---
sourceDocument: Zurich Build workflows
sourceDocumentLink: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/zurich/build-workflows

 Release :

    - zurich

ft:locale :

    - en-US

ft:publication_title :

    - Zurich Build workflows

ft:clusterId :

    - crworkflow

bundleId :

    - crworkflow

workflow :

    - Creator


---

# Building playbooks

# Building playbooks {#ariaid-title1}

* Release version: Zurich
* 
* Updated July 31, 2025
* 
* ![](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ico-clock) 1 minute to read

Fully automate your cross-enterprise business processes by linking flows, actions, and subflows together in a playbook.

A playbook consists of a trigger and activities, and activities are organized into stages.

## Triggers {#building-a-process__section_yfk_2pk_rzb}

A trigger is an operation that
tells your playbook to start a run. Each trigger has a type and conditions that must be met.
Triggers
only fire for record operations that are interactive or made by users. For more information, see [Triggers](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/7iQik3hN0uPGkwk1mO_fMA "Triggers specify when to start running your playbook.").

## Stages {#building-a-process__section_zc4_rrk_rzb}

Group activities by the stages of your business process, and sequence activities in an order that makes sense for your cross-enterprise workflow. For more information on stages, see [Stages and activities](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/kc8_upTgu0Ef2vQebD7JPg "In Playbooks, an activity represents one step in your overall business process. You can sequence many activities together in the stages of your process.").

## Activities {#building-a-process__section_n4b_fdx_c1c}

An activity represents one step in your business process, and the record for an activity is called an activity definition. For more information on activity instances and activity definitions, see [Overview](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/EYJCxheSfwebJbAwFCmodA "Understand how Workflow Studio Playbooks work in the ServiceNow AI Platform to automate cross-functional processes and consolidate them into task-oriented views for your end users.") and [activity definitions](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/hC2JPXxYVpwMpyvSURl_5w "Activity definitions describe how the activities in your playbook get the data that they need when your playbook runs.").
* **[Getting started with Playbooks](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/qI5crqJPVRYf5RhKvPyTWQ)**   
  Learn the basics of designing an automated process for your organization. Get an overview of how Workflow Studio Playbooks work in the ServiceNow AI Platform®.
* **[Triggers](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/7iQik3hN0uPGkwk1mO_fMA)**   
  Triggers specify when to start running your playbook.
* **[Stages and activities](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/kc8_upTgu0Ef2vQebD7JPg)**   
  In Playbooks, an activity represents one step in your overall business process. You can sequence many activities together in the stages of your process.
* **[Playbooks in Workflow Studio](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/0I6HLftfLimSlFvG8nfVrw)**   
  Playbooks are ServiceNow AI Platform® representations of cross-enterprise processes for your organization. Create and activate a playbook to run your digitized business process on the ServiceNow AI Platform.
* **[Playbooks as an MCP tool](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/1EDljNMGH1JcUcZqgO7ohQ)**   
  Expose a playbook as a tool in an MCP server, enabling MCP clients to trigger and execute the playbook through the Model Context Protocol (MCP).