# Subscribe to tasks from your backend

> Source: https://trigger.dev/docs/realtime/backend/overview

**Subscribe to runs from your server-side code or other tasks using async iterators.** Get status updates, metadata changes, and streamed data without polling.

[​](https://trigger.dev/docs/realtime/backend/overview#what%E2%80%99s-available)

What’s available
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

| Category | What it does | Guide |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Run updates** | Subscribe to run status, metadata, and tag changes | [Run updates](https://trigger.dev/docs/realtime/backend/subscribe) |
| **Streaming** | Read AI output, file chunks, or any continuous data from tasks | [Streaming](https://trigger.dev/docs/realtime/backend/streams) |

To learn how to emit streams from your tasks, see [Streaming data from tasks](https://trigger.dev/docs/tasks/streams)
.

[​](https://trigger.dev/docs/realtime/backend/overview#authentication)

Authentication
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

All backend functions support both server-side and client-side authentication:

*   **Server-side**: Use your API key (automatically handled in tasks)
*   **Client-side**: Generate a Public Access Token with appropriate scopes

See our [authentication guide](https://trigger.dev/docs/realtime/auth)
 for detailed information on creating and using tokens.

[​](https://trigger.dev/docs/realtime/backend/overview#quick-example)

Quick example
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Subscribe to a run:

    import { runs, tasks } from "@trigger.dev/sdk";
    
    // Trigger a task
    const handle = await tasks.trigger("my-task", { some: "data" });
    
    // Subscribe to real-time updates
    for await (const run of runs.subscribeToRun(handle.id)) {
      console.log(`Run ${run.id} status: ${run.status}`);
    }
    

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