
 
 	// schedule each job
 	for _, job := range jobs {
 		log.Infof("Scheduling job: %s", job)
 
-		jobConfig := &JobConfig{
-			Name:   job,
-			Config: k.StringMap("jobs." + job),
+		jobConfig, err := getJobConfig(job)
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Error(eris.Wrapf(err, "failed to get job config for %s", job))
 		}
 
-		_, err := s.NewJob(gocron.CronJob(jobConfig.Config["cron"], false), gocron.NewTask(backup.QueueJob, jobConfig))
+		_, err = s.NewJob(gocron.CronJob(jobConfig.Config["cron"], false), gocron.NewTask(backup.QueueJob, jobConfig))
 		if err != nil {
-			log.Fatal(eris.Wrapf(err, "failed to schedule job %s", jobConfig.Name))
+			log.Error(eris.Wrapf(err, "failed to schedule job %s", jobConfig.Name))
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -177,3 +194,14 @@ func preprocesContainerName(name string) string {
 	_, i := utf8.DecodeRuneInString(name)
 	return name[i:]
 }
+
+func getJobConfig(name string) (*JobConfig, error) {
+	if !k.Exists("jobs." + name) {
+		return nil, eris.Errorf("Job %s does not exist", name)
+	}
+
+	return &JobConfig{
+		Name:   name,
+		Config: k.StringMap("jobs." + name),
+	}, nil
+}