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

 Release :

    - australia

ft:locale :

    - en-US

ft:publication_title :

    - Australia Build workflows

ft:clusterId :

    - crworkflow

bundleId :

    - crworkflow

workflow :

    - Creator


---

# Nested Playbooks

# Nested Playbooks {#ariaid-title1}

Release version: Australia  
Updated March 12, 2026  
![](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ico-clock) 2 minutes to read
Summarize  
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This content was generated using new OpenAI-powered functionality. Results are provided on an as is basis and are not guaranteed to be accurate or complete.  

## Summary of Nested Playbooks

Nested Playbooks in ServiceNow Australia release allow you to embed or "nest" child playbooks within parent playbooks.
This capability helps organize complex processes by breaking them into reusable, smaller sets of activities.
Nested playbooks improve maintainability, reduce duplication, and enhance performance by enabling faster loading in the Playbook Designer.
Show full answer Show less  

## Key Features

* **Standalone Execution Type:** Child playbooks must be created as Standalone execution types, meaning they launch manually rather than through automated triggers.
* **Nestable Checkbox:** When creating a Standalone playbook, select the option to make it nestable. The playbook must be activated to appear as an option for nesting in a parent playbook.
* **Permissions:** Child playbooks require the same runtime permissions as their parent playbooks to function correctly.
* **Optional Activities:** Optional activities can only be inserted in parent playbooks. Nested playbooks currently do not support inserting optional activities at runtime.
* **Restart Behavior:** Individual activities or stages within a nested playbook cannot be restarted independently. Restart applies to the entire nested playbook when triggered from the parent, following specific restart rules defined in the Launch Nested Playbook activity:
  * *Skip on restart:* Nested playbook continues running without cancellation.
  * *Run always:* Nested playbook is canceled and relaunched upon restart.
  * *Skip on first run:* Nested playbook triggers only on parent playbook restart and follows "Run always" on subsequent restarts.
* **Cancellation:** Canceling the parent playbook automatically cancels the nested child playbook. Child playbooks can also be canceled independently via UI or API.

## Building Nested Playbooks

Creating nested playbooks involves two steps:

* Build a nestable child playbook configured as Standalone and activated.
* Build a parent playbook designed to host and launch the child playbook.

This structured approach allows you to modularize processes efficiently and reuse activity sets across multiple workflows.  
Embed or "nest" a child playbook within a parent playbook to organize your processes and then present the appropriate sequence of steps in the runtime experience. Creating child playbooks that can be used in other parent
playbooks enables you to define sets of activities that can be re-used across multiple playbooks to avoid duplication.
Using nested playbooks can also enable you to break up very large playbooks so they are easier to maintain, and they can load faster in Playbook Designer.

## About nested playbooks {#nested-playbooks__section_hbw_nb3_d3c}

When building child playbooks, they must be of the Standalone execution type. This means that they are launched manually and not with an automated trigger. When you create a new playbook and select the Standalone execution type,
select a check box that allows the playbook to be nested in a parent playbook. The "nestable" playbook must be activated to be visible in the picker for selection as a nestable playbook in a parent playbook.

Permissions

:   Nested (child) playbook must have the same runtime permissions as the parent.

Inserting optional activities
:   In this release, nested playbooks don't support inserting optional activities at runtime. Parent playbooks can still include optional activities, but insertion points are restricted to the parent playbook. Optional activities from
    the parent can't be inserted within a child playbook.

Restarting playbooks
:
    Restart is not supported on individual activities or stages that belong to a nested playbook. A restart of the whole nested playbook can be performed when the nested playbook is restarted from the parent playbook. The restart behavior of the nested playbook from the parent playbook is based on the following restart rules that are defined for the Launch Nested Playbook activity:

    * Skip on restart: The nested playbook is not cancelled and continues to run.
    * Run always: The nested playbook is cancelled, and a new nested playbook is triggered when the launch nested playbook activity starts again.
    * Skip on first run: The nested playbook is only triggered when the parent playbook is restarted. It then follows the Run always rule behavior after subsequent restarts.
    {#nested-playbooks__ul_wr2_rky_23c}

How nested playbooks are affected by cancellation
:   Cancellation of the parent playbook automatically terminates the child playbook. Child playbooks can be cancelled by using the UI or an API.

## Process to build nested playbooks {#nested-playbooks__section_mwj_mc3_d3c}

Building nested playbooks is a two-part process:

1. Build a child playbook that can be nested in a parent playbook. For information about this step, see [Create a nestable child playbook](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/LmpqVLXzOqtkdmb3WxKq2A "Nest a child playbook within a parent playbook to organize your processes. Creating child playbooks that can be used in other parent playbooks enables you to define sets of activities that can be re-used across multiple playbooks to avoid duplication.").
2. Build a parent playbook that can host the child playbook. For more information about this step, see [Create a parent playbook to host a nestable child playbook](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/lF6K3zjzMorhM5os0LP1aQ "After you have created a nestable child playbook, then you can create a parent playbook to host the child playbook.").
{#nested-playbooks__ol_sxp_4c3_d3c}