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

 Release :

    - brazil

ft:locale :

    - en-US

ft:publication_title :

    - Brazil Build workflows

ft:clusterId :

    - crworkflow

bundleId :

    - crworkflow

workflow :

    - Creator


---

# Enabling playbook restart

# Enabling playbook restart {#ariaid-title1}

Release version: Brazil  
Updated September 10, 2026  
![](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ico-clock) 2 minutes to read
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## Summary of Enabling playbook restart

Playbook restart in ServiceNow's Playbook Experience allows agents and fulfillers to restart a playbook either from the beginning or from a specific stage or activity during runtime.
This feature helps manage workflows more flexibly by controlling which parts of the playbook execute during a restarted run.
Show full answer Show less  
Restart is automatically enabled for new playbooks, while administrators must manually enable it for existing playbooks. Once enabled, restart cannot be disabled.

## Restart Rules

Administrators define restart rules for each stage and activity in Workflow Studio to control their behavior during a restarted playbook run. The available restart rules are:

* **Skip on restart:** Runs only during the initial execution; skipped during restart. Useful to avoid creating duplicate tasks or records.
* **Run always:** Runs during both initial execution and any restarts.
* **Skip on first run:** Runs only during a restarted run; skipped during the initial run.

## Restart States

A playbook can only be restarted when it is in an active state, specifically when its state is **In Progress**. Playbooks in terminal states such as Complete, Error, or Cancelled cannot be restarted.

Conversely, stages and activities can be restarted only when they are in a complete or error state.

## Design Considerations

* **Last stages and activities:** Avoid configuring the last stage or activity as *Skip on first run* unless there are parallel stages or activities, to ensure they run properly on restart.
* **Stages grouping:** Do not group all activities set to *Skip on first run* within a single stage, as this may cause the stage to be hidden during the initial run and visible only after a restart.

## Practical Application for ServiceNow Customers

ServiceNow customers can leverage playbook restart to improve workflow resilience and flexibility, enabling agents to re-run parts of a process without creating redundant tasks or data. Administrators should carefully configure restart rules and states to align with their operational needs and ensure consistent behavior during playbook restarts.  
Learn how playbook restart during runtime works and how restart rules control the behavior of stages and activities during a restarted run.
Playbook restart lets agents and fulfillers in Playbook Experience restart a playbook from the beginning, or from a specific stage or activity. Playbooks administrators enable restart in Workflow Studio and define restart rules for each stage and activity.

Restart is automatically enabled for new playbooks. For existing playbooks, an administrator must enable restart manually. Once enabled, restart cannot be disabled.

## Restart rules {#restart__section_k24_bcn_tzb}

When you configure restart for a stage or activity, you define what it does when a playbook is restarted. The following rules are available:
{#restart__table_lrn_ld3_cjc__entry__2}

| Rule | Description |
|-|-|
| Skip on restart | The stage or activity runs only during the initial run. It does not run when the playbook is restarted. Use this rule when you don't want new tasks or records to be created during a restarted run, because the original execution and its resulting record are still relevant. |
| Run always | The stage or activity runs during both the initial run and any restarted run. |
| Skip on first run | The stage or activity runs only during a restarted run. It never runs during the initial run. |
[ ]

{#restart__table_lrn_ld3_cjc}

## Restart states {#restart__section_wkj_td3_cjc}

The state of a playbook, stage, or activity determines whether it can be restarted.

A playbook can only be restarted when it is in an active state. The only active state is In Progress. Playbooks in a terminal state --- Complete, Error, or Cancelled --- cannot be restarted.

The opposite is true for stages and activities. A stage or activity can only be restarted when it is in a complete or error state.

## Design considerations {#restart__section_ohl_tcz_21c}

Follow these design considerations when configuring restart for your playbook, stages, and activities.

Last stages and activities
:   Avoid setting the last stage or activity of a playbook to Skip on first run if there are no parallel stages or activities. If the playbook is restarted before the last stage or activity can run, the last stage or activity never runs.

Stages
:   Avoid grouping all activities that are configured to Skip on first run in one (1) stage. If you do so, the stage is completely hidden the first time that it runs. The stage must run twice to become
    visible.
* **[Configure restart for Playbooks](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/P1KlFIPFMBGRLODyyJkGaw)**   
  Configure restart so that agents and fulfillers in Playbook Experience can restart a playbook from the beginning, or from a specific stage or activity.

**Related tasks**   

* [Configure restart for Playbooks](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/P1KlFIPFMBGRLODyyJkGaw "Configure restart so that agents and fulfillers in Playbook Experience can restart a playbook from the beginning, or from a specific stage or activity.")