---
sourceDocument: Australia Strategic Portfolio Management
sourceDocumentLink: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/australia/it-business-management

 Release :

    - australia

ft:locale :

    - en-US

ft:publication_title :

    - Australia Strategic Portfolio Management

ft:clusterId :

    - itbm

bundleId :

    - itbm

workflow :

    - Technology


---

# Customize and create playbooks

# Customize and create playbooks {#ariaid-title1}

Release version: Australia  
Updated November 3, 2026  
![](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ico-clock) 6 minutes to read  
Configure a playbook to match your organization's demand process. Customize the default demand
workflow playbook or create one to define the stages and activities that guide demand records through your workflow.

## Before you begin

Role required: admin, playbook.admin, or pd_author

## About this task

Next Experience for Demand Management includes one predefined playbook, Demand workflow. This playbook is active by default and is ready to use without any additional configuration. When the AI Control Tower Core plugin is installed, the playbook includes the AI checkpoint stage. For the stages and activities in the playbook, see [Demand workflow playbook stages](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/mdtJ27NztgMrA~Pzn7mVjg "The default demand workflow playbook includes predefined stages and activities that guide you through the demand life cycle.").

Customize the playbook when your demand processes differ from the default, for example when you use custom demand states, roles, or fields. The default playbook runs when a demand is created and has no additional conditions.
It applies to every new demand, including records in tables that extend the Demand \[dmn_demand\] table. Duplicate the Demand workflow playbook to customize it to preserve the default playbook as a base that you can refer to
at any point.

The demand-specific behavior of the playbook, such as the related lists and the Mark Complete, Save, and Skip actions, comes from the demand playbook
experience. Keep your customizations in this experience to use the custom activities built for demands. For more information, see [Demand playbook experience](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/zwO9wjgXPbgbTo0K0cPgEQ#playbooks-in-demand-workspace-ppw__section_dmnd_pb_experience).

This overview task covers the configuration of a demand process-specific playbook. For detailed information about creating or customizing playbooks, see [Configuring Playbooks](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=setting-up-process-automation-designer&version=australia&pubname=australia-build-workflows&ft:locale=en-US). For a complete example of a custom demand playbook, see [Creation example for a demand playbook for IT governance](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/waaMD4FfHqO1HrWb5Rm6Tg "Build a demand playbook that guides technology investment requests through intake, architecture review, and a steering committee decision, and moves the demand state automatically at each step.").

## Procedure

1. Navigate to AllProcess AutomationWorkflow Studio, and then select the Playbooks tab.  
   The predefined Demand workflow playbook is listed on this tab.
2. Open the playbook that you want to work with.
   * To customize the default playbook, duplicate the Demand workflow playbook.
     1. Select the More actions menu icon ![]().

     2. Modify the name of the playbook. By default, it is named as Duplicate of Demand workflow.The Application and Parent table fields are auto-populated from the
        default playbook. These are editable but for demands, the application must be <kbd class="ph userinput">Portfolio Planning</kbd> and the parent table must be <kbd class="ph userinput">Demand</kbd>.

     3. Add a description for the playbook.
     4. Select Duplicate.
     {#create-and-customize-playbooks-ppw__ol_uhn_rkp_1lc}
   * To create a playbook, select NewPlaybook. For next steps, see [Create and configure playbooks](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=setting-up-process-automation-designer&version=australia&pubname=australia-build-workflows&ft:locale=en-US).  
     Note:  
     If you want to use agentic playbooks, see [Agentic playbooks](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=agentic-playbooks-landing&version=australia&pubname=australia-build-workflows&ft:locale=en-US).

3. Configure the trigger.
   1. Select the Triggers icon in the left sidebar.
   2. Select Add trigger or the existing trigger.

   {#create-and-customize-playbooks-ppw__substeps_t55_gg4_clc}  
   Each demand can map to more than one playbook, based on the trigger. You can create multiple playbooks with different trigger conditions. For detailed steps, see [Triggers](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=process-automation-designer-triggers&version=australia&pubname=australia-build-workflows&ft:locale=en-US).
   * To run the playbook only for some demands, add conditions to the trigger. For example, to run the playbook only for new demands in the Draft state, add the condition `State is Draft` to a record creation type trigger.
   * To run the playbook when a demand is updated instead of created, select When record is updated or When record is created or updated as the trigger type.
   * To apply the playbook to tables that extend the Demand \[dmn_demand\] table, select the Run this trigger on extended tables check box to apply the trigger to extended tables.
4. Add or change stages.  
   In Board view, select Add Stage, or select Add StepAdd Stage to add a stage after an existing one. Set the Start rule to When playbook starts or After specific stages. A stage appears to users only if at least one of its activities is
   available for the demand. For detailed steps, see [Stages and activities](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=process-automation-designer-lanes-activities&version=australia&pubname=australia-build-workflows&ft:locale=en-US).

5. Add or change the activities in each stage.  
   In a stage, select Add activity and search for the activity definition, such as Record Form, New Record Form, Instruction, Update Record, or Ask For Ad Hoc Approval. Configure the activity on its tabs:
   * Details: Enter the label and description, and set the Start rule to When stage starts or After specific activities. To run the activity only when a condition is met, select Show additional options and add a run condition. For example, run an activity that moves the demand to Approved only if an earlier approval activity returns approved. If the condition is not met, the activity is skipped.
   * Automation: Set the inputs of the activity. To assign the activity, select Show additional options and set Assigned To or Assignment Group. Use the data pill picker to assign the activity to a field on the demand, for example Parent RecordDemandDemand manager, or enter a specific user or group.
   * UI Layout: Set the associated table and record, the form fields to display, and the tagline that users see on the activity. For automated activities, enter a tagline such as <kbd class="ph userinput">Automated state change</kbd> so that users don't see the default activity name.

   {#create-and-customize-playbooks-ppw__ul_activity_tabs}

   For a record form activity, select the table and the record, and then select the fields to display from the table's form layout. To include a related list in the activity, use the <kbd class="ph userinput">Demand Related List</kbd> custom activity definition. To include a plugin check in any activity, use the <kbd class="ph userinput">Check if plugin is active</kbd> custom action. To run an activity only after another activity is
   complete, set the activity to start after that specific activity. For detailed steps, see [Stages and activities](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=process-automation-designer-lanes-activities&version=australia&pubname=australia-build-workflows&ft:locale=en-US).

   For example, to capture a compliance review in the Define demand alignment stage, add a record form activity. Select the custom compliance fields from the Demand \[dmn_demand\] table. Set the activity to start after the
   Define strategic alignment activity.
6. Define what happens to each activity when the playbook is restarted.
   * Run always: Always run this activity, including first runs.
   * Skip on restart: Skip this activity when the run is due to a restart.
   * Skip on first run: Skip this activity during the first run.

   The setting on an activity takes precedence over the setting on its stage. For detailed steps, see [Add and configure an activity in a playbook](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=add-configure-activity&version=australia&pubname=australia-build-workflows&ft:locale=en-US).
7. **Optional:** Configure the automated state changes.  
   To move the demand to the next state automatically, add an Update Record activity at the end of the stage that sets the State field of the demand. An Update Record activity on its own changes
   the state without checking any conditions. To check the same conditions as a manual state change, create a custom demand state transition checker activity before the Update Record activity. The Demand workflow
   playbook uses this approach.

   If you use custom demand states or roles, modify the DemandPlaybookUtils script include. For more information, see [Transition checker to move a demand to the next state automatically](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/zwO9wjgXPbgbTo0K0cPgEQ#playbooks-in-demand-workspace-ppw__section_dmnd_state_change).
8. If you override activities or actions, add the overrides to the Demand playbook experience.  
   Overrides that you add to another experience aren't available when the playbook runs in Next Experience for Demand Management. For more information, see [Designing Playbook Experience](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=playbook-experience-admins&version=australia&pubname=australia-build-workflows&ft:locale=en-US).
9. Select Test to test your playbook on the selected demand record and select <kbd class="ph userinput">Demand playbook experience</kbd> as the Playbook preview.  
   If you test with a different experience, the demand-specific lists and actions don't appear.
10. Select Activate to make the playbook live.  
    The status changes from Inactive to Active, and new demands that match the trigger start the playbook. After you change an active playbook, select Activate again to publish the change. Demands already in progress keep the version of the playbook that they started with.
{#create-and-customize-playbooks-ppw__steps_odv_hfm_djc}

## Result

The playbook runs for demands that match its trigger. Users see it on the Playbook tab of the demand. For more information, see [Use playbook for a demand](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/Aqkfr~VHKh2j1dTtHQWguQ "Use the demand workflow default playbook on a demand to complete the activities in each stage and move the demand through its life cycle.").
**Related concepts**   

* [Playbooks in Next Experience for Demand Management](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/zwO9wjgXPbgbTo0K0cPgEQ "Playbooks in Next Experience for Demand Management provide a guided, structured approach to managing a demand from initiation to completion. Playbooks focus specifically on helping teams follow the demand life cycle for different governance processes, so every demand progresses consistently and critical steps aren't missed.")  
**Related tasks**   

* [Use playbook for a demand](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/Aqkfr~VHKh2j1dTtHQWguQ "Use the demand workflow default playbook on a demand to complete the activities in each stage and move the demand through its life cycle.")
* [Creation example for a demand playbook for IT governance](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/waaMD4FfHqO1HrWb5Rm6Tg "Build a demand playbook that guides technology investment requests through intake, architecture review, and a steering committee decision, and moves the demand state automatically at each step.")  
**Related reference**   

* [Demand workflow playbook stages](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/mdtJ27NztgMrA~Pzn7mVjg "The default demand workflow playbook includes predefined stages and activities that guide you through the demand life cycle.")  
**Related topics**   

* [Building Playbooks](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=building-a-process&version=australia&pubname=australia-build-workflows&ft:locale=en-US)
* [Designing Playbook Experience](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=playbook-experience-admins&version=australia&pubname=australia-build-workflows&ft:locale=en-US)

*[\>]: and then